trusteeship The Clerk, Jocelyn Stuart-Grumbar
“An essential but distinct strand of The Company’s focus on trusteeship, is the fostering of awareness, interest, and capability amongst Clothworkers, from Court to Freedom, in potentially becoming a trustee.”
T
he Company seeks to foster trusteeship across the third sector as well as with its own membership. Externally, the Clothworkers’ quiet but purposeful and enabling role is appreciated. The Company’s support for the promotion of best practice has taken various forms. For some years, we have co-funded, with Close Brothers Asset Management, the Trustee Leadership Programme. Hundreds of would-be trustees have participated, many going on to serve as a trustee, and feedback has been excellent. By last year, the time had come to expand the geographical reach of the programme, and there are now one-day programmes offered in Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, and Glasgow. Accreditation has been secured with the Institute of Leadership Management and our first alumni event was held at Clothworkers’ Hall this past month.
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the clothworker | spring 2018
We have also established a solid and evolving partnership with Reach Volunteering. The Company’s support is directed at Reach’s TrusteeWorks service. This has helped enable Reach to place a record 473 trustees in 2017 (including 33 chairs), to redesign their fee-based recruitment service, and to develop new income-generating schemes. Reach track the retention of new trustees and the impact they are deemed to make, with both at high levels. Newer collaborations, in related areas, include our support for the development, consultation phase, and publication of the new Charity Governance Code. We are also in discussion with the highly-respected Association of Chairs, with a view to assisting them to expand their reach, impact, and sustainability. This May, we will host the third annual Charity Governance Awards. These have become respected within the sector, and we have seen a record number of entries this year—all of a very high standard. An essential but distinct strand of The Company’s focus on trusteeship is the fostering of awareness, interest, and capability amongst Clothworkers, from Court to Freedom, in potentially becoming a trustee (or a school governor). As many members’ profiles on our website remain unpopulated, it is difficult to fathom how many Clothworkers are already trustees and, therefore, to be able to discern and report on progress. Please do let us know, by keeping your profile up to date, if you are a trustee or school governor and, if you aren’t and would like to be, do get in touch to let us know how we can help.
“The tragic events of the night of 14th June 2017 have amplified the demands on the Club to continue its provision of programmes and activities for young people and is instrumental in rebuilding a hurt community.”
Trusteeship: Spotlight on Liveryman Tom Stoddart-Scott The Company is keen to share the experiences of our members who take on roles as trustees for charities or as school governors in the hope of inspiring others to do the same. This common purpose, involving fellow Clothworkers in civil society, aims to tackle a pressing need in the third sector to supply experienced, knowledgeable, and passionate advocates and guardians for their core charitable objectives. Tom Stoddart-Scott joined the Livery in 2010. His father, John, was a firstgeneration Clothworker, nominated by his godfather, Brigadier Kenneth Hargreaves, for his involvement in the Bradford wool trade.
“This common purpose, involving fellow Clothworkers in civil society, aims to tackle a pressing need in the third sector.”
Image: Harrow Club W10, pack 5. Source: harrowclubw10.org.
Supporting the Harrow Club The Harrow Mission was founded in 1883 by philanthropists associated with Harrow School (W10) in an area described as a ‘forlorn, neglected and desolate’ part of North Kensington. Unfortunately this description of the local area is still relevant. Harrow Club’s (‘the Club’) building lies equidistant between Westfield at White City and the forlorn sight of Grenfell Tower itself provides a metaphor for the tireless work the Club undertakes to try and bridge the gap between those with and those without. The tragic events of the night of 14th June 2017 have amplified the demands on the Club to continue its provision of programmes and activities for young people and is instrumental in rebuilding a hurt community. How I got involved I was approached in 2012 by the chairman of the trustees, as they were
looking for a chartered surveyor to join the building committee. The role The committee was tasked with undertaking a review of the Club’s building and to make recommendations to the trustees regarding remedial works required to bring the property into a proper state of repair. A firm of chartered surveyors was appointed to undertake a formal review and to formulate a five-year preventative maintenance strategy. We have so far raised funds and undertaken essential repairs and improvements in the region of £200k, replacing dance studio and sports hall floors, installing new boilers, and upgrading the changing rooms. A big challenge of the trustee role is managing time; it is easy to be drawn into the day-to-day running of the charity and premises, rather than focusing on strategy and the delivery of first-class youth work.
What next? In order to support a commitment by the trustees to increase the activities and programmes of the Club by some 30 per cent over the next three years, we aim to undertake the next phase of refurbishment of the Club this year. This will include the essential replacement of the lift, which will provide improved disabled access to the sports hall on the first floor and the boxing club in the basement. It will also include other essential upgrades necessary to the fabric of the Grade II Listed building, such as works to the lighting and intruder and fire alarm systems. Accordingly, we will be making applications to various grant-making foundations, as well as launching a further appeal within the Club. Members may have seen Tom’s story posted to the website as well. Please get in touch if you would like to share your own experiences.
the clothworker | spring 2018
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