Roundabout is managed by a Board of Trustees, who meet quarterly  to receive full reports from the charity’s senior staff. The Board of Trustees is reviewed annually in order to ensure that Roundabout has enough trustees with the right knowledge, experience and skills.  Recruitment to the Board of Trustees is based on responding to the skills audit and in order to replace any retiring Trustee. Roundabout has a formal process from recruiting and appointing new trustees.
Roundabout is committed to developing a Board of Trustees that suitably represents and reflects the interests and needs its wide range of clients.
Roundabout Trustees undergo a formal induction process that ensure an awareness and understanding of key policies and procedures such as equal opportunities, health and safety, and data protection and offers a broad introduction to the working of the charity.  Trustees are responsible for the strategic direction of the charity. The Trustees’ combined expertise supplements the input of the staff team, to whom day-to-day management is delegated.
Our financial controls involve monthly bank reconciliations, reviewed by the Treasurer, quarterly management budgets prepared for the Trustees by the finance Administrator and the Project Directors, and an independent examination of our accounts. We maintain full  financial records, and apply all restricted funds according to their intended purpose.

We interviewed 2 of Roundabout’s trustees, Rodger and Jane, about their roles:

“When I am not a trustee I work as a dramatherapist and as a psychotherapist. All my work is now online. Having to work online due to Covid has coincided with moving to rural Norfolk and most of my work will continue to be online. I now work part-time and in the rest of my time I am enjoying the novelty of living a rural life in a small village.” Rodger Winn

What does your role as trustee entail?
My role of Chair and trustee is to attend Management Committee Meetings every couple of months and to help with ongoing decision making, especially in the area of dramatherapy practice where my skills obviously are. As Chair I have to put my signature to documents and often Chair the Management Committee meetings.

How long have you been a trustee?
I have been a trustee for approximately twenty five years.

Please share one of your favourite moments working with Roundabout
When we used to meet at the Roundabout offices most of us were coming from work and Lynn and Deb and Hazel have always put on a good spread for us to eat. It was always enjoyable eating and catching up.

What do you feel trusteeship adds to your personal and professional development?
Being a trustee has enabled me to see the workings of a charity from the inside and I have enjoyed being able to provide support that has been a rewarding but manageable as part of my life. It has also been a great way to feel connected to the wider aspects of dramatherapy practice. This complements my other focus on clinical work.

If you could give one piece of advice to somebody considering becoming a trustee what would it be?
I would say it’s a great way to develop a different skillset to being a therapist. It enables you to make new connections and support an organisation you really believe in.

“Last year we had the opportunity to meet with the wider team who deliver our dramatherapy work. It was inspirational to hear first hand about their experiences and the impact their work has on the children and older people that they support.” Jane Barron

Please can you introduce yourself
Hello, I am Jane, I have spent over twenty years working in the charity sector. I have held previous roles working with Philanthropy and Special Events teams at Terrence Higgins Trust and Macmillan Cancer Support and I’m currently indulging my passion for gardens as the Fellows Manager at the Royal Horticultural Society! 

What does your role as trustee entail?
As trustees we are ‘critical friends’ to the management team. We will work with then to think about strategy, policy and budgets as well as support on some decision making. Given my experience, I take a particular interest in the fundraising side of things.

How long have you been a trustee?
I have been a trustee for four years.

What do you feel trusteeship adds to your personal and professional development?
I certainly think that my experience as a Trustee at Roundabout has benefitted the relationships I have with charity trustees and volunteers in my professional life. It has given me some very useful insight to see things from the other side of the table!

If you could give one piece of advice to somebody considering becoming a trustee what would it be?
There are lots of organisations that can offer you advice about the practicalities and responsibilities of becoming a trustee but it’s important that you find a cause that inspires you and where you can see that people are passionate about the work they do!