The rewards of volunteering as a trustee

Rosalind (Ros) Parke is a Cambridge graduate and a senior executive very well used to working at board level on strategic and business development projects. With significant experience in the delivery of large scale, business critical change programmes, she wanted to become a trustee and share those skills. Rosalind seemed like a good fit for Buckinghamshire Mind.

Empathy with the cause

The charity had found other trustees though Reach and they describe the process as, “very effective”, according to Buckinghamshire Mind's Kaya Mallinder. Importantly, Rosalind has considerable empathy for the aims of the charity - who are in turn delighted with the expertise she brings.

Ros adds, “Buckinghamshire Mind is experiencing a period of rapid business development and drawing up a 3 year strategic plan. I felt my corporate background and commercial focus could support the senior management team. I was keen to help in reviewing operational concerns and in delivering their plan.”

Kaya agrees, “The trustees we have recruited through Reach have excellent skills and expertise, which complement those of existing Board members.”
She adds that she would advise other charities to be very “clear about the role and its responsibilities and communicate these needs accurately when advertising.”

The value of a good recruitment process

The recruitment process was “very simple", says Ros. "I applied online via Reach and was shortly invited for interview via email by Buckinghamshire Mind. It was a positive and professional experience where the role was clearly outlined along with the challenges the charity anticipated. I was appointed at my second meeting and have been an active trustee for approximately a year.”
 
“Most charities would like an exploratory discussion about how you could help and any assistance is truly valued. Equally, I gain a different perspective on life, have met some amazing and dedicated people and have found working as a trustee very rewarding."