The learning journey of being a Trustee

This Trustees Week I've been thinking about my time with Falmouth & Exeter Students' Union...

When nervously applying for the External Trustee vacancy back in Spring, I couldn't have envisaged the learning journey I'd go on or that I'd be Chair of the Board by Autumn. We have since met a number of times, said goodbye to a CEO, recruited and started working with a new one, and started a Board development journey.

I nearly didn't accept the place on the Board, knowing that taking on a big voluntary role at the same time as launching Organised Fun wouldn't be easy. I wasn't wrong. Sometimes the 'juggle is real' and I feel like I may have taken on a *bit too much* but having spent time working with the team at the students' union, getting to know my fellow Trustees and starting work on improving the Board, I'm glad to be involved.

I didn't feel experienced enough to be a Trustee. Sure I've volunteered and worked in and with students' unions for over 10 years but I haven't been a senior leader and numbers terrify me. On reading the accounts at my induction I was reassured that I understood more than I thought I would and happily asked questions about the areas that were confusing. I am certainly not a financial expert now but I'm glad my fear of accounting didn't put me off.

Being a Trustee doesn't just involve developing skills and understanding in how charities work, but also developing a solid understanding of your charity and the context it operates within. This part has been easier for me due to my experience working with students' unions, but for Falmouth and Exeter SU there's not one but two universities to understand and get to know. Not an easy task!

To anyone considering being a Trustee but worrying about not knowing enough, not having enough experience or generally suffering with imposter syndrome - I urge you to apply and to try. There's loads of free resources online to help you feel more confident, there's a huge network of experienced Trustees who can lend a hand and trust me - you're better than you think you are!