Our Embrace Trustees

A board of trustees is responsible for the overall governance of a charity. In simple terms, trustees help make sure the organisation is well run, financially secure and always working towards its mission. They don’t manage day to day services - that’s down to our brilliant staff and volunteers - but they do provide oversight, leadership and accountability. 

 

At Embrace, trustees work together to agree the charity’s overall goals and its medium and long term strategies. They oversee the major financial decisions, ensure we meet our legal and governance responsibilities, stay aware of risks and put plans in place to manage them, and support the organisation with advice, direction and challenge where needed. Most importantly, they help ensure our staff and volunteers are able to deliver the services our families need, now and in the future. 

Our current Board of Trustees is made up of people with a wide range of skills, experiences and connections to Embrace: 

 

• Paul Lockyer – Chair 

• Eileen Swaisland – Vice Chair 

• Catherine Weir – Secretary 

• Lee Mostari – Treasurer 

• Natalie Murray 

• Rajan Kanda 

• Suzannah Lee 

• Stephen Mortimer 

 

Some trustees have been involved with Embrace for many years, while others bring fresh perspectives from professional backgrounds or lived experience. Many of our Trustees first came into contact with Embrace through using our services, and our Vice Chair, Eileen, was one of them – she has been involved with Embrace for over 20 years when her son first joined the Saturday club – so she carries a great deal of very valuable knowledge and experience with her. Stephen Mortimer is one of our newer Trustees, having recently retired as Dean and Pro-Vice-Chancellor at The University of Bedfordshire and director of a research institute, bringing a wealth of experience and new perspective with him. 

 

They and all the other Trustees have wide variety of background and specialisms, and different lengths of service on our Board – but together, they share a single commitment to keeping Embrace strong, sustainable and responsive to the community it serves. 

For many trustees, their connection to Embrace began with a single moment – one experience that stayed with them and shaped their decision to get involved. 

 

Paul Lockyer (Chair) shares his defining moment from ten years ago: 

“The moment for me was volunteering as a referee at a Boccia tournament ten years ago, my first experience with adults with learning disabilities. Seeing the commitment, joy and supporting behaviour from all competitors; knowing the people taking part were reliant on me, a complete Boccia novice; making decisions that meant the difference between winning and losing the tournament. I started the day assuming, in complete naive ignorance, it would be a bit of fun. How wrong I was. Competing was an incredibly serious matter for the people taking part. With hindsight and more knowledge, of course it was. After that experience I try much harder not to make assumptions, and not trust my conscious or unconscious biases. I do my best to help others participate in their own way at whatever task they are attempting, and selfishly take immense personal satisfaction in the reflected smiles and joy.” 

 

For Catherine Weir (Secretary), it was much earlier: 

“For me personally, it was the joy of being a Saturday Club volunteer back in 2001 that hooked me into my connection with Embrace.” 

 

And for Lee Mostari (Treasurer), the motivation is much more personal: 

“I volunteer at Embrace because I want to do my bit to make a difference and give something back. I’ve seen first hand the great work Embrace does, as my daughter has used the services for many years and thoroughly enjoys herself at the different clubs and events she attends.” 

Over the past couple of years, Embrace has gone through some major changes - a new name, new branding, new audiences and new technology are all in place now and are shaping how we serve our families. 

 

The priority now is to get the most value from all of that work. With all these changes in place, the Board is now focused on getting the most out of what’s already been built, making sure the time, energy and investment from staff, volunteers and supporters really benefits our community. 

 

Alongside this, they are also looking for for creative solutions to the ongoing challenges we face, particularly around funding and resources, to keep Embrace resilient and able to support families for years to come. 

Being on the board and all of the work that’s done there boils down to one simple but vital thing for our families: trust. Trust that Embrace will do what it promises, when it promises; trust that services will be there when they’re needed; trust that our families won’t be let down. 

 

The trustees’ strong governance and clear direction creates the stability that allows staff and volunteers to focus on what really matters - supporting children, young people and families with all of the care, compassion and bright horizons we do our best to provide. 

 

Embrace is currently looking for new trustees to join the board. So if you’re passionate about making a difference, bringing your skills and experience to a committed team, and helping shape the future of our charity that makes such a difference in so many local families’ lives, we’d love to hear from you. 

 

You can find more information about current trustee vacancies on our website under Current Vacancies. 

 

Together, with the support of our trustees, staff, volunteers and community, Embrace will continue to grow, adapt and support families in the ways that matter most.