Trustee Case Study 2 - Manchester Alliance for Community Care

Name: Beth Plant
Organisation: Macc

Macc was formed in 1981 as an alliance of voluntary and community sector organisations; seeking to challenge inequalities in health and social care. Since that time, it has evolved to become a specialist development agency which works with voluntary and community sector organisations.

I have been a trustee / Board member with Macc for about two years.

My first experience of being a trustee was as chair of a student volunteering organisation at Liverpool University whilst I was a student. It organised volunteering projects for students and placed students with charities in Liverpool. At the time I had no idea what I was getting myself into but it was an amazing experience and I learned a lot about the way that charities work and the relationship between the board and staff.

I see the trustee role as a team role, working with the other board members and the charity as a whole. The role changes depending on the needs of the organisation, part of my role is to provide an external perspective on how the charity is doing, that is less concerned with the day to day working than how it will achieve it’s main goals. If particular issues come up which I can usefully provide a sounding board in more detail than I do this too.

I had wanted to do more volunteering and had been looking at opportunities in Manchester where I could use my existing experience and develop new skills. Whilst I was searching for an opportunity a friend forwarded me an email from Macc who were looking to recruit new board members. I hadn’t heard of Macc before but when I asked people about it, I learnt about the work they were doing and it sounded like a really interesting organisation to get involved with.

If you are thinking of joining the board of an organisation you haven’t been involved with before, visit the organisation and get a feel for their work and the staff and volunteers.

Don’t worry if you have never been on a board before, everyone has something they can contribute and no one is expected to be an expert on everything.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you are not sure about what is being discussed during the board meeting.

If you are not sure if being on the board is for you, ask if you can observe a board meeting, to get an idea of what they are like.

I have really enjoyed my time on the Board at Macc supporting the organisation through some major changes. I have also gained a lot of new skills and experiences from my involvement in Macc and working with the other board members.