Beyond Open Awards: Colleagues Making a Difference as Trustees

Across Open Awards, colleagues volunteer their time, expertise and passion to support charities and community organisations as trustees.

Geraint Turner – Trustee at Cylch Meithrin Gellionnen

What inspired you to become a Trustee?

I was actually coerced into not only being a Trustee but the chair of the board as I was the only one in the room with Charity experience. I was in a meeting looking at establishing a new welsh language childcare facility in my local area and there was lots of conversations about people willing to be trustees but nobody willing to be the chair. Now I am inspired by the continual growth, not just in financial growth but how the staff develop their skills, want to be a modern and future ready childcare provider.

What attracted you to this particular organisation?

Early years education is important to me with young children and the Welsh language is something i think will be ever more important for their future careers. It made a lot of sense to send my Children to the organisation to get ahead start in learning Welsh as early as possible to give them the best start. Being a trustee is more of a consequence of my own experience in the charity sector.

Why do you think trustees play an important role?

Without trustees I think organisations, in particular new charities, would struggle for long term sustainability. Its hard enough in the charitable sector as it is if you are reliant on Grant funding. There has to be some sort of accountability above that of the paid staff for ensuring the organisation is here for the next generation aswell as the current.

What impact are you most proud of making as a trustee?

Since being a trustee of Cylch Meithrin Gellionnen I have led on a complete refurbishment of the centre which has included nearly £220,000 of capital investment from Grants to completely modernise the building. I am also proud that as a founding trustee we have grown from 5 children a day for 2,5 hours to over 40 children every day across multiple sessions and times

Has being a trustee helped you in your role at Open Awards? If so, how?

I think my role in Open Awards has actually helped my Trustee role. I have to understand education in Wales a lot more now than ever before including accreditation, qualifications and skills. I know answers to the questions staff pose whereas before Open Awards I would probably have had to do a lot of research

Nina Hinton – Trustee at Pure Innovations

What inspired you to become a Trustee?

I’d known the team at Pure Innovations for a long time and had worked with them previously, so I already had a good understanding of the organisation and the difference it makes. When the opportunity to join the Board came up in 2018, I jumped at the chance. I wanted to use the skills and experience I’d developed through my work at Open Awards in a different setting, contribute to Pure’s strategy and future direction, and play a part in helping the organisation make an even bigger difference across Greater Manchester.

What attracted you to this particular organisation?

What I’ve always liked about Pure is how much they focus on the individual and finding opportunities that genuinely make a difference to people’s lives. Whether that’s through education, employment support or community projects, the aim is to help people with disabilities and health-related conditions build confidence, independence and a sense of purpose and belonging. The team and the people they support are inspirational. There’s always something new and exciting happening, but everything is driven by a real sense of purpose.

Why do you think trustees play an important role?

Trustees bring different skills, experiences and perspectives to an organisation, but it’s also a role that comes with real responsibility. As a Board, we’re legally responsible for making sure the charity is well governed, operates within the law, uses its resources responsibly and stays focused on its charitable purpose. I think a big part of the role is being able to step back from the day-to-day work, ask questions, provide constructive challenge and sometimes make difficult decisions. It’s about supporting the team to achieve their ambitions whilst making sure the organisation remains sustainable and continues to make a difference to the people it supports.

What impact are you most proud of making as a trustee?

I’m particularly proud of being able to bring my experience in education and qualifications to the Board, including the work of launching Pure College. Having known Pure for so long, it’s been fantastic to see how the organisation has grown and developed. I couldn’t and wouldn’t claim credit for the amazing work the team does, but it’s really rewarding to know I’ve played a small part behind the scenes in supporting that work. Seeing the achievements of the people Pure supports, whether that’s moving into employment, becoming more independent or gaining confidence, is what makes it worthwhile.

What do you personally gain from being a trustee?

I get a huge amount out of being part of an organisation that makes such a difference to people’s lives. It’s also a brilliant opportunity to learn from other trustees and colleagues who bring different experiences and perspectives. Being involved in discussions and decisions outside my day-to-day role challenges me to think differently and develop my own skills. But more than anything, I enjoy being part of the Pure team and seeing the successes of the people they support.

Has being a trustee helped you in your role at Open Awards? If so, how?

Definitely. It’s given me a different perspective on leadership, strategy and decision-making. At Open Awards, I’m often involved in developing plans and proposals, whereas at Pure I’m looking at things from a trustee’s perspective, considering the wider implications, risks and long-term impact. It’s helped me think more about what Boards need to know to make informed decisions and the importance of good governance. Working with Pure has also reinforced how important accessible education and meaningful progression opportunities are, which links closely to what we’re trying to achieve at Open Awards.

Heather Akehurst OBE – Trustee at John Moores Students Union