We are celebrating Trustees’ Week (2 – 6 November) by thanking all members of our board for the vital contribution they each make to the success of our charity.
Trustees’ Week is annual event to showcase the great work trustees do for charities up and down the UK.
There are just over 1 million trustees in the UK and here at Emmaus Colchester, we’re lucky to have a supportive and dedicated board who bring a variety of skills and experience to help steer our work and develop our charity.
Before the pandemic our trustees meet as a board every six week, which changed to a weekly online meeting during the lockdown period. Our trustees now hold an online meeting every three weeks, which will be adjusted once again if needed.
Denise King, chief executive officer at Emmaus Colchester said: “Trustees are often invisible in their role, but they provide vital behind the scenes support to many organisations.”
Emmaus Colchester has 10 trustees who all give their free time to help set the strategic direction of our social enterprise and our community home. Each trustee has their own unique skillset which has enabled the charity to benefit from expertise in building projects, finance, volunteer support, fundraising and developing its digital offer.
Laura Petford, trustee and co-chair, has volunteered her time for over three years, she said: “I chose Emmaus Colchester because it’s such a unique charity and offers something so different. There is always so much variety – from learning about retail, reading accounts, looking at marketing, thinking about volunteers, meeting and chatting with companions and interacting with so many interesting people too, I love it!”
Andrew Craig, is a trustee and co-chair with Laura, he joined Emmaus Colchester five years ago and likes how the charity provides support and a safe environment to allow people the opportunity to improve their lives, he said: “I enjoy the role of trustee and can see the real benefits to many of the companions, and it’s very different to my working environment, with completely different challenges and issues to deal with.”
Thanking the Emmaus Colchester Board of Trustees, on behalf of all staff and companions, Denise King, said: “They each play a key leadership role in our charity, working together to make important decisions and taking strategic responsibility for our work supporting people who have experienced homelessness and social exclusion. I want to thank them for leading us out of the pandemic.”
Find out more about our trustees at Emmaus Colchester.