Thursday 25 October 2012

Rachel Egan's story...

Rachel, 21, is a trustee of Student Run Self Help (SRSH) , a student-led charity which runs self-help sessions for students with eating disorders, as well as campaigns around mental health issues. Rachel, from Oxford, was formerly a member of the SRSH development committee and is now the charity’s press officer, alongside her job as Ethical Careers Coordinator for Student Hubs, an organisation which encourages student participation in charitable activities.

Rachel says: The most interesting part of being a trustee is that it enables you to see all the different elements of the charity come together to form one bigger picture, and this helps you realise where there is room for the organisation to move forward and progress. When you are involved in decisions around a charity's strategy, it makes you feel as if you have the ability to make a real difference to its beneficiaries, and the experience of charity governance has been invaluable. My initial decision to become a trustee for SRSH was influenced by my interest in mental health, and issues surrounding mental health stigma.
 I have been lucky with my trustee role at SRSH because I have had the chance to work as both a student volunteer running self help sessions at Cardiff University, and as a volunteer working on press and publicity for national projects. I feel as if being extensively involved on the ground has given me insight and understanding into how the charity functions day to day, which is useful knowledge to bring to the trustee board.
I believe that Trustees Week is an excellent idea as it provides an opportunity for trustees to share skills and ideas with one another, and allows other young people to realise how exciting and fulfilling a trustee position can be.

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