Transparency and your Board of Trustees
Over the next few months we plan to share who we are and what we’re doing for the charity. We hope you’ll get to know us better and we’ll know more about you.
Here's the latest from your chair, Gary Shaughnessy.
Since I was appointed at the AGM in October, we’ve made a few changes to the way we work. I wanted to share them with you. So what’s new?
How the charity is performing – for you
Steve (our Chief Executive) and his team have reviewed how we measure success. Particularly how we know that we’re delivering for you. Kyle Alexander and Paul Warner, two trustees, are working with the executive team on reporting against the charity’s objectives and key results (OKRs in management-speak). Working together, they will make sure that the board receive the data we need to track Parkinson’s UK’s performance in each strategic area. It will help inform the board’s decision-making. Getting this right will put us in a position to understand whether we’re achieving what we set out to achieve in the new strategy.
The People Committee
Our people and the culture at Parkinson’s UK are vital to our work. Our "Nominations & Remuneration Committee" is being re-named, “the People Committee” with a new terms of reference and a broader remit. This People Committee, led by Margaret Chamberlain, will oversee and guide the executive team on the people strategy (including volunteering). It will help to ensure that the board has better oversight and the right support and development for our people. One of the first tasks will be to recruit a new Trustee for Wales as the wonderful Freda Lewis has decided to step down, in part to be able to look after her grand-daughter during working hours. Thank you for all your energy and wisdom Freda.
Country reports
Every board report will now include country reports from our directors in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. That way we, as trustees, will get a better feel for what matters to you, our members.
Meeting you
Over the coming months , we’re all looking forward to finding ways to meet more of you. I’ve enjoyed attending a number of branch meetings recently and I learnt a lot when Steve and I met with a number of GDNF phase 2 trial participants and their partners. If you’d like a trustee to come and visit your group or join in an activity (I painted for the first time in 30 years recently!), please let us know.
On a personal note, I’m training to break the Guinness World Record for the largest three-legged race at the moment. The event will raise funds and awareness for Parkinson’s UK.
If you want to hear more from our trustees, let us know by emailing me via the [email protected].