My name is Tony Ferrier and I became a trustee for Emmaus Glasgow when I moved to Scotland in 2019. I’m also a trustee for Emmaus UK and national delegate.
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, due to my previous role as Chief Executive of Emmaus Hertfordshire.
My career journey to trustee
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. As Director of Manufacturing, I had responsibility for 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….. and that’s the beginning of another story.
I was elected trustee for Emmaus UK in 2015. After about three years as Chief Executive at Emmaus Hertfordshire, 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.
Emmaus UK and national delegate roles
I became a national delegate for Emmaus UK in 2021. It is a voluntary role voted for by federation members in every Emmaus country that has three or more member communities in their country. Each national delegate has a seat on the board of their regional council, in the case of Emmaus UK, that’s Emmaus Europe. 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.
What I enjoy most about Emmaus
What I love most about Emmaus is that I’m working with like-minded people and being part of something with such worthy objectives. 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 is that it’s the opportunity to have a positive impact on the lives of those less fortunate.
If you are interested in volunteering for Emmaus Glasgow, please see our current volunteer roles here. For more information, please contact [email protected], or call 07915 879701.