My name is Tony Ferrier and I became a trustee for Emmaus Glasgow when I moved to Scotland in 2019. I’m also national delegate for Emmaus UK and a member of the federation committee.
I live in Dumfries, which is an hour and a half away from Glasgow. I come over to Emmaus Glasgow regularly for meetings and I’m supporting Emmaus Glasgow with finance and business, due to my previous role as Chief Executive of Emmaus Hertfordshire.
I spent most of my working life in manufacturing and played a key role the company’s growth from a £1 to £90 million turnover. I had responsibility for the strategic development and the running of two world class 24/7 production facilities, well known in their sector for high performance, automation, and quality. In my final year I was joint recipient of the ‘Manufacturing Excellence’ award for ‘Business Development & Change Management’ (presented by Andrew Marr).
I left this behind to work in the third sector. I started out as a volunteer working in one of the Emmaus Hertfordshire shops which signalled the start of a whole new career.
After about four years as Chief Executive at Emmaus Hertfordshire, I added the role trustee for Emmaus UK in 2015 as I wanted to know more about the workings of a federated charity and Emmaus International. Also having been involved in a positive turnaround in the fortunes of our community, I thought there would be opportunities to help other communities.
I became a national delegate for Emmaus UK in 2021. It is a voluntary role voted for by federation members. Each national delegate has a seat on the board of their regional council, in the case of Emmaus UK, that’s Emmaus Europe where there are 17 member countries. The role is to form a link between Emmaus International and the member communities and groups, and highlight events and campaigns, to generate interest in EE and EI and promote solidarity. This role has given me the opportunity to travel all over Europe.
What I love most about Emmaus is that I’m working with like-minded people and being part of something with such worthy objectives. I enjoy being part of a movement that despite its challenges is successful and making a difference. To sum up what Emmaus means to me in one sentence; the opportunity to have a positive impact on the lives of those less fortunate.
Emmaus Glasgow is currently looking for trustees so as well as lending your skills to helping change lives, you might get involved with international action too!
If you would like to learn more about becoming a trustee and boosting your personal and professional development, read our role description and how to apply on our volunteer page here.