“I couldn’t be a trustee!”
People often think that being a trustee or school governor is only for those with grey hair and years of experience.
Wrong!
So long as you are over 18, don’t have a criminal record and are not a bankrupt., you can volunteer as a trustee. There is a great need for people from a wide range of backgrounds to join boards, and young people, in particular, are in great demand as trustees. Do not be put off by the usual stereotype – YOU could make an excellent trustee! Some people don’t think about trusteeship when they think about volunteering, but trustees really ARE volunteers.
Also, if you are an employer thinking about encouraging your staff to volunteer, then board-level volunteering could be an excellent option. It is a great (low-cost) way to develop existing and new skills, and will help you become an employer of choice – it will help you with your recruitment and retention of skilled employees – people will really want to work for your organisation.
Trustees can make a significant difference to their organisations, thereby contributing a great deal to the community. The board of trustees of a charity is rather like the board of directors of a company. They agree the policies of the charity, agree the strategy, have responsibility for its financial stability, and ensure that it maintains its vision and meets it objectives.
What is Getting on Board?
Getting on Board ( a registered charity and a finalist in the Best New Charity category in the UK Charity Awards 2006 ) aims to strengthen the governance of charities, schools and public bodies by encouraging people with skills to volunteer as board members of these organisations.
We work with employers, encouraging them to support their staff to volunteer as board members. We run seminars for employees, explaining the role of volunteer board members, the commitment required, the benefits for the community and the individual volunteer. Our brokerage facilitates individuals’ search for appropriate board-level volunteering opportunities.
Develop your volunteering career alongside your professional career – We can help you do this.
Every charity needs trustees, so there is a very wide choice of organisations for which to volunteer.
If you are :-
- currently looking for your first job, or planning to return to work after a break, board-level volunteering can really help you improve your CV and develop your skills, specially leadership skills
- a professional, with skills such as legal, financial, IT, HR, (or if you have lots of common sense! ) you will be greatly in demand as a trustee.
- approaching retirement or have recently retired, you can put all your skills and experience to excellent use by joining the board of a charity
- an employer, looking for an effective way to develop leadership skills ( eg of talent pool members ), board-level volunteering could be the answer
For more information about board-level volunteering, please contact:-
Getting on Board
info@gettingonboard.org
01449 744166
www.gettingonboard.org
We’d love to hear from you!
Case studies
David Mulholland
As part of my personal career development I was asked if I'd be interested in attending a seminar given by Getting on Board. I went along and heard from their chief executive and someone who was involved in various trustee and voluntary roles. It sounded very interesting so I completed a short form indicating my areas of interest which was followed up later with a more detailed conversation.
GonB identified a number of possible opportunities that seemed to fit with my strengths and aspirations. I chose one which looked the best fit for me which happened to be my local Citizens Advice Bureau charity who were looking for new trustees. After an initial introduction by GonB, I went along to the bureau's Annual General Meeting to observe and ended up participating in some very lively discussions about their future direction.
I was invited to the next trustee board meeting where I volunteered to help find ways of reducing their telecommunications costs. Since then I've been involved in a number of areas, including the development of the bureau's operating strategy which is proving interesting given that funding is constrained whilst demand for its services is increasing due to the current economic climate. We are looking at various ways to reduce costs whilst identifying new sources of income as well as ensuring we continue to offer the highest quality advice to residents in the local area.
I am thoroughly enjoying the experience and very grateful to Getting on Board for matching me up with such an interesting and challenging role so quickly. I really feel like I'm putting something back into the local community.
David Mulholland
Member of BT's Talent Pool
Head of Monitoring, Equality of Access Office, Group Operations, BT
Trustee of CAB Branch
Geoffrey Barraclough
Job: Marketing & Strategy Director for a division of BT
Member of BT Talent Pool
Charity joined: Urban Eye – a regeneration and public art charity working with the community to transform neglected inner-city spaces
Reason for volunteering: I wanted to do something useful and stimulating with my spare time
The charity’s view: “We have been keen to recruit trustees with experience in large private sector organisations so it has been really helpful that Getting on Board put us in touch with Geoff.” – Dez O’Neill, Chair, Urban Eye
