This Trustees’ Week, we want to thank the volunteers who govern ecobirmingham. Our trustees give their time, skills and professional experience for free. Together they make us a stronger, better-run charity, and much of what they do happens behind the scenes.
We asked our staff team where the board has made a difference. Here is what they told us.
Thank you for showing up
Our trustees don’t just govern from a distance. This year they have been out with us in person: running our stall and talking to families at the Growing Up Green festival, supporting our Christmas event in Balsall Heath (with a big shout-out to our Green Santa and elves!), and backing the Birmingham Three Peaks fundraising challenge. Children and adults alike have enjoyed meeting them, and they have given us practical ideas on what we could do better next time.
They also champion our fundraising campaigns, sharing them across Instagram, LinkedIn and with friends and family, so we reach people we could not reach on our own.
Opening new routes for ecobirmingham
Behind the scenes, the board has helped us build a stronger, more resilient charity:
- Stronger financial systems. Our finance committee guided us through a move in Accountancy software, with clear mentoring for staff and clear explanations for the wider board.
- New income streams. Trustees have brought commercial thinking to help us look beyond grants and donations.
- New perspectives on the board. Our Chair, Rickie, has led recruitment and interviews for new trustees, bringing fresh skills and experience onto the board as we grow. We look forward to welcoming our new board members.
- Supporting staff wellbeing. Trustees have offered coaching and mentoring to our team, helping staff reflect, stay focused and keep a healthy work-life balance during busy periods.
Why their volunteering matters
As a small charity, we could not buy the range of expertise our board gives us. Leadership, finance, commercial thinking, coaching and campaigning all come from people who fit this role around their own careers and lives. They support our staff too, through mentoring and coaching that helps the team stay focused during busy times. Their time means more of our funding goes directly into our work with communities and nature across Birmingham.
Thank you to every one of our trustees.