Committee Roles

Litherland Allotments & Land Fertility Association
Committee Roles and Responsibilities
All positions on the committee will requires commitment of at least 12 X 1hour slots for the monthly meetings (1st Sunday of the month)
with the other roles requiring more involvement as per the below descriptions.

Committee Members
Being a committee member is about much more than simply attending meetings, although that is one of a committee member’s tasks!
You should see it as an active not a passive role. Obviously you do need to attend meetings, but you also need to be aware of what your
committee is authorised to do, what they are working towards and to work with the other members of the committee to reach a
consensus. Any votes taken on decisions about the allotment site require a vote so you will also be enabling business to be completed. By
joining the committee, you are showing your willingness to help and we would hope you would look to move on through the committee
structure. A good Allotments Committee member will:
 be methodical and able to converse well with tenants and committee alike
 be well organised, with an orderly mind;
 deal promptly with correspondence or enquiries from tenants
 bring the necessary material’s and correspondence to the meeting;
 work well with the Chairperson and committee;
 have knowledge or experience of committee procedures.

Litherland Allotments and Land Fertility Association will be looking for one of each of the following 7 roles in addition to 5-7 committee
members:

Chairperson
Chairing is a key role on any voluntary Management Committee. The Chairperson must ensure that the Management Committee
functions properly, that there is full participation during meetings, that all relevant matters are discussed and that effective decisions are
made and carried out. The role of a Chairperson is time consuming, with work between meetings, external representation of the
organisation, and work with committee members and tenants. Chairing a large organisation requires diplomatic and leadership skills of a
high level. The responsibilities of a Chairperson can be summarised under five areas:
1. To provide leadership.
2. To ensure the Management Committee functions properly.
3. To ensure the organisation is managed effectively.
4. To provide support and supervision to the local council and committee team.
5. To represent the organisation as its figurehead.

Vice Chairperson
Assisting and covering for the Chairperson in the roles outlined above on the Management Committee.
Allotment Secretary
The role of the Secretary is to support the Chair in ensuring the smooth functioning of the Management Committee. In summary, the
Secretary is responsible for:
 Ensuring meetings are effectively organised and minuted
 Maintaining effective records and administration
 Upholding the legal requirements of governing documents, charity law, company law etc (where relevant).
 Communication and correspondence
It is important to note that although the Secretary ensures that these responsibilities are met, much of the work may be delegated to
volunteers. Given these responsibilities, the Secretary often acts as an information and reference point for the Chair and other
committee members: clarifying past practice and decisions; confirming legal requirements; and retrieving relevant documentation. A
good Allotments Committee Secretary will:
 be methodical, with a good eye for detail;
 be well organised, with an orderly mind;
 bring objectivity to the proceedings;
 deal promptly with correspondence;
 be able to take accurate notes of meetings;
 make sure members receive all the necessary material;
 bring the necessary material to the meeting;
 work well with the Chairperson;
 ensure quorum is met for meetings; and
 have knowledge or experience of committee procedures.

Treasurer
The Treasurer has a watchdog role over all aspects of financial management, working closely with other members of the Management
Committee to safeguard the organisation's finances. It is important to note that although the Treasurer ensures that these
responsibilities are met, much of the work may be delegated to a finance sub-committee and paid staff or volunteers. In summary, the
Treasurer is responsible for:
 General financial oversight
 Funding, fundraising and sales
 Financial planning and budgeting
 Financial reporting
 Banking, book keeping and record keeping
 Control of fixed assets and stock
Given these responsibilities, the Treasurer typically acts as an information and reference point for the Chair and other committee
members: clarifying financial implications of proposals; confirming legal requirements; outlining the current financial status; and
retrieving relevant documentation. A good allotments committee treasurer will:
 be capable of handling figures and cash;
 have an orderly mind and methodical way of thinking;
 have experience in dealing with large sums of money and budgets;
 have experience of financial control and budgeting;
 have an eye for detail;
 be available to be contacted for ad hoc advice;
 have a financial qualification or relevant experience;
 have experience of pension schemes;
 good communication and interpersonal skills;
 ability to ensure decisions are taken and followed-up; and
 show good time-keeping.

Vice Treasurer
Assisting and covering for the Treasurer in the roles outlined above on the Management Committee with a view to taking over the
role in the future.

Allotment Lettings Secretary
The role of the Lettings Secretary is to support the Chair and committee in ensuring the smooth functioning of the allotment site in terms
of letting and re-letting plots and managing the upkeep of the site and individual plots. In summary, the Lettings Secretary is responsible
for:
 Ensuring the waiting list is well maintained and robust
 Maintaining effective records and administration
 Upholding the legal requirements of individual plots in line with the advice and requirements from Sefton Council
 Communication and correspondence
Given these responsibilities, the Allotment Lettings Secretary often acts as an information and reference point for the tenants and other
committee members: clarifying past practice and decisions; confirming legal requirements; and retrieving relevant documentation. A
good Allotments Lettings Secretary will:
 be methodical, with a good eye for detail;
 be well organised, with an orderly mind;
 bring objectivity to the management of plots and tenants;
 deal promptly with correspondence;
 make sure members receive all the necessary material;
 bring the necessary material to the meeting;
 work well with the Chairperson;
 have knowledge or experience of committee procedures.

Community Secretary
The role of the Community Secretary is to support the Chair and committee in ensuring the smooth functioning of the allotment site in
terms of communication with our neighbours and local and managing the relationships with these stakeholders. In summary, the
Community Secretary is responsible for:
 Ensuring the communication with neighbouring properties is maintained
 Maintaining effective records and administration
 Upholding the legal requirements of the allotment site in line with the advice and requirements from Sefton Council
 Communication and correspondence
Given these responsibilities, the Community Secretary often acts as an information and reference point for the key local stakeholders and
other committee members: clarifying past practice and decisions; confirming legal requirements; and retrieving relevant documentation.
A good Community Secretary will:
 be methodical, with a good eye for detail;
 be well organised, with an orderly mind;
 bring objectivity to the management of relationships with neighbours;
 deal promptly with correspondence;
 make sure neighbours and key stakeholders receive all the necessary material;
 bring the necessary material to the meeting;
 work well with the Chairperson;
 have knowledge or experience of committee procedures.

Tenant Liaison Secretary
The role of the Tenant Liaison Secretary is to support the Chair and committee in ensuring the smooth functioning of the allotment site in
terms of communication and tenant engagement. In summary, the Tenant Liaison Secretary is responsible for:
 Ensuring the notice board is well maintained and up to date
 Maintain and develop the email list for tenants
 Maintaining and administration on social media channels
 Communication and correspondence
Given these responsibilities, the Tenant Liaison Secretary often acts as an information and reference point for the tenants and other
committee members: clarifying past practice and decisions; confirming legal requirements; and retrieving relevant documentation. A
good Tenant Liaison Secretary will:
 be methodical, with a good eye for detail;
 be well organised, with an orderly mind;
 bring objectivity to the management of plots and tenants;
 deal promptly with correspondence and maintain good communication channels across all relevant mediums
 make sure members receive all the necessary material;
 bring the necessary material to the meeting;
 work well with the Chairperson;
 have knowledge or experience of committee procedures
 have knowledge or experience of social media and email marketing (MailChimp)
If you have any questions about any of the roles or would like to register your interest in one please email
litherlandallotments@live.co.uk in the first instance. Roles will be allocated at the AGM and voted on by all
attendees.