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Trustees Week 2013: their influence and importance in sport for disabled people

From 4-10 November 2013 it is Trustees’ Week. The English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) is proud of the diverse range of Trustees it has on its Board. This week we recognise their influence and importance in sport for disabled people.

“Trustees are the people in charge of a charity. They may be called trustees, directors, board members, governors or committee members, but they are the people with ultimate responsibility for directing the business of the charity. They are often the unsung heroes, playing a vital role, volunteering their time, working together to make the decisions that really matter about the charity's finances, activities and plans for the future.”

Trustees’ Week 2013 is the fourth annual celebration of trusteeship, to highlight the great work that trustees do, and to draw attention to the opportunities for people from all walks of life to get involved and make a real difference. No formal qualifications are usually needed, and many charities need more trustees.  

The Charity Commission is organising the awareness week in partnership with Charity Trustee Network, recently merged with the Small Charities Coalition, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA)Reach Volunteering, Getting on Board, ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales), CFDG (Charity Finance Directors' Group), Knowledge Peers, The Honorary Treasurers Forum, Governance magazine, School Governor's One-Stop Shop (SGOSS), the National Unions of Students (NUS) and Young Charity Trustees.

“People often become trustees to 'give something back', but there is a two-way benefit; charities benefit from the range of skills and experience that their trustees bring, but trustees can learn and develop new skills that may open up new opportunities for them, as well as meeting people who share their passion.”

The Charity Commission lists that there are just over 180,000 charities in England and Wales registered with the Charity Commission. Plus, adds that perhaps there are another 80,000 that do not have to register, (usually because they are too small). These charities are all different, but one thing they have in common is their reliance on trustees.

  • There are over 1,000,000 trustee positions in England and Wales
  • Estimates suggest that almost half of charities have at least one vacancy on their board
  • Just 0.5% of trustees in England and Wales are aged between 18 and 24, (compared with 12% of the population as a whole)
  • The average age of trustees in England and Wales is 57, two thirds are aged 50 and over
  • 43.4% of trustees are female, and 56% are male

(Each trustee is counted only once, though some are trustees for more than one charity. The figure for female trustees should be treated as a minimum as only those whose titles are certainly female are included).

There are five men and five women on EFDS’s Board. All have a range of experience and professional skills. Their backgrounds vary in commercial, charity, public, sport and education sector. Several work in sport for disabled people as consultants, teachers and even former athletes themselves. 

Leading our Board of Trustees is Charles Reed. Charles has been involved in sport for disabled people since 2005 when as a Director at Nationwide Building Society he was responsible for a £1million seven year sponsorship of the EFDS events programme- Disability Sport Events. After leaving Nationwide in 2008 Charles maintained his involvement as a volunteer and was invited to join the EFDS Board in December 2010. Charles brings a wealth of commercial and corporate experience to the Board. He was appointed Vice Chair in May 2011 and elected Chair by the Federation's membership in September of that year. 

Besides his role with EFDS, Charles is a Board member of the London Marathon Trust and Chair of the Advisory Board for Cirencester College's Sports Career Academy. He is also an Advisory Associate with Leading Lights, a leadership development consultancy based in Marlborough, and lists among his previous non-executive roles an eight year Directorship with the Institute of Customer Service. Most recently, in October 2013, Charles was appointed to the Sport England Board.

In response to his Sport England appointment, Charles said:

“Naturally I am extremely pleased and excited to be joining the Sport England Board. I am looking forward to bringing the experience I have gained through my role as Chair of the English Federation of Disability Sport and using it alongside my broader corporate experience. Having always been passionate about sport, I am looking forward to playing a full part in developing and growing participation in grass roots sport and physical activity for both disabled and non-disabled people alike.”

When EFDS was seeking for new Board members earlier this year, it was important for the charity to attract disabled people as part of the recruitment drive. This included from sports performance, to add value to our own customer-focus and insight. EFDS values the impact disabled people can have at every level, and especially in decision-making.

In 2012, the charity led on the creation of Diversity Challenge to support more sport providers to include more people from all under-represented groups. The free online toolkit includes a theme on governance and offers advice to ensure sport Boards are as diverse as their customer base. 

Former Paralympic swimmer, Fran Williamson, joined our Board in July. As well as the professional skills that Fran adds to the team, her lengthy sporting career adds tremendous value to our future strategy and plans.

Fran was a member of the Great Britain swim team since her international debut in 2001 until 2011. In her 10 years of representing the country, Fran has racked up an impressive array of medals, including 12-world championship and 6 Paralympic medals. Fran is still the current World Champion in the S3 50m backstroke (a title she first claimed in 2006 and then again in 2010). She said on joining the EFDS Board:

“I’m delighted to be joining the EFDS Board, and to be able to put my skills, knowledge and passion for disability sport to constructive use. I look forward to working with the board to help to ensure that the potential of a post games disability sport legacy becomes a reality. Having started my competitive sporting career in EFDS events, it is great to be able to now give back as a board member.”

The Charity Commission hopes that charities and other organisations across the sector will get involved by organising events and activities to mark Trustees' Week 2013. They would like organisations to celebrate the fantastic work that trustees do for charities around the country and encourage more people to think about whether trusteeship is right for them. 

To find our more about becoming a trustee and its role in a charity, visit the Charity Commission website. More information about Trustees Week 2013, visit the awareness website