Meet our Chair of Trustees, Gena Merrett
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Our board of trustees is responsible for governing our charity and making sure we meet our charitable aims. The board is made up of volunteers; people giving their spare time to help guide our charity. They are there to support our Chief Officer and management team and meet approximately every 6 weeks.
This month, we spoke to Dr Gena Merrett, Chair of Trustees, to find out more about her role. Gena joined the board in March 2017 and became Chair 18 months later.
What made you decide to become a Trustee?
When I was a councillor in Salford I was the lead member for Housing and Environment, and my portfolio also included volunteering and third sector organisations. One of the biggest gaps in volunteering was for people with strategic skills on charity trustee boards, so when I retired from my full time post at Ofsted at the end of 2016, I applied to be a trustee.
The local volunteering service sent me a few potential vacancies. I chose CAWB and also the Wigan Carers Centre Board.
What do you most enjoy about the role?
I enjoy having the opportunity to use my leadership skills and knowledge from when I was a headteacher and then a lead councillor. I enjoy public service. I don't think anything makes you more happy than serving others.
What's been your most rewarding moment in the role?
I think it has been sharing the service's achievements with my fellow councillors, as well as giving out staff and volunteer awards at the celebration events.
What would you say to others thinking about volunteering for CAWB?
As long as you can commit the time to read papers and attend meetings and other events, being a trustee is a very interesting and rewarding role that provides good experience of strategic and financial leadership. It carries demands as well though. As a board, we have to manage risks and deal not only with the pleasant tasks but also with challenges.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I do a lot of politics and I look after my grandsons a couple of days each week and take them to school/nursery on other days. I like to keep fit by exercising, and do a lot of reading and streaming on TV. We watch a lot of sports, especially football and cricket. I like to travel and also go to the cinema, theatre, and to music concerts a lot.
