Sarah Swash

Tell us about Katherine Low Settlement and the area it works in

Katherine Low Settlement is a fantastic charity which runs a range of local community services for children, young people and their families, women and refugees and newly-arrived communities. It campaigns for social change and supports other charities and communities to thrive. I first started working with KLS in 2014 as a learning mentor and found it really rewarding.

What made you want to become a trustee for Katherine Low Settlement.

I decided to become a trustee 3 years ago because I wanted to get more involved. Before becoming a trustee, I knew all about the excellent work of Love to Learn (KLS’s learning mentoring programme for children and young people) – but much less about KLS’s wider work.

What do you feel trusteeship adds to your personal and professional development?

I love being able to contribute to the charity through being a trustee. I learn so much and it enables me to better understand a wider diversity of issues in my professional life. It brings me fresh perspectives, and I particularly enjoy seeing KLS’s impact on such a wide variety of people in the community we serve. I find it inspiring and rewarding to work with such an impressive team and feel privileged to be able to contribute alongside them.

What value have you been able to add to your charity with your personal and professional experience?

I would like to think I’ve been able to bring a fresh perspective to the work of the charity including applying my strategic professional skills and my personal experience from other voluntary work I’ve done ever since leaving school. I’d also like to think I’ve been able to provide personal support to the team. I do however feel that I get out more than I’m able to put in!

If you could give one piece of advice to someone thinking about becoming a trustee what would it be?

Definitely do it! Choose a cause that you really care about and you will find that it is extremely rewarding and enjoyable.