by Deborah Xavier, Chief Executive, Pilotlight London
One of the most common challenges facing the small and medium-sized charities and social enterprises we work with at Pilotlight is governance. The first step to establishing an effective Board of Trustees is attracting people with the right mix of skills, and few of the charities we work with have a high enough profile to be able to pick and choose. Neither do they have the time and money to conduct recruitment drives that reach beyond their immediate circles.
We see at Pilotlight what a difference committed and skilled trustees can make, so we are piloting an event to see if we can persuade more highly-skilled professionals like our Pilotlighters to become trustees for small charities.
We will ask a small group of Pilotlighters to be ‘guinea pigs’ at an evening event, where speakers will talk about their experiences of being, or working with, trustees. They will talk about the benefits both to the organisations of having appropriate leadership from the board, and the impact individuals can make. Experienced trustees will talk about what they have personally gained from the relationship, and their ‘dos and don’ts’.
If the evening is a success we will roll out a series of events around governance for Pilotlighters and charities, and anyone interested in giving or using professional skills through trusteeships.
If you are interested in attending, or have comments or ideas about governance, please e-mail Pilotlight London Chief Executive, Deborah Xavier, at [email protected].