It’s Trustees’ Week and we are joining charities around the UK to celebrate the work that trustees do.
There are currently over 1 million trustees in the UK working to make a positive impact and support their charities. They bring expertise and guidance to their organisation, from protecting the charities’ objectives to facilitating change and vision within the organisation, as well as ensuring safeguarding and charity law compliance. Trustees are invaluable members of any charity organisation. At Bates Wells, a number of our people volunteer their time as trustees. In fact, members of our team sit on over 60 boards. We are passionate about supporting good causes, and being involved in the charity sector both professionally and personally is very important to us.
We asked some of our team about their experiences.
“I’ve been a Girlguiding volunteer for almost 20 years, starting as a 13 year old helping my village Rainbows leader. Over this time, I’ve worn various different hats including leading units and holding local level trusteeships. It’s been incredibly rewarding to get to both work directly with our young members every week and also be involved in making strategic decisions for our area. I’ve had so many brilliant opportunities as a result, everything from representing Girlguiding at the National Service of Remembrance and March Past at the Cenotaph to taking 60 girls to Disneyland Paris. Here’s to the next 20 years!”
“I am on the board of Active Luton, a Community Wellbeing Trust, with a mission to make a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of people in Luton. Active Luton transforms lives in the town and as someone who is born and bred in Luton, and continues to live in the town, supporting my home town is important to me. I am also on the board of The Fostering Network, the UK’s leading fostering charity and membership organisation, which brings together everyone who’s involved in the lives of fostered children to make foster care the very best it can be. My reason for doing this is simple – my wife and I are foster carers and helping carers is a critical part of having a positive impact on the lives of children in care.”
“I am a trustee of B Lab (UK), which is the charity founded in 2015 to advance the B Corp movement in the UK. I am really proud to see the growth of the UK B Corp community (now more than 1500 which is an increase of 50% in less than a year), to see the exciting pipeline of businesses in certification as well as witnessing the important work of the Equitable Growth Advisory Group which is aiming to grow the community to be more representative of UK society. It is a real privilege to hear about the work that the B Lab (UK) team is doing. I also enjoy hearing the different perspectives of my fellow board members and having insights into their very different roles and industries. The voice and perspective I hope to bring is in charity law and governance and keeping the board up to date on relevant legal developments.”
Mark Traynor, Partner and Head of Real Estate
“I have been a Trustee of Mulberry Schools Trust since its inception in 2016, having been a Governor of Mulberry School for Girls for several preceding years. In that time the Trust has grown from one to eight schools, all in East London. It has provided invaluable insights into the priorities of Bates Wells’ clients, especially in the education sector, and the pressures they operate under. It is a privilege to be able to work with experts in the field of education who achieve outstanding results in schools in communities which suffer from material deprivation. An even greater privilege is having a glimpse of the students growth and realisation of their potential – which is the fundamental purpose of the Trust. I would recommend that anybody with a skill (mine are allegedly academies and property law) which might be useful, to become a Trustee. It gives context to why we do what we do during our working days at Bates Wells.”
Zara Bartels, Senior Business Improvement Manager
“As a Trustee for Flamingo Chicks, I love being able to bring my first love & career of dance with my current career as an operator. Supporting our teachers and volunteers to bring joy and movement to children and adults is the best way to share my time and love for dance.”
Find out more about Trustees’ Week here.