Thirsk Community Care publicises Trustees’ Week Trustees are the people in charge of a charity. They are often the unsung heroes, playing a vital role, volunteering their time and working together to make the decisions that really matter about the charity’s finances, activities and plans for the future.

Thirsk Community Care has asked one of their Trustees, Jackie Wilson, to give some insight into the role as part of the celebration of Trustees’ Week 31st October to 6th November.

Jackie writes:

The main role of being a trustee is to ensure that the association achieves its aims, follows rules and ensures the service does what it was set up to do.

My specialist skills are related to quality practice and working with offenders. Most recently I supported Thirsk Community Care by working on a Quality Mark for Best Practice with one of the project managers. I also provide mentoring for an ex-offender, drawing on my previous work with offenders, but also because of my connection with the association as a trustee.

All trustees bring ideas, enthusiasm and inspiration to the table; we all have our own strengths and experience and so we need to ensure a good cross section of people are on the board. Sharing our knowledge, skills and experiences is very satisfying and can enhance our own sense of well being.

I volunteered to help a good organisation develop into something better, to give my time and support as a positive contribution to the community, but also to develop my existing skills and discover new ones. The voluntary role helps with networking and allows me to meet different people whom I would normally not meet. I gain a sense of responsibility from what I contribute to the community, and as I am currently out of work, I believe this also enhances my chances of gaining employment.

For more information on Trustees’ Week, go to www.trusteesweek.org.uk or contact Thirsk Community Care Volunteer Centre on 01845 523115