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There are 900,000 charity trustees in England and Wales who volunteer their time freely for the benefit of others. Dame Sandra is one of them. She is in the final year of her six-year term as a trustee of Oxfam. She is also a non-executive director at the UK Financial Services Authority, following her previous roles on the board of directors at Barclays and at J.P. Morgan Fleming Investment Trust.

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If
... offered a position as a trustee, what factors do you consider before deciding whether to accept?
Then
... first, is it something I am really interested in? Second, is it something where my presence may make a difference? I am extremely interested in Oxfam because I believe in their mission to fight injustice and poverty wherever they find it.
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If
... we were to describe trustees as gatekeepers that ensure public trust, would that be accurate?
Then
... you’d be horribly wrong if to be a gatekeeper means controlling access. With Oxfam, we want to involve people in a movement. The word “gatekeeper” implies we want to restrict people entering, but we want Oxfam to be open to as much support as possible, while ensuring resources are used wisely, carefully and appropriately.
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If
... a charity loses the trust of the public, it would be disastrous.
Then
... absolutely. Trust is integral to being a charity and a trustee. Organizations like Oxfam are based on gifts – the gift of time, money and materials. To be a trustee is to stand responsible and accountable that these assets are used appropriately for the organization to fulfill its mission.
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If
... asked, how would you describe the difference between being a trustee and a registered non-executive director on a government body or publicly listed company?
Then
... you couldn’t, wouldn’t be a trustee unless you cared passionately about the purposes of the organization. That may be different to a position on a government organization or public company, but then again I don’t think anyone should join any board as a cynical way of earning a fee. They should want to make a real difference through their participation.
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If
... you or Oxfam decides not to renew your trusteeship, what will you do?
Then
... I will always stay a supporter of Oxfam. However, I strongly believe in fixed terms for board members, because after a number of years the organization can begin to get diminishing returns from the trustee.
End
Published by PROJECT M in July 2012 in Leading Thoughts
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