Dele Olajide and Jacqui McKinlay at the Houses of Parliament
We aspire to the highest governance standards because we recognise the link between good governance and impact. We believe good governance is about genuinely holding ourselves to account for making a positive difference to the people we work with; helping them to speak up and make meaningful choices about what happens in their lives.
We are proud of our board’s diversity; it reflects the communities we work in. Our ‘experts by experience’ trustees draw on the challenges they face to make sure those living with mental health issues, learning disabilities and dementia have a voice at the board table. Across our board our trustees also have a vast range of diversity in skills and experience, ensuring that we are well placed to deliver on our vision and mission by drawing on a robust and varied skillset.
We’re delighted to have recently welcomed five new trustees to our board. You can find out more about them, and all our trustees, by following the links below.
Meet our trustees
Dr Dele Olajide Chair
“As Chair, I’m very supportive of the board reflecting the diversity of our communities, including effective service user representatives. I’m establishing quality initiatives to help us monitor and evaluate what we do so we can improve our effectiveness.”
Adam Antonio Service User Trustee
“The board is diverse in terms of cultures, abilities, disabilities, experiences, ideas and outlooks. Everyone’s point of view is heard and valued. No question is a silly question.”
Helen Richardson
Trustee
“I value the contributions of all trustees and their diverse backgrounds…The commitment of all trustees to their role and to the success of the organisation as judged by the delivery of quality services to those who need them, is admirable and evident in all meetings.”
Roger Skipp Trustee
“I’m particularly interested in how we develop our income streams and business – how we can leverage the good work we do and extend our reach without losing the effectiveness of the present organisation.”
Rachel Gonzaga Trustee
“The Advocacy Project is an incredible charity helping to give a voice to people who can’t easily speak up for themselves, and they do this through many different routes…I like the fact that the staff and Board truly reflect the diversity of the communities the charity serves.”
Jayesh Patel Trustee
“The Advocacy Project stood out as a worthwhile cause…the staff have been great and I’m delighted to be working alongside such a dedicated group of people. For me, working with people is the best thing about any role.”
Rachel Hutchings Trustee
“The work the Advocacy Project does is so important and I’m looking forward to supporting the organisation to think about how to continue to deliver on its objectives. There’s a huge range of work and I’m really excited to learn more about the variety of projects.”
Hasib Dewan
Trustee
“Our board of trustees is made up of so many experiences from different walks of life. This is critical to our success as it reflects the people we’re here to support. I’m particularly interested in developing our unique selling point in order to have as high an impact as possible in our communities”
Further information
Blog: reaping the rewards of a diverse board
What makes a good trustee