Taking on the Role of Treasurer for BCS Pride

After joining the BCS Pride Specialist Group earlier this year and contributing as a committee member, I recently took on the volunteer role of Treasurer. This position has given me a new perspective on how professional volunteer groups operate and the impact structured financial oversight has on enabling meaningful events and initiatives.

Finance has always been an area where I have wanted to improve my skills, so having the opportunity to take on this role is something I am quite excited about!

Understanding the Role

The Treasurer is responsible for managing the group’s budget, approving expenses, submitting monthly reports and preparing the annual budget for the upcoming financial year. It’s a role that sits at the intersection of governance, project planning and stakeholder coordination. For me, it has been an opportunity to:

• Support operational decision-making by ensuring all expenditure aligns with agreed budgets.
• Facilitate events and initiatives by providing financial guidance to committee members.
• Collaborate with the wider BCS network, including the Finance Committee, Community Board and BCS Pride Chair, to maintain transparency and compliance.

During my initial training and early months in the role, I learned about processes like expense claims, purchase orders and supplementary funding requests for projects outside the normal budget. Understanding these systems has been invaluable in planning, evaluating and supporting events that benefit both BCS members and the wider tech community.

Skills in Action

While the role is grounded in financial management, it has also strengthened a range of project-relevant skills:

• Planning and Coordination: Preparing monthly and annual reports requires tracking multiple income and expenditure streams and forecasting future needs.
• Stakeholder Communication: Liaising with committee members, finance teams, and external suppliers has honed my ability to communicate clearly and manage expectations.
• Problem-Solving: Occasionally budgets don’t match planned activities — finding practical solutions while remaining compliant has been a key learning point.
• Leadership & Accountability: The Treasurer role requires confidence in decision-making, ownership of outcomes and diligence in governance.

Reflections on Volunteering

Volunteering as Treasurer has reinforced why I value contributing to professional communities. Beyond the technical or procedural knowledge, it’s about collaborating with others to achieve shared goals and ensuring that diversity, inclusion and community objectives are supported through practical, financial planning.

This experience has also directly contributed to my development as a project professional. Coordinating budgets, approving spend and supporting the planning of events mirrors many responsibilities of project management, from resource allocation to stakeholder engagement.

Looking Forward

As I continue in this role, I aim to explore further ways in which structured governance and effective financial management can enhance the impact of community initiatives. The Treasurer position has been a real-world opportunity to apply my academic learning in technology, management and innovation, while also gaining hands-on experience in leadership, planning and accountability. These are all essential skills as I progress toward a career in project management.

Volunteering in roles like this demonstrates that professional growth doesn’t just happen in the office or classroom. It happens wherever you take responsibility, collaborate and strive to make a meaningful impact.