Meet the Trustees
Shane Mitchell
Board Member
I used to be an Economics and Business Studies teacher at St Charles Catholic Sixth Form College. Currently I am Director and Partner of 24seven a public relations firm. I am also completing my Legal Practice Course before joining international law firm Herbert Smith.
Being a trustee provides me with the opportunity to make a positive contribution to the local community. I hope that I can use the skills and experience that I have developed to add value and be of use to the board of the Volunteer Centre.
I got involved when a mutual contact at the VC asked if I would be interested in joining the board as my experience of working with young people in the local community would bring a valuable new perspective to the management meetings. The VC is a fantastic organisation whose work is of vital importance the local community. To be able to assist such a dedicated and able team was an opportunity that I could not turn down.
As well providing input to the governing process of the VC I am constantly contributing to my own personal development. I had no training prior to becoming a trustee, however, since my appointment I have been given the opportunity to access training so that I can become an effective board member. I find that I learn something new at every meeting, about governance, the work of the VC and the charitable sector in general, such personal development is exciting.
Ingrid Jacobson Pinter
Chair of the Board of Trustees
I joined the Board of the Volunteer Centre in 1998 and have served as Chair for the past five years. I was invited to join the Board the ‘old fashioned way’ – being asked by the Chair at the time who knew my work with another London-based organisation promoting volunteering, the Junior League of London. Although it took me about a year to figure out what value I could add to the already strong and able Board of the Volunteer Centre, I found that the work and dynamism of the organisation kept me learning and on my toes all the time.
Professionally, I work as a freelance consultant to small voluntary sector organisations, specialising in issues of governance, board development, and team building. I’m also a certified practitioner of the Birkman Method, a sophisticated behavioural assessment tool that facilitates team building, leadership development, interpersonal and organisational conflict resolution, executive coaching and career management. Before that, I spent many happy years working in both advertising and public relations, first at what is now Saatchi & Saatchi NY and, more recently, at RJH Public Relations in London as a media consultant to the Templeton Foundation, an organisation that encourages dialogue between science and religion.
I’ve been a volunteer all my life, starting formally as a Girl Scout at age 8 in the US. I’ve served in a huge variety of volunteering roles including, among other things, teaching swimming to the mentally and physically disabled, befriending families with a child at risk, serving on management committees, and raising money and interviewing applicants for Harvard where I got my first degree. I’m a member of Charity Trustee Networks, Volunteering England, the Junior League of London and the International Association of Junior Leagues.
In my ‘spare’ time, I’m also a choral singer, avid reader, active traveller, frequent theatre-goer and mother of three teenaged children.
Ursula Jost Carraro
Board Member
I joined the Board of the Volunteer Centre in 1995. The then Chair recruited me; we knew each other from working together on various volunteering projects with the Junior League of London. I have always enjoyed volunteering, and have been involved in lots of very different projects. From renovating homes for old people in rural France to being a Puppeteer educating children about disabilities to serving on boards and committees and visiting elderly people. For many years, together with a partner, I ran a consulting and training business serving the voluntary sector. I am currently the Chair of the Swiss Church in London and involved in a major renovation project.
I was Chair of the Volunteer Centre between 1995 and 1999. Over the years the Volunteer Centre has grown and developed various new projects, such as the resettlement scheme, New Deal and Stepping Stones. Key to the success of the Centre is the quality of staff and volunteers, the effective working relationship between the Director and the Board as well as a Board that is focused on working towards the centre’s vision.
I enjoy being on the Board and, together with the other Board members, being able to contribute towards strengthening volunteering in this Borough. I have also learnt a lot over the years about governing, about planning, about volunteering involving organizations in the Borough, about recruiting new staff and about solving problems as they arise.
Joseph Carim
Board Member
I first came across the work of the Voluntary Centre when I was asked to participate on the committee of one of its pilot projects called the City Skill Exchange. This is a potentially valuable programme which provides exciting volunteering opportunities for senior executives and professionals.
Although I am new to volunteering, during my career in the City I had often considered taking an active role in the voluntary sector. Once I had met the volunteers and trustees at the VCKC, I was very keen to translate this idea into a reality.
Initially, I attended a Board meeting as an observer and I was delighted to see how professionally the VC’s operations are organised and how seriously the other Trustees take their responsibilities. I also visited local charities and not for profit organisations in the Borough, finding out about their work, their priorities and their concerns. These visits demonstrated how important the work of the VC is within Kensington & Chelsea.
This is an interesting time to join the VC’s board given the recent deterioration in the economic climate and the likely effect upon the charities within the Borough. I hope that being a Trustee will enable me to use the skills and experience that I have cultivated throughout my career to help sustain and develop the VC’s operations in the coming months and beyond.
Kerryn Cockroft
Board Member
I am a fairly new addition to the KCVC board. Initially I had intended to become a volunteer, but was persuaded to have a go at becoming a trustee after speaking to a Volunteer Centre staff member at an event.
My interest in joining the board is to learn and develop skills in the area of governance and management and I hope to be able to offer a fresh perspective and believe my analytical skills will be useful in helping the organisation achieve its goals.
Originally from New Zealand, I have been in the UK now for over three years and am currently working as a government lawyer. I first became a volunteer as a high school student as a swimming instructor for disabled children, and have since been involved in a variety of roles including an English tutor for struggling high school students and an advice worker in a free community legal clinic. This is my first involvement with KCVC, and my first experience in volunteer administration.
I am enjoying my role on the board and gaining an understanding of what makes KCVC tick and hope to help continue to steer KCVC to achieve its vision.