Key takeaways from the HEY Charity podcast episode 3
Gerry Morrison and Harriet Wheeldon from Rollits and Sophie Bartup from the HEY Smile Foundation are the co-hosts of the HEY Charity Podcast
The HEY Charity Podcast is a six-part series for anyone involved with charities but brings charity law to life with practical insights from the people who have lived and breathed charities in the Hull and East Yorkshire area.
Episode 3 – Trustee Recruitment with Deb Oxley OBE
Trustee recruitment is critical to the success of charities. In episode three, Gerry Morrison, Harriet Wheeldon and Sophie Bartup (HEY Smile Foundation) discuss why succession planning is important, when trustees should look to recruit and the onboarding of trustees.
The starting point for trustee recruitment and when to appoint new trustees is the charity’s governing document which should set out how trustees are appointed and when they retire.
People can be reluctant in committing to trusteeship if they feel they are new to the role and are not aware of their legal duties, what the role involves and the charity’s legal structure. Trustee training for new and continuing trustees can help trustees feel supported in their role.
In episode three, Gerry and Harriet discuss the role of the Chair and how this impacts on trustee recruitment as well as succession planning of a Chair.
Guest speaker – Deb Oxley OBE
Gerry, Harriet and Sophie were joined by Deb Oxley, Chair of Cat Zero, based in Hull.
As Chair, Deb has experienced a greater level of accountability, a broader remit and the requirement to engage further with the executive team.
With charity trusteeship being a voluntary role, it often attracts similar like-minded people to the role. Deb explained that, in her experience, being specific in the recruitment process has helped recruit a board with a good mix of skills. This was achieved using a skills audit and providing trustee training to the trustees.
If you’ve missed episode three, you can listen to it here:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0ffV4YdMRsLfUFCcQ9SbXD?si=18dcabcf957c4cad
Mix cloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/HeyCharityPodcast/episode-3-trustee-recruitment-with-deb-oxley/
