First of all, what does a trustee do?

Trustees are responsible in law for making sure that charities are run to deliver their charitable purposes for the public benefit. A trustee is a voluntary role and all charities require at least 3 unrelated trustees to register with the Charity Commission.

Morecambe Bay Partnership is a registered charity and our trustees ensure high standards of governance, they establish the charity’s strategic direction and ensure proper management of funds and risks. Trustees are ultimately responsible for everything a charity does and can be held legally accountable for the decisions they make. Trustees don't run the charity day to day; this is delegated to the staff team.

Recruitment

With the last paragraph in mind, trustee recruitment is a serious business and a two-way conversation. Morecambe Bay Partnership looks for people who share our vision for Morecambe Bay, and who understand the role and responsibilities of a trustee. Potential candidates have the opportunity to ask questions of the charity, to understand its purpose and ensure they want to be a trustee in theory and in practice.

A Day in the Life of

So what's it really like? Initial trustee appointments are set at a period of three years with all trustees typically meeting as a ‘Board of Trustees’ once a quarter and at venues around Morecambe Bay. Many trustees juggle this voluntary role around their existing professional life and personal commitments so the onus is on the charity to help the Board of Trustees run as smoothly as possible.

Business at board meetings can encompass updates on charity projects, ensuring policy documents are fit for purpose, scrutinising budgets, assessing risks and helping to set the strategic direction of the charity. It’s not all meetings and board papers however with opportunities to get involved in the charity's fundraising activities and the occasional informal event that brings trustees together with the staff team at Morecambe Bay Partnership. The latter can help trustees better understand what the charity’s team is doing day to day around the Bay.

There are benefits and rewards to being a trustee especially when trustees care passionately about the charity’s cause, and for some a trusteeship can be a route to a new career path. In turn, the charity benefits both from the diverse skills and backgrounds trustees offer and the fresh energy and ideas they bring to the table.

So who have we been fortunate to appoint?

We welcome four new trustees who care passionately about Morecambe Bay. Not only do our new trustees live around Morecambe Bay, they also share a vision for a thriving Bay. As well as fulfilling vital trustee roles and responsibilities for the charity, we’re confident they are coastal champions for Morecambe Bay and its future.

Alistair Eagles: Alistair spent his career in the Irish Sea Ferry industry as CEO for Seatruck Ferries based in Heysham Port. He is an active member of the local Chamber of Commerce where he served as President and a keen outdoor enthusiast including cycling and walking around the Bay.

Lucy Baird: Lucy has recently moved to Grange over Sands after living in Hest Bank all her life. She has always enjoyed exploring the area which led her to study Physical Geography at Aberystwyth University, focusing her dissertation on the saltmarsh at Hest Bank. Lucy currently works full time for the National Trust as a Visitor Operations Manager.

Mark Hawker: Mark spent many years working as a computer programmer and web developer and in 2007 was one of the founders of SiEntries, a successful online platform for taking entries and memberships. Originally from Devon, Mark has lived in Cumbria for 30 years and loves cycling, running and particularly long-distance walking and is the organiser of the annual ‘Spring in Lakeland’ challenge walk. He has also previously helped organise the Saunders Lakeland Mountain Marathon and the original Everest Marathon.

Professor Paul Salveson MBE: Paul’s professional career has been in rail and community development, whilst pursuing interests in social and cultural history. Paul completed his PhD on Lancashire Dialect Literature, at the University of Salford and has written extensively on aspects of northern history with his most recent book ‘Lancastrians – mills, mines and minarets’ published in 2024. He is a visiting professor at the universities of Huddersfield and Bolton and is manager of the railway library at Kents Bank Station and a director of the neighbouring Beach Hut Gallery.

We wish our new trustees a warm welcome to Morecambe Bay Partnership and to say thank you to them and all our Board members for taking on trusteeships, voluntary roles, and ultimately for giving time, thought and energy to the charity.