Jackie Dawkins' story...

Jackie Dawkins became a trustee of Devon Air Ambulance Trust after working with the charity on a recruitment project. When one of their existing trustees retired, Jackie accepted an invitation to join the board, something she describes as ‘an honour’.

Jackie says being a trustee is a highly worthwhile opportunity to contribute to society: “The best thing about being a trustee is being part of something that is respected and valued by the people of Devon. I live in a rural area and see firsthand the importance of this service.

“As well as being very rewarding, being a trustee is also a chance to develop your skills as an individual and to work alongside a diverse range of people you wouldn’t otherwise necessarily get to work with.

“I see my role as being supportive, guiding and strategic - someone once likened being a trustee to being a “critical friend”. It is a two-way process though, and I have also learnt from my role, including the importance of clarity and transparency, the impact of everything a charity does and how to ensure that impact is positive. I have also learnt the importance of financial sustainability, how to assess risk and what is acceptable risk – this is a hard one for many trustees.

“I think Trustees’ Week is a great idea, hopefully it will encourage people to consider trusteeship as a real and valuable opportunity. The Young Trustees Group on LinkedIn is a great group, encouraging and supportive to young trustees. Hopefully Trustees Week will extend the same message to people of all age groups across the UK.”