About Us
Maytree addresses a critical gap in suicide prevention, focusing on those in acute, pre-suicidal states where support from helplines, GPs, therapists or charitable organisations fails. For individuals overwhelmed by suicidal intent, emergency services like A&E often exacerbate fear and shame, leaving them with few options to safely disclose their distress.
Maytree’s vision is to fill the gap, by offering compassionate care and continuous containment in a collaborative community. A sanctuary for respite: calm, safe, warm, friendly, and nurturing. Non-medical, non-judgemental. A place and a time to talk. One that rekindles hope and self-esteem, new insights, restores identity, belonging, and relationship networks from the meltdown of crisis.
Its model turns a high-risk crisis into one of lower risk, one that is manageable. And with proven good outcomes, often a transformative experience.
Background to the role
Maytree closed its doors in March 2023 following management and governance issues. Founder Michael Knight, who had previously stepped away, returned to take over the operations alongside a group of trustees appointed by him and his wife Judith.
Maytree re-opened in April 2025 with a new board of trustees, who have appointed an operations team, defined the model and service matrix, and overseen the renovation of the house. The husband-wife pair, serving as co-chief executives, are preparing to transition out of their roles. In addition to recruiting a new Chief Executive Officer and Chair, adding a trustee with some financial experience is important for maintaining the charity’s short-term stability and guiding its strategic direction.
Main Responsibilities
- Compliance with Company’s Act and Charity Commission responsibilities.
- Developing and agreeing strategy and plans as put forward by CEO/Chair.
- The appointment and accountability/performance/remuneration of executive leadership.
- Overseeing and ensuring that appropriate policies are in place for management of all aspects of risk.
- Chair a Board Sub-Committee on Finance to approve Accounts and liaise with the auditors as appropriate.
- Oversee that financial controls and systems are fit for purpose, advise on presentation to Trustees of annual Accounts and ensure that timely and appropriate budgets, forecasts, management and financial accounts are provided to Trustees.
- Accepting nomination as a signature on the charity’s bank mandates.
- Overseeing/advising on banking arrangements and best deployment of cash reserves
- Monitor cash reserves and ensure they are properly managed and placed where they can get the best possible return.
Person Specification
- Experience with financial reporting, whether in a private or charity sector context. You do not have to be a chartered accountant.
- Comfortable leading meetings about finance issues.
- Able to think strategically and innovatively about the future direction of Maytree.
- Passionately committed to mental health provision and suicide prevention.
- Fully committed to the charity’s ‘no blame’ culture, approaching problem solving in a supportive, constructive and transparent way.
- Fully committed to Maytree’s values: trust, respect, openness, empathy, equity, non-judgement and inclusiveness.
Time commitment: typically 2 days a month.
4 board meetings per year taking place in person. The trustee to be appointed will be expected to oversee and counsel the work of the (part-time) finance office, in touch typically twice a month and more often if appropriate (eg audit and preparation of Annual Accounts) as well as fulfilling trustee duties (such as reading in advance of meetings), and attending special events whether with staff and volunteers or other stakeholders.
Diversity and Inclusion
We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability and potential; please contact us if you require any assistance or adjustment so that we can help with making the application process work for you.
If you would like a call to discuss the role in more detail, please contact John Sanger on 07522 163938 or [email protected] to arrange a convenient time. Having a call of this kind will not influence the success or otherwise of your application.
