Sonia Lassnig

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

I am a police officer (inspector) with 20 years service in Kent Police. From an early age I have been involved in voluntary community organisations; being a long term member of the St John’s Ambulance and involved in the St John band. Being a police officer takes up a lot of time, but I’ve always wanted to be involved in my local community as a volunteer, so when an opportunity came along to become a trustee of a small, local charity, I didn’t need to think twice before applying for the position.

2. Which organisation(s) do you represent?

The Kent and Medway Charity Team are a small Kent and Medway based organisation who were set up ten years ago as the Walking Bus Group. Their purpose is to promote healthy lifestyle and wellbeing of children primary school age by organising walk to school buses and other supporting  events. The charity is based at Whitstable in Kent and is run by the charity’s founder and Chief Executive, Simon Dolby. Simon’s commitment and energy to the charity has seen it grow over its ten year life.

3. What particularly attracted you to these organisations?

As well as being a police officer I am also an HR professional qualified through and now a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development ( CIPD). At the time I applied to become a trustee of the Kent and Medway Charity Team, I was looking for an opportunity to use my HR skills; the charity were seeking trustees with HR expertise, so it was perfect for me to apply.  This charity appealed to me because it was local and small and had children and young people at its heart. At the time I applied I was working in the policing area of child protection, so it felt the right organisation for me to become a  trustee for.

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

Almost immediately I was appointed, I was putting my skills into practise. In the year I have been in post, I have offered advice on and got involved in redundancy,  sickness , absence and on a more positive note and looking  forward, I  am now reviewing HR policies and developing a new competency framework for the employed staff.

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

By far the biggest challenge since being in post has been making staff redundant in order to safeguard  the charity’s future. It was a difficult time for everyone, but with all trustees supporting each other and the employees, the charity has come through the otherside.

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

The best thing about being a trustee is working with a group of other volunteers from different parts of the community, all of whom bring different skills, but united in wanting to make the charity a success; by never losing focus of the children and young people who benefit from its activities. The volunteers who turn up every week to walk the children to school are relentless in their commitment and energy. It is quite humbling.
 
7. Do you think there is enough general recognition of the value of the trustee/chair role?

Trustees are the hidden cogs in the machinery of charities who don’t get the recognition and exposure that they Sould do. I think many people don’t know they exist nor understand what they do. Especially in harder times like now, the value of volunteering as a trustee cannot be understated.

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?

N/A.

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

I am relatively new to trusteeship having been appointed at the end of 2009, some of the trustees of the Board have been in post for many years. Their knowledge of the charity is invaluable. I do have a view that in order to ‘breathe current life’ into charities and get new skills; trustees should review their position every three years, not necessarily with the intention of moving away from the charity, but perhaps to take another  role on the Board.

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

If I was giving a tip to a new trustee, I would say, find out and research what a trustee does and what roles and responsibilities they have before applying or taking on the position. Then find out about the charity you are applying for, because you may well find yourself ‘ in at the deep end’ before you realise it!   Get involved as much as your time will allow, to get a real understanding of what a trustee does.

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

If I wasn’t a trustee, then I would be involved in local village events where I live  near Ashford, Kent.  I am always looking to see how I can fill my spare time. Suffice to say, I don’t have much spare time left to fill!

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

We advertise occasionally in local papers for new trustees as and when the need arises. For employed staff, the small team of staff are close knit and work very hard under Simon’s leadership. We offer flexible and home working which helps with retention and at the end of the year, we hold an  award ceremony for all the Walking Bus volunteers. This is where all participating schools and volunteers are recognised for their contributions during the year  as well as saying a big ‘thank you’ to the employed charity staff.    

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

How do you come up with new ideas for charity fundraising at times of austerity such as now?

For your opportunity to answer Sonia's question, please click on the link to the Forum