Trustee Case Studies

David has been the Chair at Walking With in North Tyneside for a year and a half after his wife, who was involved as a volunteer with Walking With as part of her church-based training, mentioned the trustee vacancies at Walking With. David, who has a background in teaching and has been involved in the voluntary sector for a number of years via the Scouts, realised there was a good opportunity to help a recently formed charity get all of their governance in place and ensure they were compliant with charity law, as well as help set the future direction of Walking With. David has worked closely with VODA for support with charity governance and funding. “VODA takes the role of a critical friend when we are seeking funding. They review our submissions and provide realistic and honest advice and guidance and signposting. We’ve also had fantastic support with them regarding volunteering, providing us with links to other organisations and strategic organisational support amongst other things, we really appreciate all the help and support they give. “

"I have really enjoyed my three years of Trusteeship - it is great to be part of a team delivering a service I am proud of. It has reacquainted me with current health and social care issues and given me a chance to use my experience and thinking skills again."

Barbara Creed has been a trustee for Friends Action North East for at 7 years in the role of treasurer. This is a vital role which we are all eternally grateful, she fulfils with such competence, patience, tolerance and good humour, for some of the more erratic methods of receipt filing sometimes found lurking in the petty cash box. She also attends Friends Action North East AGMs, conferences and trustee meetings and volunteers providing vital input and support. Her contributions are always constructive and help anchor Friends Action North East with practical, reasonable advice. Barbara has a warm empathetic nature and has a natural ability to communicate clearly and impartially to guide others, particularly other trustees with learning disabilities who sometimes have to make decisions on complex ideas. We are all really grateful for her vital contribution and support to Friends Action North East and want her to know how much she is valued and appreciated. Barbara, thank you for all your hard work and your understanding of how important it is to help adults with learning disabilities build and maintain friendship

“I’ve done a few roles within the charity – I was secretary then became Chairperson which is a role I love. I feel like I’m part of a family and it’s rewarding to know that the decisions we make at meetings really matter and it’s always with the children and families in mind. It’s an important role being the Chairperson of Out of Sight and it’s also an enjoyable one because, although everything we do is all about the children, there is a fantastic team of parents, carers, trustees and volunteers working away in the background. I’d always encourage someone thinking about becoming a trustee to give it a go.”

David Bavaird, Trustee at VODA talks about what motivates him to be a Trustee and what he enjoys about the role. "My name is David Bavaird a director of North Shields-based Engaging Pathways CIC, and I have worked in finance, logistics, project management, staff development and governance for over 20 years. I am currently the Chair of the North Tyneside Business Forum along with holding director and trustee positions in a number of businesses, charities, schools and colleges the North East of England, I love Jack Daniels and a curry! I worked with VODA initially on a number of projects to help to link charities with the business community as a volunteer and I was invited to become a Trustee following this work which for me was the first time I had ever been asked to be a Trustee. When I started VODA gave me both training and encouragement which made me feel very comfortable from the start. Without doubt the most enjoyable thing of being a trustee at VODA is to see first hand some of the work which is completed for the benefit of both individuals and our whole community by VODA We are lucky that VODA are involved in so many different projects helping groups in North Tyneside both large and small. I also enjoying learning new skills and making new contacts as a trustee which has definitely helped me in both business and in other areas."

Hannah Mather, young Trustee at the North Shields Heritology Project talks about her motivation for being a Trustee... "I had been thinking about becoming a Trustee for quite some time. Having experienced advisory board meetings for other organisations in the past, I hoped that becoming a Trustee would give me the opportunity to make a difference and share my experience of working in the museum and heritage sector. I also manage a network for Emerging Museum Professionals which encourages the professional development of early career professionals via peer support - I believe that heritage belongs to and should be accessible to everyone. I particularly hope that though my work as a Trustee for the North Shields Heritology Project I can help to inspire younger generations to connect with their own heritage. As a local girl I am also keen to learn more about the North Shields area. With all this in mind I was thrilled when a colleague shared the opportunity to be a Young Trustee for this project and I applied straight away. I then got to meet the 4 existing Trustees and the rest was history! I have enjoyed the variety of tasks that I have got involved with as a Trustee for this charity and have also enjoyed hearing some of the great stories from North Shields. The other Trustees and our volunteer research team have been very welcoming and I can't wait to get the chance to work on more projects with them. Despite having only been officially on board as a Trustee for a couple of weeks I have already had great professional development opportunities. This will definitely be one of my biggest challenges to date but I'm also very much excited to see what the future brings." Find out more about the North Shields Heritology Project at www.heritologists.com

Michael Wood has been a Trustee at Linskill and North Tyneside Community Development Trust for over four years and has brought 40 years of Senior Manager experience within the NHS and Civil Service to the Board... "Being part of the North Shields community, everyone should think about how they can add to its strength and vitality. We all have something valuable to give and a responsibility to contribute. Volunteering as a Trustee at the Linskill and North Tyneside Community Development Trust, a charity at the heart of our community, is my way of making a contribution. Trustees are accountable to the local community for what the Linskill Trust delivers and how it is run, so being a Trustee is both a responsible and rewarding position. You get the opportunity to see what a difference the Trust makes to the quality of life for individuals and groups within our community and being a Trustee you play a vital role in making this happen."