It’s National School Governors’ Awareness Day so what better excuse to catch up with some of our own governing board to share their motivation and inspiration.
First up, in her sixth year as a governor and now vice chair of the board, Dot Smith…
“The reality is, I get so much more from it than I give.”
What is the best thing about being a governor?
The best thing about being a governor is a feeling of being part of a community of like-minded people striving to help young people and adults improve their life chances through continued learning and skills development. To speak with young people who talk so positively about their courses and the teaching/workshops/and support staff who guide them and support their aspirations is just fabulous. And, to see and hear from adults, including those seeking asylum in our part of the UK, who feel so accepted and welcome at all our sites is wonderful.
What has been your proudest moment?
There are just too many. Every time I do a governor visit to classes, attend a graduation event or a performance in our theatre or the Arc, listen to our student governors in Corporation meetings, attend the staff Winter Review and Awards and hear the wonderful things so many of our staff do to help learners and one another. I am bursting with pride at the care and commitment Etc. staff show to colleagues, learners and their community.
How do you fit governorship around the demands of everyday life?
As a retired person who lives north of Newcastle it can be a challenge to fit in governor duties alongside coffee or lunch with friends, shopping in town, doing school drop offs and pick-ups, cycling in south Northumberland (e-bike), planning my next Interrail trip, gardening… A tough ask but I manage it!
What does the Etc. and its learners mean to you?
It sounds so twee to say, “It gives me an opportunity to give something back after a professional life working in the further education sector,” but, the reality is, that I get so much more from it than I give.