If Elaine Crichton has a specialist topic, it would be diversifying Scotland’s Boards through recruitment and bespoke training of Trustees. It’s an area she is not just enthusiastic about but also well placed to offer guidance and training, having provided 46 organisations in-depth governance and board development support in the last year. She also walks the walk, being on 5 Boards herself!
Fresh from presenting at SCVO’s The Gathering session on Good Governance and in honour of Valentine’s Day, Elaine shares her tips (and love of) ‘falling for’ governance and finding ‘the right one’.
According to OSCR, charity trustees are the people who have general control and management of the charity and are responsible for making sure that the charity works to achieve its purposes (the reasons the charity exists).
The charity trustee duties are set out in The Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005.
According to Elaine, it can be helpful to think about Charity boards providing “foresight, oversight and insight”.
“Up in the crow’s nest scanning the horizon for signs of storms or rainbows to explore, perhaps with a pot of gold at the end!”
But always remembering the mantra of “eyes in, fingers out”!
Because of the important role they play, it is vital to make sure a charities’ board has the right mix of skills and people.
Charities work best when they have a diversity of skills, knowledge, age, and experience on their board. The reality is that often some of the most capable people within society do not seek out trusteeship.
This may be because they don’t know about it or because they feel that they are ill-equipped for the role or think that their skills, knowledge, age, and experience are not relevant to the role. Did you know only 3% of Trustees are under the age of 30?!
Volunteer Centres advertise positions along with Good Moves, but the Specialist Volunteer Network can also help. We can advertise positions on our website, promote through our network and newsletters and attract people from a different pool who might be ‘the one’ for your organisation.
Part of our role at Inspiring Scotland and our Specialist Volunteer Network is to connect people from the private sector to charities and match interests and skills.
Elaine connected Michaela McLean from the HR Dept to Dundee-based Hot Chocolate Trust board in 2023. After supporting the Specialist Volunteer Network for several years, she wanted to get more involved.
Elaine also introduced Grant Reid, an Agricultural Supplies Service Manager, to Murton Trust who operate a Farm, Tea Room, and Nature Reserve just outside Forfar, Angus. He joined as a Trustee and loved it so much he became the Chair!
If you are thinking about how your skills could be used by a charity on a board – then get in touch for an initial chat.
There is a host of information available to support organisation with their governance
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