Civil Service in the news

Working for the health of those most marginalised

Sarah Lingard is an Account/Stakeholder Manager at the Cabinet Office and Trustee at international development organisation Interact Worldwide.

Could you explain a bit about the international development organisation, how it's organised and what its objectives are?

The charity is called Interact Worldwide, based in North London. Interact Worldwide works in collaborative partnerships with local and national organisations and governments, to improve the sexual and reproductive health and rights - including maternal healthcare, family planning and HIV/AIDS services - of some of the poorest and most marginalised people in the world.

Whole communities benefit but especially marginalised groups such as women, children and those living with HIV/ AIDS. Interact Worldwide is an INGO - an international charity with over 30 years' experience - and relies on donations to fund its overseas projects and programmes.

You can find out about the charity from its website www.interactworldwide.org/

What's your role, and how and why did you get involved in voluntary work like this?

I'm a trustee. This means giving time to help the charity in the efficient administration and fulfilment of its trust and contributing my relevant experience and skills to the charity where appropriate. It also requires a commitment to playing an active part in the running and governance of the charity for my term as a trustee, for example attending relevant board and sub committee meetings, providing strategic input into decision making and helping with the recruitment of key personnel. It's a demanding and worthwhile position.

More details about the responsibilities and nature of being a trustee can be found on the Charity Commission website [http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/supportingcharities/ogs/g038c003.asp]

I found out about the trusteeship through the NCVO's Trustee Bank, which advertises Trustee opportunities. I was looking for ways to use and develop myself and offer my skills outside the normal 9-5 to make a difference.

Have you done other volunteering work in the past?

Yes, I used to also sit on the events committee of the mentoring charity Big Brothers and Sisters and do one-off bits of volunteering at Cancer Research UK events such as Race for Life.

What do you enjoy about volunteering?

It's an opportunity to meet new people. I also enjoy working together as a board of trustees, using my skills and experiences in new and different ways to support Interact while at the same time getting an alternative organisational perspective on the world.

Does your voluntary work affect your work, in terms of outlook, knowledge and skills?

Yes, it's been a very valuable experience to try to apply my skills in a different environment and I've leant a lot about myself through this process.

I've also been able to get a good understanding of the organisational challenges of a small NGO; and getting an understanding of the reproductive health and rights, and HIV/AIDS services landscape has been very interesting.

Do you think the Civil Service is supporting you enough and are there ways you think it can improve?

I'm not sure that my current department's commitment to offer one day per year for volunteering is the right type of commitment. Instead, I think it should be more flexible - for example expressed as a number of hours spread over the year rather than a rigid day. This more flexible commitment would allow me to better support my charity.

The Civil Service should also be thinking of opportunities like trusteeships as valuable learning and development for individuals, which complements other provisions well. Rather than simply something that is purely philanthropic, the benefits of volunteering are business related too, either through broadening individuals' perspectives, bringing them closer to customer groups or providing opportunities them to use their skills in new environments.

The Civil Service could also do more to actively signpost volunteering opportunities - such as by providing a list of organisations that can help with setting up volunteering on its website (for example REACH, NCVO and Timebank). I've been really surprised this isn't already in place.