{"id":256,"date":"2017-11-22T11:17:03","date_gmt":"2017-11-22T11:17:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/miles-weaver\/?p=256"},"modified":"2017-11-22T11:17:03","modified_gmt":"2017-11-22T11:17:03","slug":"guest-blog-juliekhutchison-reflecting-trusteehour-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/miles-weaver\/2017\/11\/22\/guest-blog-juliekhutchison-reflecting-trusteehour-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Guest blog by @Juliekhutchison – Reflecting on #trusteehour #1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guest blog by @Juliekhutchison – Reflecting on #trusteehour <\/a>#1<\/p>\n

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When @Weavermiles and I had the idea to facilitate a twitter platform for charity trustees and try this during Trustees\u2019 Week, we didn\u2019t know what to expect.\u00a0 Would we spend the hour replying to each other\u2019s tweets, with no-one else joining the @trusteehour<\/a> conversation?<\/p>\n

Soon after 8pm on 15th<\/sup> November, it was clear we needn\u2019t have worried.\u00a0 It was great to watch the themes develop, with the main limitation being how quickly my laptop would refresh after multiple notifications.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth going back to look again at the #trusteehour<\/a> thread, as the volume of posts in that hour meant it was impossible to get a full appreciation of the range of comments and weblinks being shared in real time.<\/p>\n

This blog will shed light on neglected gems you may have missed and shares weblinks from the thread as further resources.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also another way to share the contributions with a wider audience.<\/p>\n

There was a spike of almost 5,000 impressions\/views of tweets around the first #trusteehour, with contributors from Saudi Arabia (hi @JohnLoughton!), Northern Ireland, Cumbria, Wales, a cluster of contributors in Edinburgh and Glasgow and points south too.<\/p>\n

The theme, nominated by @GISALEGEND, was the \u2018importance of board diversity & young trustees\u2019.\u00a0 Here are 10 things which stood out on my re-reading of the thread:<\/p>\n

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  1. Student union trustees \u2013 a reminder this is an example of young trusteeship in action.<\/li>\n
  2. Is the message right? Is the concept of altruism a strong enough \u2018pull\u2019 factor?<\/li>\n
  3. Language could be a barrier. Is the word \u201cvolunteer\u201d more meaningful than \u201ctrustee\u201d?<\/li>\n
  4. There was some good advocacy from charity CEOs and vice-chairs with boards that already include younger trustees; positive to see. A shout out to @lauradavies24 @IMcLaughlan and @Louisemac for contributing.<\/li>\n
  5. The need for listening and being aware that, to some degree, we\u2019re talking among ourselves: as @sallyld put it \u201cWhat are we doing to engage young people in THIS conversation\u201d<\/li>\n
  6. Recruitment methods act as a barrier, if word-of-mouth perpetuates \u2018more of the same\u2019 around the boardtable.<\/li>\n
  7. Timing of meetings acts as a barrier: holding board meetings outside working hours may make participation easier.<\/li>\n
  8. Employers could be enablers: volunteering leave was mentioned as a helpful factor.<\/li>\n
  9. Experience shared by Northern Ireland contributors of their board apprentice scheme, in its first year \u2013 this could be an interesting pilot to try in other locations<\/li>\n
  10. Giving a voice to young trustees: I\u2019ll end with two tweets which stood out for me, after a plug for the next #trusteehour on Tuesday 12th<\/sup> December 8-9pm, when the nominated topic is \u2018Let\u2019s talk digital leadership & digital inclusion for trustees, employees, volunteers & our service users.\u2019<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    Further resources<\/u><\/p>\n