Rob Netherway
Advocacy Matters is a charity close to my heart whose work is so crucial for disabled people to have a place to turn when they aren’t being heard and help them to get their voices across and speak up for them when they need it.
I became a trustee in 2019 having previously experienced working with Advocacy Matters in my day job, where I saw how its advocates helped those known to me when they needed it most. I wanted to share the experience I’ve developed in my career with the charity – while also learning new skills myself.
What do trustees do?
Since becoming a trustee I’ve been involved in many parts of the organisations. I have supported the CEO with bid-writing, contributed to planning of the strategy and theory of change, and attended a number of events. Much of what a trustee does is ‘behind the scenes’ and not always visible and it can sometimes involve making difficult decisions in the best interests of the charity.
I have particularly enjoyed times when I’ve been able to meet advocates and advocacy partners. It is amazing the breadth of skills, knowledge and passion staff bring to their roles and these events have helped me to learn much more about the work of the charity too.
What outside Advocacy Matters?
Outside Advocacy Matters I work in the voluntary & community sector as a project manager through which I have gained experience managing services on a daily basis, so I believe I can bring my insight, knowledge, connections and a calm outside perspective to trustee role to better help Advocacy Matters in the work it needs to do.
What have I gained from being a trustee?
Being a trustee is a great way to learn about anything from governance and finance, to strategy and income generation and I have developed a lot in my time as a trustee so far.
I was fairly young when I first became a trustee and I didn’t at first think this was something I could at my age, but it has been an overwhelmingly positive experience and a great way to use time, so I would encourage any professional to explore becoming a trustee themselves too.