What does being a Trustee for Whitley CDA involve?

We asked on of our Trustees and this is what they shared with us. If you’re inspired and would like to get involved we would love to hear from you.

I have been a trustee for a year now and it has been a great experience. 

I’ve been aware of what the charity do for around 7 years, after coming into the cafe when it first opened.  This was at the time I was on maternity leave with my son.  I came to enjoy coming to the cafe, meeting the staff, a friend in the same situation and feeling connected to the community.  I felt that this was what the community had been missing and allowed anyone that came in to be welcomed.  I particularly liked how this place felt like it was at the heart of the community and there was always someone to talk to and point people in yhe right direction of support when needed.  It’s location and connection to the library was a great link as I would often take my son to the library and then visit the cafe for coffee and cake after!!

As time has gone by I have watched with interest about the role that WCDA and the cafe have played in the community.  I live in the community and have family here too and want to do what I can to support the place and people I care about.  As my son has got a bit older and my other volunteering commitments had changed, I felt that now was a good time to seek another opportunity I cared and felt passionately about.  

Being a trustee is a varied role and fits in around my work and family commitments.  The skills I have gained through work, I have looked to see how they can be used to benefit the role I do as trustee.  I feel keeping in regular contact with staff of WCDA and Trustees helps me stay connected and informed, be that by regular visits to grab coffee from the cafe before I start work or by our monthly meetings.  Naturally the skills and interests of the Trustees determine what they get actively involved in and there is a great deal of support and knowledge from the staff and longstanding members to navigate you through.  I have found my role so far to be incredibly rewarding in terms of making great connections and improving confidence.  I am inspired and motivated by the people I work with and for and this to me is important. 

The types of activities I have been involved in have been varied from providing guidance and support to attending events to get a feel for what we do and allow me to offer suggestions and ideas on what we can do to continue the great work the team are already doing.

Together we #TheBeatingHeartofWhitley