What is a trustee and why should you become one?

Brian Clark, chairperson of trustees for Active Sussex explains what is involved in being a trustee.

A trustee is an important role in any organisation and is vital in ensuring good governance to enable organisations to achieve their goals and functions.

Being part of the team that is the Board of Trustees is a potentially a very rewarding and worthwhile experience, but it is something that should be considered carefully before making such a commitment.

Firstly to make the experience worthwhile, it is important to be clear about your values and interests. It will be counterproductive to seek a trustee position with an organisation that you don’t identify with or whose aims run counter to your own values.

Secondly you need to be clear about what you can offer the organisation as a trustee, otherwise your participation in governance will be very limited and unsatisfying. Good governance requires trustees to bring a range of competences and expertise to the team, for example in relation to finance, diversity, equality and fairness, HR, performance, leadership etc.

Another consideration is the time commitment involved in being a trustee. Attendance at meetings and preparation are key to a well functioning Board of Trustees.

My own experience of being a trustee for Active Sussex has been extremely positive. I love exercise and sport and like to enable others to overcome barriers to become more active. I also have a very wide experience of leadership and governance across a range of very different organisations.

You can find out more about Active Sussex’s trustees here.

Would you be interested in becoming an Active Sussex trustee? Active Sussex will be recruiting more trustees in 2024, and will be looking for a diverse range of people who have the skills and expertise to govern Active Sussex.

If you would like to find out more about this opportunity, email info@activesussex.org