B-inspired News   •   November 6th, 2020

Trustee’s Week is a yearly event that takes place the first week in November.  This is where 196,000 charities all over United Kingdom (UK) celebrate the hard work that goes on behind the scenes to run charities.

There are over 1 million Trustees in the UK helping lead charities.  A Trustee is a volunteer who sits on a board, that meets with the leadership team of a charity to make important decisions on a charity’s future.

Trustees generally are not involved with the day to day activities of the running of a charity, so are often not recognised publicly.  We want to change this as on average trustee volunteers for 5 hours a week.

B-inspired’s CEO Angie Wright said –

‘I would like to personally thank all of the Trustees we have on our board.  What brings our trustees together is a passion and commitment to Braunstone.  Working with you enables B-inspired as a charity to make a real difference in the community.’

We would like to share some comments from our Trustees on why they became a trustee and what being a trustee means to them.

B-inspired’s current acting chair said –

I became a trustee after a friend suggested, I apply. I thought about it and decided to find out a bit more. I’ve lived in Leicester since 1988 and did some work with the Braunstone New Deal Partnership twenty years ago. Having met Angie and heard about the inspirational work going on on my doorstep I offered my services. Any organisation benefits from having local people involved in decision making and it can also help to have folk with particular skills as well.  I’m committed to empowering residents to take action to make their neighbourhoods even better places to live, be it through co-operation, challenge, partnership or control.

I think being a trustee brings a listening ear, and another point of view to the table as well as their own life experience to provide support and challenge to the staff team.  I’ve spent nearly forty years encouraging others to take responsibility for their  neighbourhoods and I guess, I owe it to them to do the same.

Tim Morton

B-inspired longest serving trustee and former CEO said –

I became a trustee for B-inspired, after I retired as CEO of The Braunstone Community Association. Changing lives always seemed to be more important than changing buildings to me. I remember on my first day as CEO I met residents who were ashamed to say they lived in Braunstone and on my last day as Chair, I was full of joy at the sheer number of residents who were glowing with pride as part of a renewed and vibrant community. Of course, the new buildings and facilities were a tremendous asset; but to discover that the people using them had a new faith in the future of their community was the best present anyone could wish to have.

As the longest serving trustee, I have been delighted with the changes that have been made over the past 20 years and want to see them maintained and developed for the future. Even in the current situation it is vitally important that people have more faith than fear.

Keith Beaumont

One of B-inspired’s newest Trustees said –

I have been an active member of the Braunstone Community for the last 10 years.

I became a trustee recently as I am community minded and want to do my bit for the Braunstone.

Geoff Stagg

Trustees play a vital role in encouraging and embracing change in charities like us.  So, let’s take our hats off to all the hard work they put in and are not always recognised publicly for.

Thank you to all of our Trustees for your commitment:

Tim Morton – Acting Chairperson and independent trustee

Keith Beaumont – Former CEO of Braunstone Community Association and longest serving trustee

Henry Thompson – Palmers of Leicester (Local Business) Representative and Resident

Bethan Lloyd – Braunstone Adventure Playground Representative and Resident

Cllr. Elaine Halford – Leicester City Council Representative and Resident

Edward Rodgers – Independent Trustee / Former Braunstone Blues Project lead

Geoff Stagg – Braunstone Residents Network Representative and Resident

We would also like to remember and thank our longest ever serving trustee, Pauline Hurd who sadly passed away in September this year and is much missed.