Trustee week is a good time to reflect and share thoughts about being a trustee for Mind therefore I would like to share a few thoughts with you. If you are considering becoming a trustee, I believe important elements are having a passion and compassion for any charity you wish to be involved with and to trust yourself that you can make an active contribution to many people with mental health issues. I have a longstanding interest in mental health therefore Mind was the obvious charity to become involved with due to their leading role in this field. My first involvement was as a volunteer which led to being asked if I would consider becoming a trustee. I recommend this as it gives you a real feel for an organisation and insight of experience of the people who use the service. It is a joy to see how people benefit from the services Mind provides.
Within a trustee board, a wide variety of skills are needed therefore contributions can be made in several ways. My background has been in mental health liaison for over 20 years from a commercial background in pharmaceuticals and digital mental health which involved liaison with Welsh Health Boards, the Senedd and Local Authorities. I hope I bring to the role a perspective that covers mental health from this viewpoint and as I still volunteer, get constant reminders of ongoing issues. As a Welsh speaker, this is useful both from a trustee and volunteer point of view. Many people using the service prefer to converse in Welsh. Being a trustee means a lot to me. Mental health is still not treated in the way it should be and if I can make any contribution to making a difference, I am glad of that.
My advice to any prospective trustee is
- Find out more about the position by speaking to local trustees and services to get a feel of how Mind works
- Consider how much you can bring to the role either from a personal knowledge of dealing with mental health or what skills you would bring from your work background
- Never underestimate the importance of passion and commitment to a role and the difference this can make
Carmarthenshire Mind Trustee (Volunteer)
