Trustees’ Week is an annual opportunity to recognise the valuable contribution trustees make to charities and the communities they serve.
We’re fortunate to have a diverse group of trustees who bring a wide range of skills, knowledge, experience and perspectives to CBLC. Our trustees play an important role in guiding the charity, helping to ensure our assets and resources are used to benefit local people, organisations and projects across Chippenham.
To mark Trustees’ Week, we’ve spoken to Matt, one of our newest trustees at Chippenham Borough Lands Charity to find out what inspired him to become a trustee, what he’s discovered about CBLC and what he’s looking forward to in the role.
What made you want to become a trustee of CBLC?
In common with other trustees, the desire to make a difference and give something back to the community we have lived in for a number of years.
Until recently, I had treated Chippenham like a dormitory town only there at nights and weekends as my work took me off down the M4 each day.
Having recently retired, I wanted to use the skills I had acquired in my career to make a more positive contribution to life in the town and to help improve local people’s lives.
Having been in the role for your first few months, what has surprised you most? Is there something you’ve discovered about CBLC that you didn’t know before becoming a trustee?
It’s easy to underestimate how much is going on in Chippenham. My involvement with CBLC has shown me how many people and organisations are quietly working to make the town a better place.
Sadly, I’ve also realised a significant number of people in the town are facing a wide array of challenges in their lives.
Chippenham is so fortunate to be able to benefit from the endowment fund that CBLC manages and I am so fortunate to be in a position to help build on the great work already done by the organisation.
What aspect of the charity’s work are you particularly pleased to be involved in?
I find the grants work really interesting, complex and challenging. Being involved in another charity where there is a constant need to find funding to keep the organisation going, it has been an eye opener for me to realise that being in a position to give grants is just as demanding if only to ensure the best use of those funds.
What are you most looking forward to as a trustee?
I’m really looking forward to working with a highly capable and motivated team of trustees, staff and local organisations making sure we are all pulling in the same direction to achieve the most efficient and impactful use of our resources. I’m excited to see the results of our decisions in the coming years.
And finally, what’s your favourite thing about Chippenham?
I learned in business that it’s people that make a business great and it’s the same here. It’s a great place to live because there are many talented individuals and organisations here providing a vast range of activities that belies a town of this size. With such people, I can see great potential for the town to thrive in the future.
Thank you to Matt for taking the time to share his thoughts and for bringing his skills and enthusiasm to CBLC. We’re delighted to have him as part of the team.
We’d also like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to all our trustees for their continued commitment and the time they give to supporting the work of CBLC and helping us make a difference across Chippenham.
