Volunteer work at Emmaus Village Carlton

The many volunteers who work at Emmaus Village Carlton (EVC) are a highly valued and strong part of our team. They support the Community in many ways and are dedicated to the continued success of the project, aware that their contribution is essential to the well-being of the Companions and to creating a home and workplace for them.

Volunteers who can commit regular hours each week work mainly in the Bistro and Bric-a-brac Shop, or drive one of the vans to collect and deliver goods. Our two qualified electrician volunteers attend each week to test all electrical goods before they are put out for sale. Other volunteers who are unable to work an a regular basis work in the storage areas – toys, clothes, bric-a-brac and books – sorting donated goods and preparing them for sale.

EVC also has volunteers in many other areas, such as in the gardens and poly-tunnel; on the Fund Raising Committee; helping with the administration of the Community; distributing leaflets when required and giving talks to local groups and associations. There is also an excellent team of people who will come in to help in the case of absences.

Volunteers are offered training courses at various times. Those who work in the Bistro are encouraged to complete the Food Hygiene course, and basic computer training has attracted others. An informative session on drug addiction proved very interesting and will be repeated. 

No qualifications are necessary to be a volunteer at EVC – a good sense of humour and a strong desire to help others are the only essential requirements. Volunteers all say that they feel they get more out of working in the Community than they put into it. Getting to know the Companions and other Volunteers, giving time and energy to such a worthwhile cause, meeting the public and enjoying the friendly atmosphere are just some of the things which make being a Volunteer at EVC such a fulfilling experience.

If you would like to know more, please contact EVC by phone and we will
put you in touch with the right person, or why not visit us and speak to any member of staff.
We look forward to hearing from you – we always need more help!

Becoming a Trustee

Emmaus Village Carlton is a registered charity whose work is governed and directed by a board of trustees. Although we have a strong and long serving group of members, we are also mindful of the need to welcome new trustees with a view to introducing additional experience and ideas to our team. 
You will have gained an insight into EVC from other areas of our website and, if you would like to further explore the opportunities of becoming a trustee, please email with your contact details, brief details of your experience as well as reasons for your interest. 
Meanwhile, please find below, some information covering what it means to be a trustee. 
We look forward to hearing from you.

What do trustees do and why are they important?
Section 97 of the Charities Act 1993 defines charity trustees as "persons having the general control and management of the administration of a charity".
Trustees are the people who are responsible for the overall running and management of a charity and oversee all the major decisions on behalf of that charity. They are voting members of the charity's governing body.

Their role is to make sure:
1. the organisation adheres to its governing document (constitution) 
2. the charity follows and meets its objectives as laid out in its governing document 
3. the financial resources of the organisation are spent exclusively on these objectives 
4. the charity practises good conduct in its affairs 
5. the charity's affairs are managed carefully and sensibly. 

Trustees must not:
1. delegate responsibilities or control of the charity to others (they are allowed to delegate areas of work) 
2. act in personal self interest 
3. profit personally from their position as a trustee (without explicit authority). 

A trustee's role can be broken down further into four key areas:
Accounting - They make sure:
1. the charity's bank accounts are operated by more than one person 
2. the charity's property is under the control of the trustees 
3. there are transparent and up-to-date banking records. 

Spending - They make sure they:
1. spend money to help achieve the charity's goals as set out in the governing document 
2. spend this money on the charity's behalf unless they have explicit authority to save it. 

Property - They make sure that:
1. property belonging to the charity is in good condition and being used to maximum benefit of the charity. 

Fundraising - They make sure:
1. there is transparency regarding what donations will be used for 
2. fundraising tactics do not exert undue pressure on people. 

Trustees can also: 
1. change the governing document 
2. make investments. 

Trustee Board
All charities must have a clearly identifiable body of trustees but they are often called various names such as a management committee.

Accountability 
Trustees are legally and financially responsible if they cause loss to the charity by acting unlawfully, imprudently or outside terms of government document.