Being a trustee of Pembrokeshire and Carmarthen Mind
Volunteering at Pembrokeshire and Carmarthen Mind led to Awen becoming a trustee. With many local Minds wanting to recruit trustees from diverse backgrounds and with a broad range of experience, Awen shares her advice ahead of Trustees Week.
Trustee week is a good time to reflect and share thoughts about being a trustee for a local Mind. Here are some things I believe are important.
If you are thinking about becoming a trustee, having a passion and compassion for the charity you wish to be involved with is a must.
Mind was an obvious choice for me, due to their leading role in the mental health field. It’s an area I’ve been interested in for a long time - I have 20 years’ experience in commercial pharmaceuticals and mental health liaison, including liaising with Welsh Health Boards, the Senedd and Local Authorities on digital mental health.
"I hope I bring a perspective that covers mental health from this viewpoint. As I still volunteer, I am constantly aware of the struggles people have, as well as the challenges facing the charity."
One of the things I enjoy most about volunteering is being out in the garden at the Carmarthen centre – we use the veg that we grow to cook in the communal kitchen. It’s a pleasure seeing how beneficial being out in the fresh air can be for people’s mental health
A wide variety of skills are needed within a trustee board, so contributions can be made in many ways. My first involvement with Pembrokeshire and Carmarthen Mind was as a volunteer. This led to being asked if I would consider becoming a trustee. I recommend this as it gives you a real feel for an organisation and experience of the people who use the service.
"It is a joy to see how people benefit from the services Mind provides. And it is important to trust yourself that you can actively support people with mental health issues."
Being a Welsh speaker is useful both from a trustee and volunteer point of view, as many people using the service prefer to converse in Welsh.
My advice to any prospective trustee is to:
- Find out more about the position by speaking to local trustees and services to get a feel of how Mind works
- Consider how much you can bring to the role either from a personal knowledge of dealing with mental health or what skills you would bring from your work background
- Never underestimate the importance of passion and commitment to a role and the difference this can make
Being a trustee means a lot to me. Mental health is still not treated in the way it should be and if I can make any contribution to making a difference, I am glad of that.
Get involved
There are lots of different ways that you can support us. We're a charity and we couldn't continue our work without your help.
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Blogs and stories can show that people with mental health problems are cared about, understood and listened to. We can use it to challenge the status quo and change attitudes.
