Devon Air Ambulance (DAA) is proud to be celebrating the work of the Charity’s Trustee’s during National Trustees' Week. 

At DAA, Trustees bring a great deal of experience and broad industry knowledge and on a day-to-day basis their responsibilities include many things such as, governance, strategic direction, and the financial health of the charity as well as the integrity of all activities, making sure that the charity are developing their aims, objectives, and goals in line with the overall strategy.  

The National Council for Voluntary Organisations’ (NCVO) Trustee Week is now in its 13th year. This annual event between 6th – 10th November, brings organisations together to celebrate the incredible contributions and achievements of nearly one million Trustee’s in the UK. 

This year’s Trustee Week theme is ‘Many voices. Working together. With purpose,’ with a focus on how trustees influence positive environmental, social and governance action (ESG) within their charities. This is something that is clearly important to the board of Trustee’s at DAA. 

Will Matthewman, Chair of DAA’s Board of Trustees said: 

'It is imperative for all charities to see ESG issues going forwards as mission critical, rather than simply 'nice to have' targets. At Devon Air Ambulance, we are cognisant of the risks facing our operation if we do not embed ESG principles into our future strategic planning.  

One of the most crucial elements we must not lose sight of when setting ourselves targets, is to not only consider the ESG issues that first present themselves when assessing our charitable operations, but to dig deeper than this as there will inevitably be areas that we can improve on that are not immediately obvious. For instance, our desire to reach net zero as an organisation could lead to a focus on offsetting aircraft emissions etc., but we are also working closely with our investment manager to understand the impact our investment portfolio might be having and how best this can be mitigated. ESG factors run throughout an organisation at every level, and we must not fall into the trap of stopping at the "easy wins".'

Helèna Holt, Chief Executive Officer of Devon Air Ambulance said:  

‘During Trustees Week, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to our incredible trustees, the unsung heroes of Devon Air Ambulance. The trustee role is pivotal – the custodians of our vision and mission and the compass guiding our path. Trusteeship carries significant responsibility yet is one of the least visible roles so too often gets little recognition. What is even more remarkable is that you are all volunteers bringing an incredible breadth of experience and knowledge to bear. Thank you for your vital contribution and all you do to help us fulfil our purpose.’ 

Trustee Richard Davidson who chairs the charities Environment, Sustainability and Stewardship Committee said: 

'As chair of Devon Air Ambulance's Environment, Sustainability and Stewardship Committee, I am acutely aware of the emphasis and priority the charity gives to taking positive environmental, social, and governance action. We all have a part to play as staff, trustees, or other volunteers of Devon Air Ambulance. We must embed ESG principles into our work if we are to protect the planet for future generations.' 

Throughout the week, DAA will be sharing insights into the day-to-day life of their Trustees on their social media pages, celebrating their work, and highlighting the difference that they make to this local charity.