We are currently looking to recruit two new Trustees for our Board of Trustees to help steer our ship for the next two years.

The first volunteer Trustee must have communications and publicity expertise. The second role requires legal and governance experience.

What’s required? We have compiled a complete list of duties and a description for each role. For the Trustee with communications and public relations expertise, find the list of specifications and the role described here. For the legal and governance role, find all of the details here.

We value having a diverse Board that reflects as many different people in our communities as possible. To achieve this, we are particularly open to applications from younger members of our community and people from diverse backgrounds.

Kathya Rouse, SVC Board of Trustees member

In order to provide a snapshot of what sitting on the Sligo Volunteer Centre’s Board of Trustees looks like, we caught up with Kathya Rouse, a current member of the Board and posed a few questions about her role.

Introduce yourself, please.

I am a Chartered Accountant with over 20 years’ experience in my field. I am very interested in governance, particularly for small charities and hold a Diploma in Governance. I have been on the board of SVC for 6 years. 

Describe your main responsibilities as an SVC Trustee, as you see them.

I consider my main responsibilities to include the usual statutory requirements of a board trustee, ensuring the company is well run, the company’s assets are safeguarded and that its relevant obligations are fulfilled. But on a day to day basis, I feel that my main responsibility is supporting the manager and staff to do their jobs and provide input and guidance where required. 

What aspects of this role do you like most?

I love seeing the impact our charity has within the community with regular updates on volunteer registration and placement. Each trustee has different professional and personal life experiences, so I am constantly learning from my fellow trustees. I am a member of the governance committee and it is great to be able to provide practical assistance from my personal knowledge to ensure that the company meets its obligations. It was a huge honour for me to have been involved in a small project which led to SVC being awarded a Good Governance Award in 2019 and having this recognition from an external party ensured that all of us trustees realised the value of what we do.

Is there something involved in the role that you do not like? If so, what is it and why?

Fortunately, there is nothing involved that I don’t like. Increasing regulation can occasionally be a bit of a headache but ultimately it assists in creating a more robust environment for all charities to operate in and ensures public confidence which is great!

In one sentence, what has been the value in this experience for you? 

I feel that I am helping to make a difference and, while the difference made by my small contribution may not be directly measurable, I know that is ensuring that SVC continues to grow and thrive.

Thank you for taking the time to chat with us about your important role!