Every year, National Trustees Week is celebrated in the first week of November. In 2021 the celebration of trustee members falls between 1st-5th November. Trustees Week offers an opportunity for organisations across the UK to showcase the vital role that trustee boards play in their decision making processes. At NYAS, our Board of Trustees consists of seven members who specialise in different areas of business development to ensure that our charity runs as effectively and efficiently as possible.
To mark Trustees Week, we sat down with Kelly Harris, one of NYAS’ trustees, to discuss her role on the board, and why she decided to volunteer as a trustee at NYAS.
Can you tell us more about the role of the Board of Trustees at NYAS?
The Board at NYAS are in charge of the governance of the organisation, which includes making sure that we are upholding Charity law, managing our financial accounts properly, and acting in a legal, ethical manner to ensure we succeed as an organisation.
The Board of Trustees all come from different backgrounds and have different life/work experiences which allows everyone to play a unique role.
Do you have a specific role on the Board of Trustees?
I do not have a specific role on the Board of Trustees, however I come from a participation/children’s rights background and I am passionate that children and young people have a voice within NYAS and the work we do.
I have recently been developing a way for young people to have a say within the work of the Board and I am excited to see this develop. I am also the Trustee who has been trained in NYAS’ Whistleblowing Procedure in case anyone ever wants to speak with me.
Why did you decide to become a trustee?
I felt I was in a position to be able to offer my time to an organisation I believed in. I also wanted to develop my skills and learn what it meant to be a Trustee. It took me about 2 years to fully decide I was ready.
Do you have any other professional roles alongside your work as a NYAS trustee?
I work full time for a sexual health, wellbeing and relationship charity called Brook. I am also a Trustee for Age Cymru West Glamorgan and a member of the Children’s Commissioner for Wales Adult Advisory Panel.
What do you enjoy about being a trustee at NYAS?
I enjoy getting to work with the other Trustees, all of whom were so supportive when I first started. I really appreciate the opportunity to learn from them.
I also enjoy being able to see the fantastic work that is undertaken by NYAS staff and volunteers across the organisation – everyone works so hard for children and young people. The work that they do is so important and impressive.
As it’s National Trustees Week, what would you say to someone who was considering becoming a trustee at NYAS?
I would say that the NYAS Board of Trustees is a very supportive place. Children and young people are the focus, and are always at the centre of our decisions. There are great opportunities to get involved across NYAS and develop new skills and meet new people.
We want to say a huge thank you to Kelly for taking the time to discuss her role with us. We would like to extend that thank you to our entire Board of Trustees. These roles are voluntary, and the work that they do is critical to the growth and development of NYAS.
