My name is Hilary and I am currently the Chair of the Trustees of Emmaus Salford. I frequently ask myself why I got involved with Emmaus, usually when we face another challenge and especially when it seems greater than the one we’ve just resolved.
About 8 years ago, I was coming up to retirement from a job that I had loved but which was very demanding and definitely ‘full on’. I’d had enough and had grown sick of hearing the same old stories; the facts were often the same, just change the names and the generation. I knew that I had to do something in retirement. Yes, I had a part time job which I would continue for a few years, but I needed a change of direction.
When I thought about my options, I realised that I was not very good at most things. I am a very average painter, needlewoman and linguist, and did not see me as a member of the bored housewives’ school of anything. I am not sporty and the thought of playing golf was not me. What I was good at was talking to people.
Talking to close friends, I discovered that one of my oldest friends was going to set out on his lifetime ambition to walk from Land’s End to John o’ Groats. He was looking for sponsorship and was going to donate all the money to a charity in Salford called Emmaus. I was so impressed! I couldn’t do that but what I did do was to drum up some financial support from family. He raised a surprising amount of money for Emmaus Salford, in the early stages of its development and before it had a ‘home’.
Joining the Board of Trustees
I was curious and wanted to see what Emmaus was all about. He invited me to come along to one of their board meetings, probably in about 2012. The trustees were an interesting group of people from a variety of backgrounds; not necessarily people I would come into contact with every day, but all had a passion and drive to develop this thing called Emmaus Salford.
After the first visit, I was invited to come back to the next meeting. I found myself slipping into a routine of arranging my work timetable so that I could attend the board meetings. This wasn’t talking about tea and cakes – we discussed strategy, funding and buildings. I got to know central Salford. What a place – an inner city with huge problems of deprivation, large social housing estates, horrendous traffic, beautiful parks, grand old houses and most importantly, people with very warm hearts and a real sense of belonging. I loved it and so I became a trustee.
At first we had many battles to find a home for the charity. We looked at all sorts of places. To our great fortune, our then Chair of Trustees suggested we look at an empty building on Fitzwarren Street which was owned by the city council. It was a real mess but had potential. After a huge amount of work, fund raising and encouragement from Emmaus UK, we acquired the lease of the building. It had been an enormous challenge but we had achieved, and most important to me, I loved it. When we opened Emmaus House for the first four core companions, I felt a huge pride in what we had done. Now we have a fairly constant number of 25 companions.
Why am I still involved?
After 8 years, I am still a trustee. Why you may ask? It gives me a real ‘buzz’. I have met some really odd people in my working life, and Emmaus is no exception. But I have met some lovely people whose life experiences beggar belief. What I like about Emmaus is the fact that everyone is treated with respect. No one is judged on their past and everyone is given a chance.
Opportunities are there, but sometimes help is needed to identify them and that is what Emmaus excels at. I like talking to people and I am a firm believer that talking is therapeutic to people whose lives have become chaotic. I have no particular skills, but I think I have heard and seen most things in life. Despite all that I am reasonably level-headed and sensible and for me, that is the criteria for being a good trustee.
Trustees are essential to any charity. They are the ‘grease that oils the engine’; ‘the tracks on which the train runs’; ‘the map which directs the route of the vehicle’. All charities must abide by the strict rules of law laid down in the Charities Act and the Companies Act. The trustees are responsible for the the way in which the charity is managed and financed, within the context of the purpose of that particular charity. I like to think that whilst we do not physically ‘drive the train’, we are the support, infrastructure and rails keeping the whole organisation on track.
Rewarding but sometimes challenging
Trustees meet regularly, currently by zoom, to discuss and review the running of the charity and most importantly to support the staff. Visits to Emmaus House have been very limited because of the current Covid crisis but calling in to the shop and talking to companions is fun and I like to hear what they have been up to.
There is no particular qualification required to be a trustee. What is needed is a good dose of common sense, empathy with the aims of Emmaus and a willingness to work; sometimes it is hard work. But it is very rewarding, and the sense of achievement is huge especially when you see people progress. A recent example being when I saw the young man’s face who had not only secured an apprenticeship with Casey but also his own flat.
It is not all plain sailing and over the last two years we have had some really difficult issues to face. Due to retirements, our Board of Trustees shrank; we had a change in staff; companions had presented with more complex needs; we had great plans but not enough cash and people to carry them through. What did we do? We took on a Support Worker to work alongside companions thanks to funding from Nationwide Building Society. The result is that we now have someone extra there to work through the problems and to address individual needs. As a result, Emmaus House is a much calmer environment and I think, a happier place.
Want to join our trustee team?
We definitely needed new trustees. They are the life blood of the organisation. I asked a friend who worked at the University of Salford if there was any way we could advertise on their internal network. Within a week we had two people show interest and another who was retiring from Manchester. They bring a huge range of experience in the field of digital technology and are already proving to be worth their weight in gold. Also, one of our existing trustees has persuaded someone to join our board who has a wealth of experience in governance and management I am sure his contribution will be immeasurable. They will fill the gaps where expertise was lacking.
We still need a new trustee who will become the Treasurer of our charity. Our Community Director is from an accountancy background and manages the day to day stuff, but this impacts on her time. We are looking for someone to help oversee the financial affairs of the organisation and ensure they are legal, constitutional and within accepted best accounting practice. So, if there are any accountants out there with time on your hands, we’d love to hear you.