Board of Directors: Role Specifications

  • Directors will be Members of York Supplies Community Society Ltd. who are willing to volunteer their time and energies to pursue the good of the Society and its Members.
  • YSCSL is determined to ensure diversity among those on the Board, and actively encourages the nomination of candidates from underrepresented groups.
  • Nominations will be for undifferentiated director positions and elections will be on this basis.
  • After the election the new Board will select among their number to fill necessary named positions. These will include at least Chair, Secretary, Treasurer. Role specifications for these positions are included in this present document.
  • The Board may add other named positions from time to time as need arises. Before adding a new portfolio, the Board will add a role specification to this document to ensure clarity of duties and assure against role creep.
  • Nominees must indicate that they recognise that as directors they will need to be active participants in Board activities. Directors must have the capacity to take on specific responsibilities whether named or unnamed, time-bound or ongoing. Directors must be willing and able to drive forward Society matters on their own initiative and under the oversight of the Board.

DIRECTOR

  1. Duration of post is 3 years.
  2. Each director will attend Board meetings (usually monthly) and contribute experience, comment and suggestions both at meetings and in between them from time to time when quicker consultation is required (usually by email or WhatsApp).
  3. Directors will show initiative in making proposals to the Board that pursue the best interests of the Society and Members.
  4. Directors will volunteer for one of the various Board tasks, e.g. line managing the shop managers, managing the programme of community activities, leading development of new business ideas, and others that may arise from time to time.
  5. Directors will be willing to attend meetings of other bodies (e.g. co-operative or trade associations as the Board may determine) to represent the views, interests, concerns or story of YSCSL, and report to the Board afterwards.
  6. Directors will field or where necessary forward to relevant officers any queries received regarding YSCSL matters.

Chair

  1. The Chair will be expected to have the experience, standing and commitment to provide active leadership to the Board, and to represent, advocate and strategise for YSCSL within and beyond the community. 
  2. Duration of post is 1 year.
  3. Provide strategic leadership for the Society, proposing or adopting courses of action directed towards the health and furtherance of the York Supplies business and related community activities, and following through on actions agreed by the Board and, where appropriate, the Members.
  4. Work closely with the other directors to ensure effective administration of the affairs of the Society.
  5. Maintain relationship with Co-ops UK and other co-operative organisations.
  6. Act as point of contact for other organisations or individuals.
  7. Seek directors or Members to serve as YSCSL representatives on or officers of other relevant bodies (e.g. West Midlands Co-op, Kings Heath BID, etc).
  8. Ensure the production and dissemination of regular updates to Members and other publicity for Society activities.
  9. Support directors or Members co-opted or volunteering to fulfill specific roles in areas such as volunteer organising, the YSCSL website, social media, etc.
  10. Pursue methods for building networks with other local co-ops and community organisations.
  11. Oversee allocation, and where necessary remuneration, of work carried out by or on behalf of YSCSL.
  12. Oversee the development, maintenance and improvement of YSCSL policy documents and actions that actively further the goals of equality and respect for all groups underrepresented in the Society, shop and local community, which will include ensuring diverse representation on the Board.
  13. Ensure regular updating and review of the Society’s constitution.
  14. Bear ultimate responsibility for the actions of the Society.
  15. Report to the Board at the regular meetings on activities as Chair.
  16. Prepare and present the annual Board report on the Society to the YSCSL AGM.

Secretary

  1. Duration of post is 1 year.
  2. Oversee email lists and social media postings.
  3. Oversee media strategy.
  4. Liaise closely with the other directors to ensure effective administration of the affairs of the Society.
  5. Organize monthly Board meetings, fixing date/location of meetings and circulating meeting information (agenda, minutes etc.) to directors.
  6. Organize AGM and circulate meeting information to Members.
  7. Provide Secretary’s report at the AGM.
  8. Take minutes of Board meetings and AGMs.
  9. File and maintain administrative documents, including proceedings of Board meetings and AGMs, and details of directors.
  10. Organize annual elections to the Board, including circulation of Board vacancies to Members, solicitation of potential nominees, circulation of online election poll to Members, and announcement of election results at AGM.
  11. Field – or where necessary forward to other directors – any queries received regarding YSCSL, the shop or the Society’s community activities.

Treasurer

  1. Duration of post is 1 year.
  2. Manage bank accounts for YSCSL on behalf of the Board and Members. Report to the Board at the regular meetings on the state of the Society bank accounts. Prepare and present the annual report on the bank accounts to the AGM.
  3. File YSCSL’s required returns to the FCA etc.
  4. Maintain YSCSL’s memberships of e.g. Co-ops UK, Kings Heath BID, BIRA, etc. 
  5. Write invoices or request invoices for work carried out by or on behalf of the Society.
  6. Issue payments for work carried out by or on behalf of YSCSL.
  7. Issue reimbursement for costs incurred by directors for work on behalf of the Society and Members.

Membership Secretary

  1. Duration of the post is 1year
  2. Liaise with the members to deal with any concerns or questions that arrive via email, social media or through the shop. 
  3. Communicate co-op and shop information to the membership in an effective manner via the Mailchimp platform/website.
  4. Contact the small number of members who do not have emails via printed means.
  5. Help facilitate any share offers and create the certificates/update the records.
  6. Be the designated GDPR point of contact.

Nominations

Nominees may self nominate but all nominations must be supported by two Members of the Society. We are primarily taking submissions via the online form found here:

Nomination Form