Volunteering is on the rise. Encouraged by the success of the volunteer programme at the London 2012 Olympics, which saw 70,000 games makers fulfil 800 roles, more professional people are looking at ways in which they can give something back.
Official Statistics[i] released by the Cabinet Office in April 2013 revealed that 72 percent of people had volunteered at least once in the last 12 months, with 44 percent of people volunteering formally and 62 percent volunteering informally, significant increases from 2010/11 (65 percent, 35 percent and 55 percent respectively). Many charities have also reported a doubling in monthly inquiries from would be volunteers since last summer. Trustees Unlimited, a joint venture recruitment company set up by NCVO, Russam GMS and Bates Wells Braithwaite has noted that many of the trustees they recruit to charity boards are full time professionals in their 30s and 40s, looking to gain new skills and experience outside of their day to day careers. Last year, the company conducted research amongst 1200 trustees and found that the number one reason people become a trustee is to ‘give something back’ (55 percent), secondly to gain new skills and improve professional development (33 percent) and thirdly because they are committed to a charity’s cause (30 percent).
The fact that trusteeship leads to new skills and enhances employability is supported by a report from Third Sector Research[ii] last month, ‘Does Volunteering Improve Employability’ which found that volunteering enhances career prospects for 45-60 year olds, however, the report also highlighted that this was not the case for young people. Ian Joseph, Chief Executive of Trustees Unlimited comments, “Becoming a trustee can enhance the appeal of CVs for people looking for more senior roles in their 30s and early 40s. We have noticed a big rise in demand for trustee positions amongst mid-life professionals working full time who might want a change of direction, add a new dimension to their careers or simply do something more philanthropic. Serving on a board of trustees is also a big opportunity to learn new skills, including governance, finance and the opportunity to work with different people from all walks of life. It is a big responsibility and it can be life changing.“
“Taking on a trusteeship can enhance employability for people at all stages of their careers and arguably graduates job hunting in a competitive market potentially stand to benefit most. If there were two applicants with similar qualifications at interview, the one with volunteering experience would have the edge.” One charity that has recently recruited three mid-career professional trustees is Music of Life, a small charity providing high quality musical education and performance opportunities for children and young people with disabilities and special needs. The charity was looking for new trustees, following recent departures, with expertise in marketing and communications, finance and fundraising and ideally experience of working in the fields of disability or education.
The three trustees chosen are all working professionals: Stephanie Stewart a former charity CEO, Jessica Clark, a lawyer, school governor and already a trustee at Brent Community Law Centre, whose son also has special needs; and Elly Williamson, a financial PR consultant who is also a musician and has great contacts in the arts world. Since being in the roles the chief executive of Music of Life, Maria Teterina has commented that the organisation has already been transformed because of their specialist skills and passion for the cause and the charity is planning ahead with confidence and developing a new strategic plan which she believes they will be able deliver.
[ii] http://www.tsrc.ac.uk/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=tGaSOT2tnRU percent3d&tabid=1016
