Becoming a trustee
The Dementia Trust has been working for decades, nationally and internationally, to improve the lives of people affected by dementia.
five things are we looking for in a new Trustee?
Commitment—We want someone who is fully committed to the Dementia Trust’s purpose, and those we are working for. So, if you want to disrupt the way people think about dementia, think about how what you can do to help us do that.
Transparency—Our Trustees have no conflicts of interest with most of what we do, but if anything crops up in making plans, the Trustee tells us, and is removed from that decision. You need to be able to read our finance spreadsheets and understand them and to help decide how to ensure we have the funds to fulfil our purpose. Think about how you could help to generate more income!
Communication and influence—Over the last thirty-five years the Trust has moved from being in the background, backing projects with finance, to being in the forefront. Now the Trust has opinions and views on a wide range of dementia related topics. Head injuries, exaggerated claims about new medications, poor dementia provision for specific ethnic communities, the relationship between child poverty and deprivation and later life dementia, and other themes are in our news and views. Could you take part in a radio discussion about any of these, write a blog or make a podcast? Then volunteer to be a Trustee.
Energy—Volunteering is good for your health, and looks great on a CV, and is a great way to network and make contacts. So even if you are selfish, there’s a reason why you might want to give your energy to this Trust. Got some energy to spare?
Courage—There is something different about the Dementia Trust. It has no government funding, so it never has to worry about standing up to powerful people but talks to them as equals. It has no shareholders, or employed staff, and it is committed to disruption. No one has to agree with it on anything, not even the established advocacy organisations who look independent but are often heavily dependent on government contracts and handouts. Are you brave enough for that?
Our Trustees are fully committed to the Dementia Trust’s purpose of improving the lives of people affected by dementia. But not only that, they give the time and dedication to the role of Trustee to ensure they make a positive difference.
We are looking for good trustees who are willing to have an informed debate at meetings and make well-thought-out decisions about the direction of our work. They’re there to ask important and sometimes difficult questions, to scrutinise and to challenge. So, a knowledge of fundraising and IT, good networks, and understanding of how health and social care work for people affected by dementia would be helpful. All of these and more are needed to make a difference.
Our Trustees work to protect the reputation of the Trust. They should also be open to the voices of people affected by dementia and actively listen to their views.
Time commitments
We meet in person twice a year and have zoom meetings in between. Other time commitments for Trustees depend on projects and the interest that the Trustee has. Look at our website to see the sort of projects we have led or funded and the sort of ripples we have made in the pond.
This is as long-standing as starting the world’s first dementia centre in the first ever dementia friendly building over twenty years ago, as far away as funding work in India, and as counter-intuitive as an art exhibition in a defunct and decaying geriatric hospital in Northern Ireland.
So, if you are a team player who can work with other board members to advance the best interests of the organisation and its beneficiaries, we would love to hear from you.
You don’t have to be an expert in all areas of governance, and this is not an exhaustive list, and I’m sure you can think of many other qualities you need to be a good trustee. Why not get in touch and contribute your own thoughts?
We’ll put you in touch with a trustee who can discuss how they became a trustee, and what they find most rewarding, and most challenging, about the role.
To start you off, ask us for an information form that you can fill and send to us