ELBA’s BoardMatch programme helps community organisations find the right trustees from the business community for their board. Here we catch up with Lewis Ridett, Business Relationship Manager, Platform Technology at Man Group, and Angela Green, Director of Ascension Eagles, who talk about their BoardMatch experience:

LEWIS RIDETT, BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP MANAGER, PLATFORM TECHNOLOGY AT MAN GROUP:

Organisation you are volunteering with: Ascension Eagles

Why did you engage with ELBA’s BoardMatch programme?
I had been wanting to become a trustee of a charity for several years. Being able to give back and at the same time develop personally, through working with a board of knowledgeable trustees, was very appealing. BoardMatch seemed like a great initiative to help connect me to a charity.

Tell us about your BoardMatch experience
BoardMatch provided the connection to local charities, giving insight to the causes they support and detailing the skills/ experience/insight they were looking for. I was concerned before I applied that charities would only be looking for board level executives, however, after discussing with the BoardMatch team at ELBA, they were able to tailor my search and put me in touch with charities looking for less experienced, younger candidates with knowledge of youth sport, finding a great match for me and the charity. The process was really easy, and the team were extremely helpful.

What have you gained from your trusteeship?
The trusteeship has been a great experience for me so far. Firstly, I have been able to see first-hand the impact the charity has on the local community. Helping support that as a trustee has been very rewarding. Secondly, I have had the opportunity to work with and build relationships with some great and experienced trustees. Finally, working on interesting challenges, problem solving, and helping to develop the charity’s strategy is extremely interesting and a great learning experience, which has provided benefits that transfer into my day-to-day work.

Would you recommend volunteering to a colleague and, if so, why?
Very much so! If you can find a right match between you, the cause of the charity and the skills they require, and you have enough time to make a meaningful contribution, the whole experience is very rewarding.

ANGELA GREEN, DIRECTOR, ASCENSION EAGLES

Why did you engage with ELBA’s BoardMatch programme?
We have worked with ELBA for many years now and the BoardMatch programme has provided us with some great trustees in the past.

Tell us about your BoardMatch experience.
It was well organised, and the process was made clear. Although I preferred the in-person version of the event from previous years (during Covid ELBA provided virtual events) I thought the event went well and we have two new excellent trustees as a result.

What impact has the trustee appointment made to your organisation?
Our new trustees have already made a huge impact on our charity. Both are actively involved in our sub-committee groups and have put themselves forwards to lead in areas that we have been lacking in previously. We have benefitted from their expertise, fresh perspectives, and willingness to make meaningful contributions. It has also been so great to see our new trustees have such passion for the work that we do and the young people that we serve. We couldn’t have asked for more!

Any other thoughts?
BoardMatch is a great programme that, over the years, has given our small charity the opportunity to make connections and to broaden our networks alongside picking up some amazing trustees. We hope that it is something that ELBA will continue to run in the future.