Celebrating our selfless volunteers during Volunteers’ Week

Volunteers are a crucial component within any community and, at the Lionheart Educational Trust, we are fortunate to frequently welcome a multitude of passionate and enthusiastic individuals into our schools.  

Whether it be listening to children read or supporting on school trips, our volunteers play a vital role within the education our schools provide. 

Additionally, special merit and recognition should also go to those individuals who volunteer tirelessly behind the scenes; Governors, Trustees and Members. 

At Lionheart, 10 Trustees congregate as a full board four times a year and participate in multiple other committees, volunteering their expertise and time alongside personal and work commitments.  

And, if that wasn’t enough, 14 Local Governing Bodies (one for each school) together comprise 119 Governors, who attend termly meetings, actively visit school staff and pupils and hold Executives to account. 

These individuals give up their time – a total of around 600 hours each academic year - to provide guidance and support to not only the individual schools, but also the Trust as a whole. 

“Being a volunteer is always a win/win,” says Chris Swan, who has been Chair of Governors at Beauchamp College for 12 years. 

“The college gains by having a team with wide-ranging skills and experience bringing support and challenge - and we gain skills and knowledge along with the satisfaction of having made a positive difference in our community.” 

In honour of National Volunteers’ Week, Chris also explained why she continues to volunteer: 

“I think schools are fascinating communities,” she says, “it's a real privilege to be able to work alongside such committed and skilled leaders, and to bring some of my own expertise to support them. 

 “I'm constantly amazed at how much the Trust achieves across all the schools. The creative solutions to challenges and opportunities are inspirational and the commitment to providing the best for students is always driving improvements.” 

Would you like to volunteer as a school governor? We’d love to hear from you! Email [email protected] to find out more.