Volunteer Trustee Simon: the opportunities and challenges
Volunteer Trustee: the opportunities and challenges. In Volunteers’ Week Jane Sheils meets….CAEE Trustee Simon.
Simon joined as a Trustee and is the Vice-Chair of CAEE Board in February 2023. His previous roles include Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment; during his tenure the institute grew to be a global body with over 40,000 members.
Simon also worked with blue-chip financial companies, including Lloyds Bank and Deutsche Bank, in central government where he was deputy director of the Prime Minister’s Efficiency Unit and the NHS.
Pressing need
When he stopped working full time, Simon first looked at becoming an adviser. He recognised that Citizens Advice provides a crucial lifeline to many having a tough time. But he was also aware of an immediate, more pressing need for trustees, especially as raising finance is so critical. With his background, he felt being a trustee was where he could make most impact. His aim is to help ensure the future of a unique support mechanism.
Simon enjoys seeing the positive results of our initiatives. Family Building Society has nominated CAEE as its charity partner for 2024. Nationwide Building Society is funding some one-to-one sessions to help those migrating to Universal Credit. He enjoys contributing to board meetings and offering ideas and practical help to the leadership team.
As for challenges, Simon knows with money tight it’s a constant concern for the Board to secure sufficient funding.
If you want to know more about volunteering at CAEE these posts cover what you will gain, questions you may have and more experiences from others.
Jane Sheils is Volunteer Publicity Adviser at Citizens Advice Epsom & Ewell.
More here about Volunteers’ Week 3-9 June 2024