Trustees’ Week is an opportunity to celebrate the individual talent and experience each trustee brings to our board. Our most recently appointed trustees share their experience after joining the board last year.
Caroline Bovey BEM said:
“I have held non-executive director roles, and more latterly the chair role for my professional association for a number of years. As the latter is coming to an end soon, I wanted to make sure that I would have the opportunity to carry on contributing in some way utilising the governance knowledge and skills I have developed during this period.
“I stumbled across the role as Trustee to Tenovus Cancer Care by chance. I wasn’t sure what I should be looking for, whether I had the right experience, or even whether my face would fit. As someone who has come quite late to professional life, as a first-generation Higher Education graduate, sometimes the barriers feel too great to overcome. But, to my great surprise, I was shortlisted and appointed following interview, to join the Trustee Board toward the end of 2022.
“The last year has been a steep learning curve, which will be no surprise to anyone who goes into a new role – it’s to be expected. The welcome I have received has made me feel valued for my expertise and the experiences that I have had elsewhere both in my employed roles and through my volunteer activities. An understanding of governance and the separation of that from management, and a clear understanding of the responsibility to the charity and accountability to the Charity Commission that each trustee must uphold, have set me in good stead.
“I am committed to the aims of the charity – they were present in my childhood when my mother was unwell – that’s over 40 years ago, and shows, I hope how much I continue to believe in the work of Tenovus Cancer Care and will do what I can to support the delivery of our ambitious plans.”
Professor Jane Hopkinson said:
“Whilst important to gain insight into the services provided by the charity, a key part of the Trustee role is to consider the behind-the-scenes working of the organisation. For example, considering if donations are delivering on the Charity mission. My opinion is a confident, yes. It is a delight to receive updates from members of the leadership team who are an impressive bunch of high energy people committed to giving hope, help and a voice to anyone affected by cancer, in and around the community.
“The highlight [of my first year] has to be joining a Sing with Us choir for the evening. Such fun. A truly uplifting experience. I enjoyed this even more than the grand Welsh Variety Extravaganza at St David's Hall in spring 2023.”
Natasha de Terán said:
“A year in to being a Tenovus Cancer Care Trustee my feet are only just settling under the table. That said, the Chair, fellow trustees and staff did an amazing job onboarding us, making us feel welcome and helping us feel useful and our contributions valid.
“In this short space of time I have been hugely privileged to meet many of the amazing people from all walks of life that make Tenovus Cancer Care what it is – whether fellow trustees, staff, management or the huge swathe of volunteers that put so much in to this fantastic charity. That in itself has been rewarding – but most all it has been the process of becoming something of a useful cog in what is a very big wheel that does so much to help so many that has been most gratifying. I hope to properly grow into the role soon!”
Thank you to all our incredible trustees for their time, skills, and commitment.
