“I’ve seen the role described as ‘the guardians of purpose’ and like that. It’s up to us to ensure EACH is run with our beneficiaries front and centre in all decision-making” – Caroline says being a trustee is rewarding and humbling
East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) Trustee Caroline Steggles says she is proud and humbled to be part of a “life-changing, life-affirming and regularly remarkable” organisation.
The 43-year-old has been on the board nearly four years, chairing one committee and sitting on another, and has personal reasons for wanting to be involved.
In fact, she believes it was written in the stars, after spotting an advert for anyone interested in joining the team.
“The death of my younger sister when she was just 25 made me question what life was all about,” said Caroline, who was speaking during national Trustees’ Week.
“When my mum then died at 62, I knew I wanted to follow in both her and Lucie’s footsteps and do something meaningful that might make a difference.
“I’d enjoyed being a school governor and thought a trustee role might be a good use of my skills.
“I’ve grown up with an awareness of EACH, through the fantastic shop network and local fundraising events, and identified the charity as a cause I’d love to support.
“I started checking the website every so often and was delighted to come across an advert for trustees, specifically looking for those from Norfolk with a background in governance. It was meant to be!
“What EACH does is life-changing, life-affirming and regularly remarkable, and I’m always humbled by the incredible, personalised care the teams deliver.
“I enjoy meeting staff and volunteers from across the organisation and hearing about their motivation and personal stories of making a difference.”
As well as being on the Board of Trustees, Caroline chairs the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee and also sits on the Clinical Governance Committee.
More recently, she attended the inaugural meeting of EACH’s new Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee, spending time with staff from across the organisation and being “blown away by the energy and enthusiasm in the room”.
“As trustees, we’re legally responsible for the management and administration of EACH, so it’s not something to take on lightly,” said Caroline.
“I’ve seen the role described as ‘the guardians of purpose’ and like that. It’s up to us to ensure EACH is run with our beneficiaries front and centre in all decision-making.
“It’s also hugely rewarding to work alongside my fellow trustees, all of whom bring different professional backgrounds and personal experiences to the table.
“I enjoy learning from each of them and feel privileged to share the responsibility.”
Mum-of-two Caroline and her fellow board members meet formally as a board four times a year, in addition to having quarterly committee days.
They catch up virtually between formal meetings and are in regular communication with EACH’s management team, as and when needed, with a recent example being the appointment of new Chief Executive Kevin Clements.
While rewarding and something she is clearly passionate about, Caroline’s responsibilities are a far cry from her day job, working alongside husband Sam to run their flourishing business, The Goat Shed, in Honingham, ten miles west of Norwich.
“I’m from Norfolk farming stock and studied Management Studies at Nottingham University, before joining PricewaterhouseCoopers’ graduate training programme and qualifying as a chartered accountant,” she said.
“I stayed there for ten years but took a career break to spend time with our young children, William and Polly, and help my husband grow the goat cheese business he was establishing alongside his day job.
“I returned to work when our youngest started school, working in governance for Flagship Group, who had been a client when I was at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
“Then, at the start of the pandemic, our goat cheese business lost almost all its business overnight, and we found ourselves developing a farm shop to help the local community source essentials when the supermarket shelves were struggling.
“What started in a garden shed is now a huge farm shop, butchery and restaurant, open seven days a week and recently named by The Times as one of the top seven farm shops in the country!
“I left Flagship Group two years ago and now help run the business with my husband. It’s been a huge learning curve, and we’re still learning all the time.”
Despite leading such a busy personal and professional life, Caroline would not change a thing and is passionate about her rewarding role with EACH.
In addition to being a dedicated trustee, she has also helped at volunteer thank you events, read at EACH carol services and raised valuable funds by taking part in both a Bubble Rush and last year’s Suffolk Pier 2 Pier walk.
“Our children are now in their teens and between a busy family life, our growing business and two trustee roles – I’m also a trustee for The Clan Trust – there isn’t a huge amount of time for hobbies,” said Caroline.
“Time with friends is precious, though, and if I can combine that with a walk in the countryside or at the coast, then I’m happy.
“I also love singing and am a member of a choir, where I enjoy singing pop and songs from musicals.
“Yes, life is busy, and it’s a juggle to find time to do all the things I want to do.
“However, my dad always says you get out of life what you put in, and that’s the mantra I try to apply.
“In terms of EACH, everyone plays a part, and we’re united in our shared desire to make things easier for families going through the toughest of times.
“I’m still extremely proud to be a small part of this wonderful charity, which makes such a huge difference to so many people.”