Welcome to Winchester Poetry Festival
Winchester Poetry Day 2026 - Sat 10th October
.jpg)
Winchester Poetry is seeking a Trustee Treasurer
Winchester Poetry Festival wishes to appoint a Trustee Treasurer to join its Board of Trustees.
With a year-round remit, Winchester Poetry Festival was launched in 2013 and is a registered charity (Charity No: 1150097).
For further information about WPF, please see Appendix.
Our current treasurer, Sue Spiers, is planning to step down at the end of 2026, after 10 years in the role. We are therefore now seeking a new Trustee Treasurer to join our Board of Trustees and work with Chair and Trustees ensuring sound financial administration, reporting and oversight of the work. This is an important role within the organisation, helping the trustees to maintain sound financial management and ensuring that WPF meets its financial and charitable responsibilities.
This is an unpaid voluntary trustee role. The role is flexible and combines practical financial administration with an overview of the Festival’s financial position. The Treasurer will need to allow time (estimated at an average of 1 hour per week, throughout the week) for routine monthly financial administration, preparation of reports, trustee meetings and the annual accounts process. Extra time may occasionally be needed relating to Winchester Poetry Prize entries, Poetry Day/Biennial Festival and at year end.
The role offers an opportunity to play a significant part in supporting the financial health and sustainability of Winchester Poetry Festival while contributing to the development of a well- established local poetry organisation.
Trustee Treasurer: Role Description
Key Responsibilities
Banking and Payments:
-
Maintain the Festival’s bank mandate and authorised signatories.
-
Make payments to suppliers, artists, poets and the Festival Manager, in accordance with agreed procedures.
-
Check that income received can be identified and supported by appropriate documentation.
-
Complete bank reconciliations at least monthly.
-
Monitor the Festival’s bank accounts and ensure that payments and receipts are accurately recorded.
-
PayPal Administration:
-
Maintain appropriate authorisation and up-to-date contact information within the Festival’s PayPal account.
-
Periodically transfer PayPal income to the Festival’s bank account.
-
Make payments to international suppliers and artists, including payments in currencies other than GBP.
-
Analyse PayPal income and payments for inclusion in monthly financial reports and annual charity reporting.
-
Financial Accounts and Reporting:
-
Analyse bank and PayPal transactions and allocate income and expenditure to the appropriate accounting codes.
-
Maintain appropriate financial records to support reporting to the trustees and the Charity Commission.
-
Maintain records of Friends of Winchester Poetry Festival donations, including date, amount and Gift Aid status.
-
Prepare and submit Gift Aid claims, normally twice a year.
-
Prepare monthly management accounts for the Chair and Festival Manager.
-
Compare actual income and expenditure against the agreed budget and highlight significant variances.
-
Prepare the Festival’s annual accounts for independent examination.
-
Present financial reports and an overview of the Festival’s financial position at trustee meetings and the AGM.
-
Upload the approved and authorised annual accounts to the Charity Commission portal.
-
Provide support with cash-flow forecasting when required.
-
Financial Record Keeping:
-
Maintain copies of invoices and supporting documentation relating to the accounts.
-
Maintain records of Payment Authorisation Forms (PAFs).
-
Maintain records of Invoice Request Forms (IRFs).
-
Maintain records of expense claims.
-
Ensure financial records are stored securely and can be readily accessed when required
Trustee Responsibilities
As a member of the Board of Trustees, the Treasurer will also:
-
Contribute to the overall governance and strategic direction of Winchester Poetry Festival.
-
Help the Board to understand and monitor the Festival’s financial position and sustainability.
-
Ensure that financial decisions are made in accordance with the Festival’s charitable objectives and agreed policies.
-
Attend and contribute to trustee meetings and the AGM.
-
Work collaboratively with other trustees and the Festival Manager.
-
Take an active interest in the continued development and success of the Festival.
Skills and Experience
We are looking for someone with:
-
Good numeracy and financial management skills.
-
Experience of preparing or overseeing accounts and financial reports.
-
Confidence using Excel or similar spreadsheet software.
-
Familiarity with online banking and payment systems such as PayPal.
-
Good attention to detail and an organised approach to record keeping.
-
The ability to communicate financial information clearly to people who may not have a financial background.
-
An understanding of, or willingness to learn about, the financial responsibilities of a charity and the requirements of the Charity Commission.
Previous experience as a charity treasurer or trustee would be helpful but is not essential. We would particularly welcome applications from people who have relevant financial, accounting or business experience and who would enjoy contributing their skills to a local arts organisation.
Time Commitment
This is an unpaid voluntary trustee role. The role is flexible and combines practical financial administration with an overview of the Festival’s financial position. The Treasurer will need to allow time (estimated at an average of 1 hour per week) for routine admin and reporting, alongside ad hoc monitoring of emails to ensure our reputation for paying invoices promptly is maintained.
Location
Winchester Poetry Festival is based in Winchester. Most financial administration can be undertaken remotely, with attendance at trustee meetings and the AGM expected. Trustees meet some four times a year; two or three of these meetings are via ZOOM.
NEXT STEPS/HOW TO EXPRESS INTEREST
To express interest, please send us a short CV and covering statement, outlining your interest in the work of Winchester Poetry Festival and highlighting the skills and experience you would bring to the role.
Please email this to: hello@winchesterpoetryfestival.org
Deadline for expressions of interest: Monday 30th Nov 2026 23:59
If you would like an informal conversation about the role, or would like to find out more about becoming a trustee of Winchester Poetry Festival, we'd love to hear from you.
Please contact Jane Bryant, on chair@winchesterpoetryfestival.org
Winchester Poetry Festival
8th October 2026
Appendix
About Winchester Poetry Festival
Winchester Poetry Festival’s mission is to share, celebrate and champion poetry - we believe in the power of poetry to bring us together and make a positive, enriching difference to our lives. While Winchester Poetry Festival (WPF) is international in outlook, our commitment to reaching under-represented voices and those experiencing challenges locally is key.
WPF aims to be a round table for poetry where everyone is welcome. We are a poetry organisation that does all sorts of things - from hosting our much-acclaimed biennial festival in Winchester, to our popular Winchester Poetry Prize competition, to our wider work with schools and community organisations.
WPF was established in 2013 with the first festival taking place in September 2014. WPF delivers a major Biennial Festival – our next Festival is due to take place on 10-12 October 2025, with online and fringe events in the week preceding that. Since 2023 we have expanded to become a year-round organisation, celebrating poetry through partnership projects and collaborations. This includes our partnership work with Hampshire Cultural Trust to run the Hampshire Poet programme and the Hampshire Young Poet Competition.
WPF is a registered charity (No 1150097). It is chaired by Jane Bryant who took up the position in May 2021. Our other current trustees are: Susmita Bhattacharya; Jon Whitfield QC; Abanti Chakrabarty Mukhopadhyay; Jeremey Wikeley; Andy O'Hanlon; Jo Fisher; David Hill (see: Board and Patrons. In addition to the trustees, the board has the support of a volunteer Treasurer and a volunteer Minute Secretary. We engage two part-time professional staff (freelance contracts): Erica Hesketh (Artistic Director) and Amy Juliet Brown (Festival Manager).
Why become a trustee?
Becoming a trustee is very rewarding and is a great way to give something back to a cause you care about. You’ll be playing an integral part in the way the charity is run, ensuring it remains sustainable and financially viable. The help you provide will be invaluable (Become a trustee | Reach Volunteering). Trustees use their skills and professional experience to support their charities or causes, working together to help them achieve their aims and charitable objectives and deciding their overall direction. Getting involved as a charity trustee is an excellent way to put your professional skills to use.
One of the most important things charities need from their trustees is someone who is committed to the organisation and enthusiastic about what they stand for. Most people over the age of 18 can become trustees. Also see: Charity trustee: what’s involved (CC3a) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Trustee roles and responsibilities
WPF trustees play a vital role in making sure that WPF achieves its core purpose. The key responsibility of trustees is to contribute actively to the board giving strategic direction to the organisation, setting overall policy, defining goals and evaluating performance against agreed targets. Trustees support the organisation to grow and thrive, and through this, achieve our mission.
Board members have a collective responsibility. This means that trustees always act as a group and not as individuals. The statutory duties of a trustee include ensuring that the organisation complies with its governing document, charity law, and any other relevant legislation, ensuring that it pursues its objectives, and uses its resources wisely.
Trustees are also key ambassadors for the festival and responsible for safeguarding its good name and values. They are required to ensure the effective and efficient administration and financial stability of the organisation, and to appoint and monitor the performance of any staff.
Trustee duties include:
-
Support and provide advice on WPF’s purpose, vision, goals, and activities.
-
Approve operational strategies and policies and monitor and evaluate their implementation.
-
Oversee WPF’s financial plans and budgets and monitor and evaluate progress.
-
Ensure the effective and efficient administration of the organisation.
-
Ensure that key risks are being identified, monitored and controlled effectively.
-
Review and approve WPF’s financial statements.
-
Provide support and challenge to WPF’s executive team in the exercise of their delegated authority and affairs.
-
Attend Board meetings, adequately prepared to contribute to discussions.
-
Use independent judgment, acting legally and in good faith to promote and protect WPF’s interests, to the exclusion of their own personal and/or any third-party interests.
-
Contribute to the broader promotion of WPF’s objects, aims and reputation by applying your skills, expertise, knowledge, networks, and contacts.
As a small charity, there will be times when the trustees will need to be actively involved beyond Board meetings. Involvement will of course reflect trustee skills and experience, and their time availability, but may involve scrutinising board papers, leading discussions, providing advice and guidance on key issues or new initiatives, collaborating with the Chair and Festival Manager on fundraising and grant funding bids, presenting externally, or on other issues in which the trustee has special expertise.
What we are looking for
Personal skills and qualities for a trustee in general:
-
Willingness and ability to understand and accept their responsibilities and liabilities as trustees and to act in the best interests of the organisation.
-
Ability to think creatively and strategically, exercise good, independent judgement and work effectively as a board member.
-
Effective communication skills and willingness to participate actively in discussion.
-
A strong personal commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
-
Enthusiasm for our vision and mission.
-
Willingness to undertake specific tasks if as feasible and as required and to make time available
-
Commitment to Nolan’s seven principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.
(Please see the main document re the role of Trustee Treasurer specifically).
Terms of appointment
Our board currently meets 4 to 5 times a year (e.g. January, March, June, October) with an occasional ‘Away Day’ to allow quality time for planning and reflection. When necessary, we also establish small task groups to undertake time-limited projects. This allows us to make best use of trustees’ skills, knowledge, and experience, and enables trustees to play a part in the practical management and development of the festival as an organisation.
In the normal course of events, trustees will find themselves scrutinising board papers, leading discussions, providing guidance on new initiatives, and helping the board to reach sound decisions. Individual trustees may wish to take responsibility for leading on specific topics or initiatives such as our Friends group, educational activity, assisting with fundraising bids, or volunteering at the Festival or one-off poetry events.
Terms of office
-
Trustees are appointed for a 3-year term of office, generally renewable for a further term or more, but to a maximum of c. 9 to 12 years.
-
This is a non-remunerated and voluntary position; occasional allowable expenses are available if required and budgeted in advance.
Time commitment
-
Attending 4 to 5 Board meetings annually (c.2 hours per meeting). Currently meetings are held both via Zoom and in person in Winchester
-
Attending Away/strategy/training days.
-
Other time as required as outlined above, and reflecting trustees’ other commitments.