Volunteers Week 2026
As part of National Volunteers Week, we spoke with our trustees about what inspired them to volunteer, what they have learned from the role, and why governance can make such a meaningful difference to our learners.
Q&A with George Ryan, Trustee
Q: What inspired you to give your time and experience as a trustee and college governor?
I have long been aware of the important work of the college and the Trust, both through living locally and through my professional experience in education policy. I am particularly inspired by the way the organisation supports children and young people to succeed, including those who may have faced challenges in education or who need additional support. For me, volunteering in governance is about helping to ensure that all learners have access to strong opportunities, excellent support and the best possible outcomes.
Q: How does volunteering through governance help shape opportunities for students and support the wider community?
I think trustees and governors bring a wide range of skills, perspectives and professional expertise to the board. By working together, we help to guide strategy, offer constructive challenge and support leaders to identify both opportunities and risks. For me, governance is a chance to give something back while working alongside others who share a commitment to the organisation’s values and mission. At its heart, it always comes back to one central question: what difference will this make for children and young people?
Q: What moments have made you feel most proud or fulfilled in your role?
The most rewarding moments for me come from visiting schools and college campuses and speaking directly with students and pupils. It is always powerful to see the work of the organisation in action, whether through conversations during visits, classroom drop-ins or informal moments around the campus. These experiences bring board-level discussions to life and give me a real sense of the positive impact that staff, leaders and volunteers are making every day.
Q: What would you say to someone thinking about getting involved in volunteering or governance?
My message would be simple: if you are even slightly interested, go for it. I do not think people should underestimate the value of what they can contribute, and organisations rely so much on volunteers. I have also found that volunteering brings real personal benefits, from learning new things and meeting people with different experiences to seeing first-hand the difference your contribution can make. People may be surprised at the warm reception they receive simply by offering to volunteer. It is a deeply rewarding experience and one that can have a lasting impact.
Q&A with Rama Venchard MBE, Chair
We spoke to Rama Venchard, Chair of the Trust Board, about his role, what inspires him and why he believes volunteering plays such an important part in helping schools and communities thrive.
Q: As Chair of the Trust Board, could you tell us a little about your role, what inspired you to take on this opportunity, and what the experience has meant to you personally?
My role is to help guide the work of the board, support strong governance, and ensure that the Trust remains focused on providing the very best education and opportunities for children and young people. It is about helping to create the right level of challenge and support, making sure there is constructive debate, and working with others to keep the organisation moving in the right direction.
What inspired me to take on this opportunity was a real sense that I wanted to give something back. I have worked in the education sector for many years, and before that spent over two decades in the commercial sector, particularly in IT and business change management. Over time, I felt strongly that the experience I had built up could be used in a way that would benefit schools and trusts. Volunteering in governance gave me the chance to do that.
Personally, the experience has been hugely rewarding. Every trust is different, every school community is different, and that is something I find fascinating. What stays with me most is the belief that every child deserves a quality education and the chance to improve their life chances. To know that I can contribute, even in a small way, to helping make that possible is a real privilege.
Q: What has made your time in this role so rewarding, and what has helped keep you inspired along the way?
The most rewarding part of the role has been visiting schools and meeting the children. That is always the moment when the purpose of governance becomes most real. Sitting in meetings and reading papers is, of course, an important part of the role, but it is when you step into a school, see the environment for yourself, hear from pupils and meet staff and leaders that you really feel the impact of the work.
Those visits are incredibly motivating because they bring everything back to what matters most, the children. Whether it is speaking to pupils, meeting student councils, or simply seeing the atmosphere in a school, those experiences are what keep me inspired. They remind me that the decisions made around the board table are not abstract; they affect real lives, real opportunities and real futures.
I am also inspired by the people I work alongside. Strong governance is never about one individual. It depends on committed trustees, effective leaders and staff who care deeply about the communities they serve. Being surrounded by people with the right motivation, skill and commitment gives me real confidence and encouragement to continue contributing.
Q: Why do you feel volunteering is so important, particularly in helping schools, children, and local communities to thrive?
Volunteering is so important because it brings a breadth of perspective that schools and trusts genuinely need. When you bring together people from different backgrounds, professions and life experiences, you create stronger discussion, greater challenge and better decision-making.
If the same voices are always around the table, you are likely to have the same conversations and the same outcomes. Volunteers help widen that thinking.
That matters enormously in education because schools are not static places, they are serving communities that continue to change and evolve. Volunteers can bring fresh insight from business, public service, the local community and beyond, helping schools think more broadly about what children need not only to succeed academically, but also to thrive in life.
I think volunteers also help schools stay connected to the wider world. For example, people with experience as employers can bring valuable insight into the broader skills young people need, such as confidence, communication and readiness for the workplace. That kind of perspective can be incredibly powerful, because it helps schools think not just about results, but about preparing children for the future in the fullest sense.
Q: During National Volunteers’ Week, what message would you like to share with the many volunteers whose time, care, and commitment make such a difference across the Trust?
My message would simply be: thank you. Thank you for giving your time, your energy and your care to something that matters so deeply. Volunteering can sometimes feel challenging - there is paperwork, there are meetings, there is terminology to learn, and at times it can feel unfamiliar - but the contribution volunteers make is incredibly important and deeply valued.
I would also encourage volunteers not to underestimate the difference they make. Sometimes the impact of governance and volunteering is not immediately visible in a single meeting or report, but it becomes very clear when you go into a school, speak to children and see the environment they are learning in. That is when you realise that all the time and effort given behind the scenes is helping to create schools where children feel safe, supported and able to thrive.
So during National Volunteers’ Week, I would want every volunteer across the Trust to know that their contribution matters. The time, care and commitment they bring is helping to shape better experiences and stronger futures for children and young people. That is something to be proud of, and something truly worth celebrating.
