Craig Palmer steps down from trustee role but up to Cardiff Half challenge
On Friday we said thank you to Craig Palmer, trustee treasurer, who attended his final Board meeting at Cardiff Foodbank this morning. We couldn’t let Craig leave without asking him to share his thoughts on volunteering as a trustee, and he’s offered some great insights and encouragement to anyone considering a trustee role.
Craig said, “Taking on a charity trustee position was a first for me and a little daunting—but it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made, and I’d recommend it to anyone. The breadth of experience you get—covering multiple disciplines like HR, strategy, finance, operations, etc.—is unlike any you might get in a typical corporate day job.
"Also, the opportunity for personal development is vast. Reflecting on my time at Cardiff Foodbank, I think there are three key learning points I'm going to take away.
"1) The quote ‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast’ is spot on. If you want to drive real meaningful change, focus more on the how and who than the what. I’m proud of what we achieved at Cardiff Foodbank—we all share (as a whole team) the same culture, passion, and belief about wanting to end food hunger in Cardiff, and we’re pulling in the same direction.
"2) Embrace diversity of thought—it will be your superpower. My fellow trustees and I almost couldn’t be more different in our backgrounds and attitudes—but this means between us we have most bases covered. Welcome debate, trust each other’s strengths, and know your weaknesses when new challenges present themselves to allow others to take the lead.
"3). Enjoy it and be proud. Charity work can feel quite stressful — as you can see the implications of not delivering for those you serve very clearly. But you’ll also be having a hugely positive impact every day. So, include client stories at the start of your board meetings that remind you of why you are there and what you all do. And get out and see the impact for yourself. Feel positive about it and use that energy to do better again.”
Great words, which we hope will encourage anyone considering a volunteer trustee role to feel emboldened to take that first step.
Craig is running to end hunger in Cardiff by taking on the Cardiff Half Marathon in October and raising funds for us. You can support Craig on his JustGiving page (if you see him whizzing past you in his green Cardiff Foodbank running shirt—give Craig a cheer!).
We’d like to thank Craig for the leadership, guidance and support that he has given to Cardiff Foodbank over the past three and a half years and wish him all the very best for the future.