Why I Chose to Serve on the MACS Board – and Why It Matters

I have been a volunteer since I was 16. That makes fifty years this year. I hope I have a couple more years left to continue doing that.

My background was two-fold. Firstly, working in the NHS. I was Head of Anaesthetic Technical Support in the Cardiac Surgical Unit in Belfast. This meant I had experience of working in complex multidisciplinary teams. Hopefully this developed my skills in working with others, sometimes in challenging times, and also understanding the importance of occasionally taking the lead.

I have also spent many years volunteering, a lot of it within the Scout movement, locally, nationally and internationally. This included working with young people, often at challenging moments in their lives. I also volunteered in Eastern Europe, in countries such as Romania and Serbia, where many young people had particularly difficult lives.

What surprised me most was the depth and breadth of the services that MACS provides. From a distance it may look like they simply provide somewhere for young people to live. But they work with young people at particularly challenging times in their lives, providing not just a roof over their heads, but support in every aspect of their lives.

Impact and Involvement

I get far more from being involved than I give. I bring a little knowledge, but I have learned a huge amount about the work that MACS carries out and the challenges they face in doing that work. You cannot help but feel good when you see the positive impact that MACS has on the lives of young people and realise that you have made a small contribution to that.

Looking back, one of the standout moments for me has been the events I have attended where I heard directly from young people. To hear their stories, see their courage, and realise that in some very small way you helped. It is so important that their voices are heard.

The most challenging thing about being a board member is recognising that we operate in a difficult environment. As much as we might want to, we cannot fix everything. But through our work we can take small steps in the right direction.

How has this changed me? I think it has simply renewed my commitment to keep volunteering. To continue making a small contribution and to keep going. Listening to young people directly, you begin to understand the challenges that some of them face. You see and learn what courage truly is, and how even a small effort to help can make a real difference. I have also seen the strength and joy that staff bring to their work.

The Bigger Picture

We live in a world where government cannot do everything that needs to be done to support those who require extra help. That means charities like MACS play a vital role in supporting those people. All charities need strong and effective boards to support the work being done and to champion that work in society. Boards also play an important role in managing and finding the resources needed to deliver that work.

If you are thinking of joining the board, just do it. Give it a go. You will get a lot out of it and, more importantly, you will make a very real difference to the lives of young people. You will bring skills that we need, and you will learn new ones along the way.

MACS is currently recruiting new Trustees to join our Board.

We want to enhance our board membership and are particularly keen to attract people with expertise in Finance or Property Management, however all backgrounds and professionals will be considered to diversify our Board.

Members will be required to attend quarterly Board meetings and (where applicable) participate in established sub committees such as Finance and Audit or Operations, Risk and Governance, which also meet four times per year.
A full Induction, training and Board Buddy will be provided.

Salary: This is an unpaid voluntary position

To Apply: Please send a copy of your CV, along with a cover page to hr@macsni.org

For more information on MACS and the services we provide, please visit our website www.macsni.org

MACS is committed to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion for all. If you have a disability which means you require a reasonable adjustment to be considered at any stage of the recruitment process, please contact us and we will endeavour to facilitate the request.