The Galloway & Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Partnership was established as a SCIO in 2013 and our board of trustees were instrumental in building an officer team and Strategic and Operation Plans that would deliver sustainable development projects across SW Scotland’s UNESCO Biosphere region. No mean feat – this covers 9,720km² of land and sea, includes parts of three local authority areas, and is the largest UNESCO Biosphere in the UK! Our board comprises up to 20 trustees, and they all live and work in Galloway and Southern Ayrshire: people who understand local priorities, challenges and opportunities.
We have welcomed trustees come from a broad range of backgrounds and their inspiration to join is just as varied as their life experience. Some want to play a part in ensuring that the internationally-recognised UNESCO designation has maximum possible impact for nature and communities. Some are drawn to the environmental side of our work, with interest in creating a more sustainable approach to land management and generating nature recovery. Others particularly wish to support local enterprise through Biosphere business initiatives or have a background in community development and want to contribute their expertise towards rural regeneration.
Our board of trustees not only steers governance but contributes to the agility and dynamism of our charity through their work on specialist sub-committees and advisory support for the officer team. Trustees also learn as they go; most recently, for example, they have undertaken Carbon Literacy training, the same training that all employees take part on joining our staff roster, and which we also provide to communities and businesses across the UNESCO region.
More information on the Galloway & Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Partnership’s trustees is available here: https://www.gsabiosphere.org.uk/partnership-board-and-trustees/ We hope their visibility, commitment and diversity, ranging from education and social enterprise to conservation and creative arts, can act as inspiration for anyone considering volunteering as a trustee for a cause they are passionate about. It is such a critical and valued role and contributes so much to the third sector across the UK.