The Administrator is responsible for administration of the board of trustees, to include trustees’ records, meeting papers, appointments and general board communications.
Gerald Coke Handel Foundation (charity no. 1058589)
The GCHF is a Company Limited by Guarantee No. 03201907 with a Council of Members and the Secretary’s duties relate to that type of entity under the Companies Acts.
Formed in 1996, the Gerald Coke Handel Foundation administers the endowment that accompanies the Gerald Coke Handel Collection and assists the Foundling Museum with the care of the Collection, which came to the Museum through the Government’s Allocation in Lieu scheme. The Board includes two trustees nominated by the Handel Institute and one trustee nominated by the Foundling Museum; five independent trustees are appointed from persons responding to advertisements as vacancies arise.
The Foundation’s objects are to advance public education by providing research facilities for academics, musicologists, musicians, students, writers, researchers and all those interested in the life and work of Handel, his associates and contemporaries, the musical environment of his time, the printing and publishing of music in the eighteenth century, and related subjects. It also supports relevant publications and displays of the Collection.
Trustees: Sarah Bardwell, Michael Burden, David Coke (Chair, 2024), Helen Faulkner, Ronald Gould, George Kennaway, Sylvia Levi, Walter Rudeloff, Rahul Sinha, Peter Smaill.
Responsibilities of the post
Trustees
* Regular contact with the Chair and contact as necessary with the GCHF Finance Committee and Accountant regarding statutory accounting matters
· Administration of Trustee appointments and retirements and maintaining up-to-date contact details of Trustees,
· Updating Trustees’ registration, especially following resignations and appointments, at the Charity Commission and Companies House
· Maintaining records of the charity, including Articles, loan agreements and other legal documents, and digitising all necessary documents for future storage and access.
* Administration of the charity’s bank account, in co-ordination with the accountant and Finance Committee.
* Drafting policies and articles amendments
* Advising on governance and good practice
* Co-ordination with the Museum’s Librarian especially concerning their historical role as Company Secretary, and the storage of old files at the museum
* Co-ordination with the Foundling Museum on matters that are beyond the remit of the Museum’s staff.
* Given a candidate with the appropriate skills, development and maintenance of a GCHF website, and/or social media account, and a secure Trustees’ Portal
Trustee Meetings
* Scheduling suitable dates and times for up to four Trustee meetings per year, and preparing a Board calendar in consultation with the Chair.
* Booking a suitable meeting room, usually at the Foundling Museum
* Helping to set up links and equipment for hybrid or online meetings
* Preparation and distribution of papers, including minutes, reports and agendas, preferably having set up a secure Board Portal both for current papers and as a repository for historic information
* Taking minutes and distributing them afterwards, following review by the Chair
Charity Commission
* The postholder will be the named contact for both the Charity Commission and for Companies House
* Assisting the accountant with the preparation of the annual accounts and reports and filing them at the Charity Commission within 10 months of the financial year end
* Completing the annual return for the Charity Commission
Companies House
* Assisting the accountant with the preparation of the annual accounts and report and filing them at Companies House within 10 months of the financial year end
* Completing the annual return for Companies House
* Submission of the Annual Confirmation Statement
* Submission of the Annual Report and Financial Statements.
PERSON SPECIFICATION/EXPERIENCE
* Administrative experience, including meeting and report preparation
* Knowledge and experience of Microsoft Word and Excel and of Microsoft Teams/Zoom for online meetings - and knowledge of setting up and using secured online document portals
* Strong communication and organisational skills
* Ability to work independently, with care, honesty and responsibility
* Experience of working with a charity
LOCATION
This is a remote-working post, but in-person attendance at up to four trustee meetings per year in London is expected.
WORKING HOURS
The Administrator is required to work approximately an equivalent of 1 to 2 days per month, working out their own timetables to suit the work, and keeping a record of hours worked.