Rachel Stevenson

1. First of all, about you: what attracted you to becoming a chair/trustee?

I had gained a lot of work experience in charity accounting after training as a chartered accountant and wanted to put it to better use by working directly with a charity.

2. Which organisation(s) do you represent?

I am the Treasurer of READ International, a position I have held for almost three years. READ is a network of regional student volunteer-led projects collecting disused books from schools across the UK.  Our student-volunteers sort them, match them to the Tanzanian/Ugandan syllabus and, if relevant, we send them to East Africa.  Any book not relevant to send (we don't take religious/political books for example) are sold online to generate much needed funding.  If books can't be sent or sold, we recycle them.  After we've collected the books from the UK schools we deliver a free workshop to educate UK school children about global citizenship and sustainability.

3. What particularly attracted you to these organisations?

When I first got involved, READ was just being established as a formal charity and had only one employee.  I was attracted by the opportunity to ‘get my hands dirty’ and be really involved in helping to set it up and oversee the growth of the organisation.  READ is a really innovative, exciting charity and so there are always new ideas and challenges for the trustees to consider. I was also attracted by the fact that READ addresses a number of issues through its work, from education and global citizenship to recycling.

4. Is there anything that would make you an even more effective trustee/chair?

More spare time to give to the charity! I often feel that I would like to devote more time but work and personal restraints mean my spare time is limited.

5. What’s the biggest challenge you have faced in your role?

The organisation has grown quickly in the three years since I became a trustee and so the type and amount of work that I do has evolved.  The challenge has been to recognise this changing role and to be receptive to new ideas.

6. What do you consider the most satisfying aspect of your role?

Knowing that READ genuinely makes a difference.  I was lucky enough to travel to Tanzania this summer to visit some of the schools that have received books from READ.  The need for textbooks and other educational materials was overwhelmingly apparent, even in the better-established urban schools.  We have also helped to change the lives of students who have been involved with READ in the UK, so I am really impressed by the reach that the charity has.

7. Do you think there is enough general recognition of the value of the trustee/chair role?

Outside of the third sector, I don’t think there is much recognition of the role of trustee.  I am fortunate to work for a company that gives its employees two days volunteering leave each year and who are very supportive of my work with READ.  However, many people are not in this position and so may feel unable to give time to charity. Also many people don’t really have an understanding of what is involved in becoming a trustee. Perhaps if these issues were addressed more people would choose to become trustees.

8. (If you have been a trustee/chair for some time) have you felt that the demands made on trustees/chairs have grown over time?

9. What do you think is the ideal term of office that a trustee/chair should serve?

At READ there is a three year term before a trustee must stand for re-election. I think this is the ideal term as it gives the trustee the opportunity to have true oversight of the organisation during that period while still maintaining independence. We are currently recruiting for a new chairperson as the current chair is nearing the end of his three-year term.

10. What tip would you give to a new trustee?

Find out as much as you can about the organisation before you attend the first meeting so you don’t feel completely in the dark!

11. If you weren’t a trustee, what would you do with that time?

I would probably still be doing some sort of volunteering as I have been involved in charity work most of my life.

12. What steps do you take to increase/retain your organisation’s membership?

We have established an alumni network to retain contact with UK students who have since graduated and are no longer volunteering for the charity.  We also send out regular newsletters and updates to all interested parties.  It is important to communicate effectively with our membership.

13. What question do you want to ask next week’s trustee?

READ will shortly have a new chairperson for the first time since its inception.  How should the organisation manage this period of transition to ensure a smooth handover?

For your opportunity to answer Rachel’s question, please click on the link which takes you to the Forum.