September 30, 2024
Apprentice on Board!
Earlier this year we told everyone that we’ve joined the Black United Representation Network, and as part of that, signed up to their Board apprenticeship scheme. We want to offer Black professionals who are part of the BURN network the opportunity to come and join our Board for a year, experience what it’s like to be on the Board of a third sector organisation in social care, and how an organisation like ours is governed. In the process, we’ll learn from their valuable experience as a professional who is part of a global majority community, too.
We’re so chuffed to let everyone know that the fab Lisa Maynard-Atem is going to be joining our Board as our first ever Board apprentice. Lisa is an entrepreneur who is passionate about equity and diversity, acting as one of the directors at the Black United Representation Network (BURN).
Lisa says that as soon as she heard about the work we’re doing to make PSS the most equitable, inclusive and diverse organisation it can be, that she wanted to be part of PSS: ‘I am absolutely delighted to be joining PSS as their first Board Apprentice; to say so would be an understatement. From my very first meeting with Mandy, I knew this was an opportunity I wanted to pursue. The values of PSS not only align closely with those of The Black United Representation Network (BURN), but they also resonate deeply with my own personal values. I firmly believe we all have a role to play in building an equitable society, where every individual has the support and tools needed to thrive. Achieving this requires collective action —working together, supporting one another, and ensuring that no one is left behind. United, we are not only stronger, but we also embody what it truly means to be connected to our fellow human beings.’
Lisa Maynard-Atem is PSS’s first Board apprentice through the BURN Board apprentice programme
Our Chair of Trustees, Julie Cooke, said: ‘Lisa is excellent in her field and is a fantastic advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion. We want to make sure PSS is a place where everyone feels like they belong, and Lisa shares that passion with us. She’s paving the way for what we hope will be a long line of Board apprentices from the BURN network, and we know she’s going to bring so much to the Board.’
Lisa came to her first ever PSS Board meeting on 25th September and is going to be starting blogging about her Board apprentice experience, so watch out for that!