I became a trustee after being invited by the then Chair, Robert Webb. I was already doing some work for the charity as a consultant but I wanted to become more involved.

I was bowled over by what the charity stood for and the amount of work it was able to achieve for its clients with limited resources in terms of manpower and finances.

The commitment of the staff, therapists and volunteers was incredible so I accepted the offer as I really wanted to help the organisation.

To me, being a trustee is about listening, offering support, providing governance and identifying how to ensure the sustainability of the charity and maintain its financial health so it can go forward into the future.

One of my main highlights was being given the opportunity to chair the Board of Trustees. I had never had any thoughts of being Chair so it was a real honour.

For me, becoming a trustee is not something to do if you just want to “tick a box.” It’s a lot more hard work than you might imagine as it requires a lot of time and commitment, however, it is very rewarding if you approach it in the right way.

You get to work with some exceptional people who do tremendous work, often for less reward than they could expect outside of the charitable sector, which I find quite humbling.

As a trustee, you can genuinely make a difference and benefit the lives of people who really need it.