Following a review which began towards the end of last year, the Dons Trust is seeking suitable applicants for the role of advisor to the Dons Trust secretary.
Responsible to the Dons Trust board and supporting the secretariat in its work the advisor’s key duties are to provide advice and guidance as well as mentoring and coaching to our secretary and assistant Secretary to develop our competence as our club grows.
The role of the secretary is defined in our constitution. Our review has concluded that we need to grow to reflect the increasing responsibilities that we have as owners of AFC Wimbledon given the size of our membership, the increased financial responsibilities we have, and the growing complexity of governance. This growth requires a professional approach to ensuring that we have good advice and guidance and mentoring or coaching.
Last year we added an assisitant secretary to help our secretary which has been incredibly helpful in managing the workload and we wish to further bolster our team due to the increasing complexity and challenges we know are ahead.
The advisor to the Dons Trust secretariat will responsible for providing ad hoc support and guidance to the secretary and the board, and helping to ensure that our governance documentation is completed in a timely fashion with a focus on regulatory compliance.
They will develop our competence in the key responsibilities of the secretariat:
- Board meeting preparation
- General meeting preparation
- Minutes
- Regulatory compliance and best practice
The kind of person that fits our requirement would likely have many of the following qualities:
- Proven expertise with the secretary’s role within a Community Benefit Society or co-operative or membership-based organisation
- Understanding of key issues and debates in the football sector more generally, and more specifically the challenges facing fan-owned football clubs
- Strong understanding of governance processes, legal, regulatory and constitutional requirements for the Dons Trust
- Excellent organisational and time-management skills
- Proficiency in using transcription services and other relevant technology tools
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work independently and manage workload effectively within limited hours
We are in the first instance looking for a volunteer from within our membership to fulfil this function for us but would also consider a retainer for a person with exactly the right experience that this role demands.
The Dons Trust is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in any volunteer role or employment and its employment policies for recruitment are designed to ensure that no applicant, volunteer or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender re-assignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity/paternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
Closing Date: 25 July 2025
How to apply: email your CV and cover note to contact@thedonstrust.org