Volunteers Week 1- 7 June 2023

Some quotes from our Chair of Trustees and Governors...

Sarah:

I am passionate about children receiving the highest possible standard of education as well as being given opportunities to thrive. Being a Governor, Trustee and now Chair of Trustees, I have had the opportunity to be really involved and part of this journey in Olympus with our local communities and families.  What started out as a keen interest in my son’s primary school has led me on an amazing journey of learning and development as well as working with incredibly committed staff and volunteers. Giving up my time for the Trust can be all consuming at times and yet is so rewarding.

Anna:

Being a school governor has given me an insight into the fantastic work that everybody does to ensure children that attend SLP have the best possible education and experience. It is a privilege to be part of a fabulous team and it is lovely to walk the school and see the children in such a purposeful and engaging environment. 

Louise:

I have found my volunteering work to be exceptionally rewarding and I feel I am able to contribute to the overall success of the school through the strategic input of school governance. Through our role as governors we help children to get the best education provision.  

Due to the strong community presence of the school I feel that it has given me a the opportunity to make a difference within our local area. I also find that through volunteering I have been able to grow professionally through the skills development offered via the training programs and also by engaging with a wide variety of people. This has allowed me to further build my leadership skills through my new role as chair.  

Peter: 

A few years ago, I found myself with three children at Winterbourne Academy and wanted to give something back to the local community. Volunteering as a Trust Governor, sitting on the School Improvement Committee seemed to be an effective way of making a difference, supporting the excellent work of both the school and the wider Olympus Academy Trust. Although I don’t work in an education setting, many of the skills required as a Trust Governor are transferable, and it's been very rewarding seeing both the school and Trust go from strength to strength.

Kate:

I started volunteering as a School Governor before my children were born and am still giving up my time for this more than 15 years later!  It can be stressful at times (for example when Ofsted calls) but it feels great to be able to make a contribution to school improvement and to give something back to the local community.  My respect for those in the teaching profession grew tenfold after the Covid pandemic when I had to try to homeschool my own children, so I am really glad to be able to give something back to our local schools. Throughout my time as a school governor, I have developed many new skills and have been able to take up a lot of training opportunities.  I've also worked with some really great people!  

Rory:

I volunteer not only because it’s interesting to see ‘under the bonnet’ of the school and trust; but also, because it’s personally rewarding to give back what I can to a school and staff that’s gone above and beyond for learners over the years.

Issy: 

I have always been passionate about education – it improves life chances and enables young people to realise their potential and succeed in life. I strongly believe that every child should have access to high quality provision in their local area and I felt I could play a part in delivering that in my own community by volunteering as a governor and trustee.

 

It has been a real privilege to work collaboratively with school and Trust staff and with other governors and trustees, where we all share the aim of making the school and the Trust the best it can be, delivering the best possible experience for learners. I have also valued the numerous training opportunities which has enabled me to become more skilled in my roles.

 

The best part of being a governor and trustee is going into schools and talking with young people, finding out what they feel about their experience. When you see them in happy, engaging and purposeful learning environments and know that they are making good progress, it is really rewarding to feel that you’ve had some part to play in it. 

Sian:

I became a governor as a way of giving back to the local community. I have found being a school governor a hugely rewarding role - for me, the best thing about being a governor is being able to hear about and share in all the fantastic achievements of Olympus learners.

James:

‘I love being part of something worthwhile.  As a governor, simply having a different outlook adds terrific value and I feel that we all bring our outside experience to bear really effectively.  The existing school SLT and governors at WA are some of the best people and it’s great to be associated with them.  In a role like this, you very quickly find you are getting more out than you put in.  There is some knotty work to be done but plenty of support with it.