Role of a Trustee in the Battersea Society
VISION Our vision is for Battersea to be recognised as a great place to live and work.
MISSION Our mission is to celebrate Battersea’s past, support Battersea’s present and promote Battersea’s future.
VALUES Our values are:
Community: working together to benefit Battersea and its people
Integrity: representing interests fairly across the Battersea community
Discovery: promoting knowledge and recognition of Battersea’s past, present and future.
FAQs
Why become a trustee? It’s a great way to contribute to your local community and will involve you in all sorts of local groups, initiatives and events. It’s also a sociable role; trustees hold informal get-togethers as well as meetings.
What can I offer? Trustees have a wide range of skills and experiences and you’ll be encouraged to contribute using your personal areas of expertise.
Is there a legal dimension? Yes, the role of trustee of a charitable organisation carries clear legal responsibilities under the Charity Commission.
What are the opportunities? The Chair of the Society is a considerable local figure, invited to important local functions and consulted on key initiatives within Battersea and Wandsworth. You’ll also be welcome to join one of our committees.
What’s the commitment?
attend regular meetings (six annually)
carry out agreed tasks and activities between meetings, using your particular expertise and enthusiasm
liaise with other local amenity and voluntary groups; and council officers as appropriate
help to foster and maintain positive relations with the Society’s membership, and encourage their involvement in activities as appropriate
communicate clearly and effectively with fellow trustees and other groupings within the Society
be polite and respectful of others at meetings and in all communications
act as an ambassador for the Society
help to further the interests of the Society as a whole, as well as your own area of interest
It is expected that trustees will be based in or near Battersea for the majority of their time.
Approved by the Executive 25 April 2022
The Life of a Battersea Society Trustee… highlights and hairy bits!
Retiring trustees Sara Milne and Sue Demont share memories of their years of service.
By Sue Demont and Sara Milne
Retiring trustees Sara Milne and Sue Demont share memories of their years of service.
On the left, Sue at Falcon Road festival, 2019; on the right, new trustee Jenny Boehm
Proudest moments
Sara: the creation of our commemorative Blue Plaque programme and the unveiling of our first plaque to Donald Swann; and managing to move the Events programme online during the Covid 19 pandemic, making the Society more accessible not just to members but also the local community
Sue: supporting the late David Lewis in the creation of a Heritage Committee which is now making a significant contribution to one of the Society’s three missions - the celebration of Battersea’s past
Maureen Larkin on the left, with Sara in 2019
Fondest memory
Sara: having a laugh with the late Maureen Larkin at church fetes, fundraising for the Society by selling home made jams and chutneys, and chatting about local issues and the changes she had seen in the community over the decades
Sue: endless coffees at the Deli Boutique in Webb’s Road with the great Jenny Sheridan, Chair 2018-22, who never stopped thinking up new ways to promote Battersea’s past, present AND future and always tried to take trustees - including me - with her
Hairiest moment
Sara: trying to live stream the World Cup semi-final match during the Summer Party 2018: thank goodness for the technical know-how of the Police Cadets!
Sue: causing chaos at Rymans the stationers when a new member of staff and I made a complete hash of photocopying the 2019 AGM papers: thank goodness for the calm and collected branch manager who came to the rescue.
Most satisfying contribution
Sara: introducing the Society to online banking!
Sue: persuading my fellow trustees that the Society should fund Jeanne Rathbone’s Inspiring Women of Battersea (on sale from June!)
What we learned about Battersea through being trustees
Sara: just how emotionally involved, passionate and positive people can be about their local community
Sue: the astonishing scale and reach of the Battersea brand – we have members all over the country and receive communications and enquiries via our website from all over the world
Sue Demont continues as Chair of the Heritage committee and Sara Milne carries on as chair of the Events committee.