TOWN HALL TEAM LOOKING FOR HELP

Monday, 8 September 2008

The project team currently progressing proposals to transform Hebden Bridge’s old Town Hall building have put out a call locally for help in finding a Membership Secretary.

The move follows the legal incorporation earlier this month of a new not-for-profit company Hebden Bridge Community Association, which will be the organisation which, it is planned, will manage the Town Hall on behalf of the community. The project team are currently in negotiations with Calderdale to bring management of this landmark building back to Hebden Bridge next year.

“In a few weeks, we will asking everyone in Hebden Bridge to support the plans for the Town Hall by becoming members of the new community organisation,” says Mr Andrew Bibby, joint project coordinator. “But before we launch our major membership drive, we first need to find a volunteer who will offer to act as our membership coordinator. We have prepared a detailed note on what this post involves, and would ask anyone who may be interested to get in touch as soon as possible.”

Andrew Bibby can be reached on 01422 844026. More details about the developing plans for Hebden Bridge’s Town Hall (the council offices) can also be found on-line at
www.hb-bridgecentre.org.uk

Job details:

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY (VOLUNTARY POST)

required by the newly established Hebden Bridge Community Association Ltd (Hebden Bridge council offices project).

Contact Andrew Bibby on 01422 844026. Closing date 30th September 2008.

Hebden Bridge Community Association Ltd is a newly registered not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, established to work for the development of the Hebden Bridge Town Hall (Council offices) in St George’s Street for the benefit of the Hebden Bridge community. The organisation is currently negotiating with Calderdale MBC to take over aspects of the management of the building.

The organisation has been established through the auspices of Hebden Bridge Partnership Ltd (the umbrella organisation bringing together community and statutory bodies), acting in partnership with Hebden Royd Town Council, Blackshaw Parish Council, Erringden Parish Council, Heptonstall Parish Council and Wadsworth Parish Council. It has a voluntary Board, currently comprising Andrew Bibby, Cllr Janet Battye and Derrick Palmer.

Hebden Bridge Community Association Ltd has been set up with the object of being a large membership organisation, and it is hoped to launch a major membership drive locally in the autumn of 2008, with the aim of achieving many hundreds of members (both individuals and groups). In preparation for this, the organisation is seeking to recruit a Membership Secretary. As with all other positions in the organisation, this is a voluntary position. Expenses will be reimbursed.

Please consider whether you have the skills to undertake this role, and whether you are able to help work to strengthen the Hebden Bridge community in this way.


Job description

1. To take responsibility for maintaining the membership records of Hebden Bridge Community Association Ltd in a safe and efficient manner

2. To be the Data Controller for Hebden Bridge Community Association Ltd, and to ensure that membership data is held and maintained in accordance with the Data Protection Act.

3. To devise an adequate way of storing membership data in electronic form, so that mass email postings and mass mail postings can be undertaken as necessary to members

4. To ensure that membership records held electronically are backed up very regularly, and that an up-to-date record of members is held in hard copy form

5. To liaise closely with the Hebden Bridge Community Association directors (project team), and to attend as appropriate meetings of the board.


Person specification

Essential:

1. Commitment to the aims and objectives of Hebden Bridge Community Association, and to the project development aims for Hebden Bridge Town Hall (Council offices)

2. Experienced computer user. Access to a secure personal computer, with appropriate software

3. Resident in the neighbourhood of Hebden Bridge/upper Calder valley

4 Qualities of reliability and methodical working. Ability to work unsupervised

5. Expectation (barring unforeseen events) of being able to undertake role for a period of at least two years.


Desirable:

1. Experience in voluntary/community groups

2. Experience of constructing membership databases using Microsoft Office software, and of operating mail merge mailshots

3. Broad knowledge of the Data Protection Act, as it affects community organisations

4. Access to email.



How to apply

Although this is a voluntary post, we are keen to ensure that the organisation operates in an efficient and professional way. For this reason, we are asking you to apply formally for this position. Please send a short CV, together with a short covering letter which sets out your relevant experience, to Andrew Bibby, 2 Hebble End, Hebden Bridge, HX7 6HJ or email him at andrew@andrewbibby.com (with the subject title HB Community Association membership secretary). If you want to discuss the post informally with Andrew before applying, please ring him on HB 844026.

Closing date: September 30th 2008