As part of our Volunteers' Week celebrations, today we share Sarah's story about what it's like to be a trustee for Inclusion Gloucestershire and how this experience enabled Sarah to take on another trusteeship with Unlimited.

"I am a sight-impaired artist, writer and editor, based in Cheltenham. Since January 2022 I have been a trustee for Inclusion Gloucestershire, a user-led pan-disability charity that aims to help achieve a society that values, respects and includes disabled people every day and in every way. The charity provides advocacy services, facilitates community groups, provides a peer-led quality checking service, runs inclusive drama groups and provides training.

Being sight-impaired, I have always faced disabling barriers. This lived experience means that I am passionate about the social model of disability, and the importance of removing the barriers that disable people within society. These views align well with the vision of Inclusion Gloucestershire, which is why I applied to be a trustee with them.

Trustees play an important governance role, overseeing the running of charities. This includes oversight and shared decision-making with the other members of the trustee board. Trustees come from all walks of life, bringing different experiences to their roles. It is wonderful to work within a team of trustees from diverse backgrounds who share a passion for the organisation.

Being a trustee has given me experience of reading and responding to board papers, as well as addressing issues that arise within the organisation between board meetings. Trustees bring fresh perspectives, providing constructive challenge and curiosity where it is needed. I have gained a strong sense of involvement with an organisation whose aims I am passionate about. It has also provided me with skills and experience that I can use in other areas and roles.

Since becoming a trustee for Inclusion Gloucestershire, I have also joined the trustee board for Unlimited, a national charity that commissions disabled artists and is working towards a future where this commissioning exists as the norm for cultural organisations, aiming to change and challenge the cultural sector. I also hold a number of other voluntary roles within cultural and other organisations. My experience as a trustee for Inclusion Gloucestershire has supported me to work better within these other roles".

Ready to take the next step? 

Volunteers' Week is the perfect opportunity to explore the range of trustee opportunities in Gloucestershire. Local organisations will likely offer a comprehensive induction, training and mentoring, so you won’t be diving in alone. Finding a trusteeship cannot be simpler too as we host Go Volunteer Glos, the online home of volunteering in Gloucestershire.

Becoming a trustee is more than just a chance to give back — it’s an opportunity to grow personally, professionally and socially. To search through local vacancies and unlock the many benefits of being at the heart of change within our communities, please visit the Go Volunteer Glos website today!

About Volunteers' Week

Volunteers’ Week is a campaign that runs throughout the UK during the first week of June each year. It's a time when organisations are encouraged to celebrate the contributions of their volunteers (including your trustees of course!). Volunteers' Week has been running for over 40 years and is a really great campaign to utilise if you'd like to thank current and past volunteers for their much-valued time, commitment and dedication to your organisation.

Get involved

Each year, our team love seeing the range of stories and celebrations shared by local charities and community groups in Gloucestershire. We encourage as many local organisations to get involved as possible, in their own unique way, so that we can all come together and celebrate volunteering within our county.

Here's a few ideas about what you could do to get involved this year:

1. Send your volunteers a thank you card to show them how much their support means to your organisation - you can send an e-card or one in the post, it's up to you.

2. Share your volunteer stories on your website, in your newsletter or on your social media. Not only do volunteer stories help recognise your current volunteers – they may also attract new volunteers to your organisation.

3. Organise a coffee morning or brunch for your volunteers to connect with each other and your team. From coffee and croissants to afternoon tea, there are lots of ways that you can bring people together to celebrate. You could even ask your team to do a 'bring and share' lunch or to bake some cakes to share.

Whatever your plans are – big or small – we'd be happy to share your posts on our social media or share your stories next week. You can share your stories and information about your celebrations by:

• Tagging us in on your posts on X and Facebook - we're @GlosVCSAlliance on both.

• Sending us the weblink to your volunteer stories This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to share in our News Bulletin and on our social media.

Access free resources

Our team will be sharing links to free resources, stories from the sector and more next week. Please follow us on X and Facebook (we're @GlosVCSAlliance on both) or sign up to our News Bulletin to keep updated. 

We're also hosting the 2025 Gloucestershire's Volunteer Awards on Thursday 5 June. You can find out more about this year's finalists on the Go Volunteer Glos website. Bookings for this year's celebrations have now closed, but we will be sharing photos and stories from the evening after the event across our communications.

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We share regular news updates and information for the VCSE Sector in Gloucestershire in our News Bulletin. If you're not on the mailing list yet, please sign up using our webform.

Support for the VCSE sector in Gloucestershire

We provide a range of support for VCSE sector groups & organisations of all shapes and sizes in Gloucestershire, including fully funded training & events, a range of thematic mailings, regular news updates, free membership and help recruiting volunteers.

We are the independent voice of the VCSE sector in Gloucestershire and are passionate about promoting equal partnerships at every level. You can find out more about how we work in partnership and represent the sector on our About Us page.