News Release
"We're Asking"...leading family suppport charity asks business professionals to share their experience
May 2006
Home-Start, the UK's leading family support charity, is launching its We're Asking trustee recruitment campaign during National Volunteers Week (1 - 7 June). Over the coming year, the UK-wide project aims to recruit more than 500 people with business experience to help manage its 337 local schemes.
The charity is running the campaign to help fill a trustee shortfall across the entire country after research showed that 11 million people said they would volunteer...... if only they were asked.
"Business men and women don't always realise that charities like Home-Start really need people with their expertise to help run the organisation, and support local staff and the volunteers who go out and provide our front-line service to families in their homes," says acting chief executive of Home-Start, Kay Bews.
Andy Townend, director of operations at DigitalUK says, "I've recently become a trustee for Home-Start because I think the work they do is so important. And I know that my financial and marketing skills will be of huge benefit to the charity in the future."
Kay Bews adds, "Our 337 schemes are based in local communities and operate independently. Without people willing to come forward to act as trustees - who can provide strategic direction, support our staff and volunteers and help provide advice with issues such as managing staff, setting budgets, fundraising and legal issues - we wouldn't be able to provide a lifeline to more than 67,000 young children and their families at a time when they need it the most.
"It's a great chance to get involved with and put something back into, the local community. We provide a thorough induction and an ongoing training programme to help trustees understand and carry out their role. And it only needs a commitment of around ten hours a month," she continued.
Home-Start supports more than 30,000 families each year - in situations as varied as bereavement, isolation, and multiple births - giving practical and emotional help to parents with children under five. But, in order to keep these schemes running successfully, it needs trustees with experience in key areas such as business management, finance, law, IT, HR and marketing.
John Day, a trustee and Treasurer at Home-Start South Leicestershire for the last five years and Chairman of Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce says, "Being a trustee offers me the opportunity to give something back to my local area. It's an important role that needs people who can sit down and look at the business side of things to ensure a scheme is run properly, both legally and financially".
Last year Home-Start helped 31,460 families and could not have done so without its 2,600 trustees and their invaluable skills. Charities are not often recognised as organisations with the same need for business and management skills as the corporate sector, but as Graham Malin, trustee at Home-Start Leeds says; "You need to think of it as a whole chain, from the management committee through to the families. For me, it's a matter of keeping the finances buoyant and keeping the members of staff happy."
Volunteering as a trustee for a charity such as Home-Start also offers the opportunity to develop skills, network, and boost confidence as well as being a healthy addition to any CV.
Neil Spurrier a solicitor and trustee at Home-Start, Richmond, explains the appeal; 'People do worry about the amount of time they will have to devote to the work but one evening every two months is not a lot to ask for and I feel I have so much to give.
I have met a range of people that I would not otherwise have met. It has provided me with a whole experience and richness I would not have got, had I not done this.'
For employers there are also benefits including a positive impact on employees' soft and hard work skills such as team-work, communication, leadership and project management. Research carried out by TimeBank through Reed Executive shows 73% of employers would employ a candidate with volunteering experience over one without.
Anyone interested in finding out more should phone free on 0800 068 63 68, log on to www.home-start.org.uk/wereasking or contact their local Home-Start scheme by phone.
- ENDS -
Notes to Editor
· Home-Start's informal and non-judgemental support for families with young children provides a lifeline to thousands of parents and children in more than 337 communities across the UK, and with forces families in Germany and Cyprus. Support is free and confidential.
· Home-Start's unique home visiting system helps families in situations as varied as bereavement, isolation, disability or illness in parents or children, multiple births, and much more.
· The charity recruits and trains volunteers to visit families in their own homes. The volunteers aim to increase the confidence and independence of families through practical and emotional support.
· For more information visit www.home-start.org.uk
Interviews and campaign materials
· We have trustees throughout the UK, from a variety of professions ranging from entrepreneurs to lawyers and business managers who are happy to be interviewed about being a Home-Start trustee.
· Acting chief executive of Home-Start UK, Kay Bews and other Home-Start staff are also available for interview
· We also have a range of high resolution campaign images and photography available
Home-Start, the UK's leading family support charity, is launching its We're Asking trustee recruitment campaign during National Volunteers Week (1 - 7 June). Over the coming year, the UK-wide project aims to recruit more than 500 people with business experience to help manage its 337 local schemes.
The charity is running the campaign to help fill a trustee shortfall across the entire country after research showed that 11 million people said they would volunteer...... if only they were asked.
"Business men and women don't always realise that charities like Home-Start really need people with their expertise to help run the organisation, and support local staff and the volunteers who go out and provide our front-line service to families in their homes," says acting chief executive of Home-Start, Kay Bews.
Andy Townend, director of operations at DigitalUK says, "I've recently become a trustee for Home-Start because I think the work they do is so important. And I know that my financial and marketing skills will be of huge benefit to the charity in the future."
Kay Bews adds, "Our 337 schemes are based in local communities and operate independently. Without people willing to come forward to act as trustees - who can provide strategic direction, support our staff and volunteers and help provide advice with issues such as managing staff, setting budgets, fundraising and legal issues - we wouldn't be able to provide a lifeline to more than 67,000 young children and their families at a time when they need it the most.
"It's a great chance to get involved with and put something back into, the local community. We provide a thorough induction and an ongoing training programme to help trustees understand and carry out their role. And it only needs a commitment of around ten hours a month," she continued.
Home-Start supports more than 30,000 families each year - in situations as varied as bereavement, isolation, and multiple births - giving practical and emotional help to parents with children under five. But, in order to keep these schemes running successfully, it needs trustees with experience in key areas such as business management, finance, law, IT, HR and marketing.
John Day, a trustee and Treasurer at Home-Start South Leicestershire for the last five years and Chairman of Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce says, "Being a trustee offers me the opportunity to give something back to my local area. It's an important role that needs people who can sit down and look at the business side of things to ensure a scheme is run properly, both legally and financially".
Last year Home-Start helped 31,460 families and could not have done so without its 2,600 trustees and their invaluable skills. Charities are not often recognised as organisations with the same need for business and management skills as the corporate sector, but as Graham Malin, trustee at Home-Start Leeds says; "You need to think of it as a whole chain, from the management committee through to the families. For me, it's a matter of keeping the finances buoyant and keeping the members of staff happy."
Volunteering as a trustee for a charity such as Home-Start also offers the opportunity to develop skills, network, and boost confidence as well as being a healthy addition to any CV.
Neil Spurrier a solicitor and trustee at Home-Start, Richmond, explains the appeal; 'People do worry about the amount of time they will have to devote to the work but one evening every two months is not a lot to ask for and I feel I have so much to give.
I have met a range of people that I would not otherwise have met. It has provided me with a whole experience and richness I would not have got, had I not done this.'
For employers there are also benefits including a positive impact on employees' soft and hard work skills such as team-work, communication, leadership and project management. Research carried out by TimeBank through Reed Executive shows 73% of employers would employ a candidate with volunteering experience over one without.
Anyone interested in finding out more should phone free on 0800 068 63 68, log on to www.home-start.org.uk/wereasking or contact their local Home-Start scheme by phone.
- ENDS -
Notes to Editor
· Home-Start's informal and non-judgemental support for families with young children provides a lifeline to thousands of parents and children in more than 337 communities across the UK, and with forces families in Germany and Cyprus. Support is free and confidential.
· Home-Start's unique home visiting system helps families in situations as varied as bereavement, isolation, disability or illness in parents or children, multiple births, and much more.
· The charity recruits and trains volunteers to visit families in their own homes. The volunteers aim to increase the confidence and independence of families through practical and emotional support.
· For more information visit www.home-start.org.uk
Interviews and campaign materials
· We have trustees throughout the UK, from a variety of professions ranging from entrepreneurs to lawyers and business managers who are happy to be interviewed about being a Home-Start trustee.
· Acting chief executive of Home-Start UK, Kay Bews and other Home-Start staff are also available for interview
· We also have a range of high resolution campaign images and photography available
