Trustee Spotlight: Paul Oates (Koala North West)

"You don't need board experience to make a difference. What you've learned at work and in everyday life is more useful than you might think."

Your name: Paul Oates

Organisation: Koala North West

How long have you been a trustee?: 2 years

Your organisation’s purpose in one sentence: Koala North West works alongside parents and carers across Wirral and Cheshire, so every family has the support they need to give their children the best start in life.

What attracted you to your organisation and to becoming a trustee?

I was asked by a former Koala NW trustee who I was working with at the time, and the timing couldn't have been better. I'd recently become a parent, so the early years support Koala NW offers suddenly meant a lot more to me than it would have a few years earlier. Koala NW also works in my old stomping ground. I know the communities it serves and the challenges some families there face, so it felt like a chance to give something back to the place I grew up. Saying yes was an easy decision.

What skills, experience or perspectives did you feel you could bring?

Professionally, I have a background in strategy and digital marketing, and I run my own small business, so I hoped I could offer a practical, outside view on things like planning, communications and how we reach families. Just as important, I'm going through the same early years that many of the families Koala NW supports are. Being in the trenches with a young family myself means I can bring a current, first-hand perspective to board discussions, particularly around dads, who can sometimes be harder to reach. The staff and volunteers are the real experts in what they do. My role is to ask useful questions and help where I can.

What do you enjoy most, and what benefits have you gained?

I've volunteered in lots of different ways over the years and got something out of all of it. What I enjoy about being a trustee is that I can put the skills and experience I've built up over my career to work behind a cause I care about. It feels like the place I can make the biggest difference. It has given me a fresh perspective on the charity sector and on my own work, and a real sense of achievement. Above all, there's the knowledge that I'm playing a small part in supporting hundreds of families in the community I'm part of.

What would you say to someone considering becoming a trustee?

Go for it, and don't worry if you've never done anything like it before. You don't need board experience to make a difference. What you've learned at work and in everyday life is more useful than you might think. It's also not like a private sector role. Everyone around the table cares deeply about the cause, there's lots of support, and hearing about the difference the team makes to families is the best part of it. If you've ever wondered whether you could do it, have a conversation with a charity you care about. You might be surprised how much you have to offer.

Find out more about Koala North West and the community they support at their website: Koala North West