This week marked Trustees Week 2020. This week aims to showcase the great work that trustees do - and highlight opportunities for people from all walks of life to get involved and make a difference.
To commemorate this week, we spoke with some of our trustees and asked them to share with us what drew them to volunteering their time at Hwupenyu. Here are their responses.
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Sunshine: "I'm Sunshine, the chairperson of the board of trustees. I became a trustee after l had come across the founder and she invited me to see what she was doing. I saw the need of joining the board as she needed volunteers of BMA to be on the board. I thought it was to make up numbers, for a short time until the charity was stable. 6 years on and l'm still here and going strong! I have realised the importance of cultural sensitivity needs around health and wellbeing. I have seen change in the service users who have gained confidence around tackling health stigma."
"Giving a small amount of my time to help others, gives me education, skills and so much more!" - Heather
Hosanna: "I became a Trustee after I had been running the organisation from its inception in 2013. I am a trustee because I am passionate about health, especially around the African communities living in the UK, and especially Scotland. Most of the issues that Africans face in this country often go under the radar as the mainstream services do not consider cultural differences that affect how people access health."
Margaret: "I share Hwupenyu's vision, and love to add my voice and make a difference in their work which impacts lives."
Sandra: "I was a member of the food bank before I became a trustee. As an African person we have this issue of not wanting to know, but just to condemn. But since I have been a trustee I have seen and learnt a lot about HIV, and am so grateful for being part of the organisation."
"I felt a lot of meaning and inspiration in peer led organising, and people speaking from their own experiences." - Tilly
Heather: "I became a trustee for Hwupenyu in February 2020 after attending their AGM. The community feeling and the general energy made me feel so welcome, that I wanted to be able to support them to share this with others for as long as possible. I am passionate about standing up for the rights of marginalised people, and volunteering with Hwupenyu allows me to gain a deeper understanding and an education into what is being felt by BME communities in Scotland. I want to promote health equality, and for me, working with Hwupenyu makes this possible. Giving a small amount of my time to help others, gives me education, skills and so much more!"
Tilly: "I became a trustee after realising the stigma around HIV, and how this intersects with other issues. I felt a lot of meaning and inspiration in peer led organising, and people speaking from their own experiences. I have found a lot of joy and learning and dear friends through Hwupenyu."
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Our trustees at Hwupenyu play an absolutely vital role: volunteering their time, energies and expertise to make important decisions about the direction of our organisational activities.
Thank you so much to all of our incredible trustees - we really appreciate all of the work that you do! ♦