SPOTLIGHT

Held in trust: Meet our board

By Angela Ward

At thirtyone:eight we are very fortunate to have a dedicated and passionate board of trustees, who support our team with the legal requirements of running a charity, as well as working with the management team on our strategic direction. As you’ll discover, our trustees bring with them a range of experience and skills:

Andrew C Pierce Chair of trustees

The chair of our trustees is Andrew C Pierce, who formally joined the Board in May 2018. “I’m enjoying the role of Chair - over the years chairing is what I’ve done a lot of,” he explains. In addition to chairing meetings, Andrew says his role involves interaction with the CEOs, ‘usually briefly, usually weekly’. He adds: “A ‘little and often’ approach works well for them and me.” Andrew brings to the Board his experience of working in the police. “I retired from Devon & Cornwall Constabulary (as it was then known) in 2004 as a Detective Superintendent,” he explains. “During my time, I held the lead for the police in what we’d now call safeguarding and, with an ACO Probation, I set up the Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) in Devon & Cornwall.” Andrew continues: “I had oversight of ‘records disclosure’ which would now be routed through DBS, while I also led on Human Rights related matters in respect of covert investigative methods - having to weigh Article 8 rights (Privacy) against more significant rights. This was relevant to the Records Disclosure work in respect of non-conviction/caution information.” Andrew says he has got his sense of ‘right and justice’ from his faith. “Romans 13 has long meant a lot to me, coupled with the attitude of Jesus to children and the vulnerable - he had a very dim view of those who harmed them,” he explains. In his retirement, Andrew makes sure his diary is busy. In addition to his role at thirtyone:eight, he is a Board member (safeguarding lead) for a Multi-Academy Trust in North Devon, he’s involved in running a café at his church and he’s the teaboy for the parent and toddler group there on Fridays. He also enjoys spending time with his five grandsons and one granddaughter and says he’s living up to the ambition he set himself when the first was born nearly 18 years ago ‘to be a mischievous Grandad!’.

Bridget Robb Vice-Chair of Trustees

Bridget Robb was until recently a registered social worker and was Social Work Manager in Oxfordshire Local Authority. “I was CEO of the British Association of Social Workers (the UK professional membership body) and General Secretary of the Social Workers Union,” she explains. “Having come from a UK organisation, I am well attuned to the issues

of legal devolution and national cultural identity. In my role, I had a lot to do with governance and Board/management relationships - both working well and going badly. All this has helped understand and influence the dynamics within thirtyone:eight.” Bridget joined our Board in 2017, officially becoming a trustee the following year. “I am particularly proud of the way the organisation has developed over recent years, with its renewed vision and good working relationships between the staff and the Board,” she says. Bridget is a church warden and safeguarding officer in her local church and on the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Committee. “This is the first role I have had which overtly links my faith with being a trustee,” she explains. “This has been a liberating experience and I have enjoyed the opportunity to explore how they influence each other and learn from other trustees and staff in the process.” Much of Bridget’s spare time revolves around caring for her grandchildren, while she also enjoys walking, swimming, reading, films and music.

Julie Douglas Trustee

Julie Douglas, who has been a trustee since November 2018, has delivered our training in a number of churches over the years, so was well aware of thirtyone:eight. She is married to Rev Johnny Douglas, vicar at St Peter’s Hextable, close to our head office in Kent. “When we came to live in Hextable, I was approached about becoming a trustee, given my social work background and some personal experiences,” says Julie, who was a social worker in adoption working with children who have been abused. “I love being part of a team working with an organisation that I believe makes a positive difference in areas that are vitally important,” she explains. “I believe that God has led us to Johnny’s job in Hextable ‘for such a time as this’. I actually considered working at thirtyone:eight but being a trustee was something that opened up and seemed a better fit.” Julie continues: “Being a clergy spouse, I also recognise the challenge of keeping adults and children safe in faith settings, where those who are vulnerable come for help and healing. I believe passionately in all that thirtyone:eight seeks to do and am so privileged to be part of it. My faith supports my role as a trustee; I can pray about all the matters we discuss and ask God for wisdom that I may make a positive contribution.” In her spare time, Julie volunteers at St Peter’s, as well as enjoying regular visits to the gym, often every day, while she also loves walking, reading, being by the sea, sunshine and supporting Arsenal, as well as time with her children and grandchildren.

Dr Tanya Herring Trustee

Dr Tanya Herring is a scholarpractitioner and an international criminal law and international human rights doctoral researcher with Bangor University Law School; a postdoctoral researcher with the Wales Observatory on Human Rights of Children and Young People; and a research fellow with ICO (International Communities Organization) of London. Her specialism is in international State responsibility and obligations in crimes against children and vulnerable populations. “I am a Research Fellow, who specialises in Children’s Rights and the Law and it was in my role as a Post-doctoral Research Fellow, with the Wales Observatory on Human Rights of Children and Young People, that I became acquainted with the thirtyone:eight network team,” Dr Herring explains. She has been a trustee for a little over a year now. “I am exceptionally proud of having an opportunity to provide input to safeguarding

across the UK; and now, part of a team with international impact,” Dr Herring says. “Within my faith, I am a leader of safeguarding and my faith supports these efforts.” Dr Herring says that, as a Research Fellow, all of her time is dedicated to international travel, lecturing and research. “My international legal research is an integral component of my life,” she explains, although she has recently welcomed two puppies into her home.

Oliver Home Trustee

Oliver Home is Diocesan Secretary at the Diocese of Bristol in the Church of England and has been a trustee with us since May last year. “I got involved having worked with Justin Humphreys and thirtyone:eight in my day job, leading safeguarding and support to churches and church schools in a Church of England diocese,” Oliver explains. “I think the role thirtyone:eight plays as an independent safeguarding charity in the faith sector is crucial.” He continues: “I saw an opportunity to bring my insight and to play a part in its governance at a real time of development for the charity and need for the sector and, therefore, was open to explore recruitment to the trustee board.” “In my role as Diocesan Secretary, I lead the central organisation that supports our churches, ministers and the 70 church schools. This means I am experienced as a charity leader, understand the distinctive dynamics in some faith communities and safeguarding in the Church of England.” Oliver says trustees bring ‘a really helpful perspective as critical friends to an organisation’. He adds: “I enjoy taking a step back and bringing my experience from the faith sector and in leading a charity to the Board. I am passionate about the role good safeguarding plays in creating communities that are safe but also healthy and model something different in our world. My faith gives me hope that this can happen and inspires me to play my part at thirtyone:eight and elsewhere.” When he’s not ‘trying to keep up’ with his children, Oliver enjoys running, cycling, socialising, reading and watching drama.

Angela Ward Trustee

Angela Ward has more than 30 years’ experience in journalism and PR and currently runs her own content creation and social media agency based in East Sussex. Prior to this, she was PR Manager for a hospice charity working with children and vulnerable adults. Angela has been a trustee since the summer of 2019. “It’s an honour to be a trustee of thirtyone:eight and I am immensely proud of the work the entire team does,” she explains. “Safeguarding is so important and it was something that I had been thinking about a lot, as I had only recently discovered that a close friend from secondary school had been abused by someone in a position of power we had both trusted at that time.” As a child Angela regularly attended her local church and was a pupil at the UK’s first church secondary school which was both Church of England and Roman Catholic. “I followed this up by attending a university formed of colleges which were Church of England, Roman Catholic and Methodist, which I feel I really benefited from,” she explains. In her spare time, Angela enjoys keeping fit – swimming, pilates and running – as well as trying to recreate the dishes of chef Yotam Ottolenghi. She is currently training to run a marathon in aid of Neuroblastoma UK; her daughter Naomi died of this childhood cancer in 2004 and would have been celebrating her 21st birthday this year.