My name is Chris Biles, and I have been a member of the Sight for Wight Trustee Board since March 2017.  This has been the first time I have served in such a governance role, and it has certainly been an enlightening experience.

When I joined the Board just under three years ago, I was still adjusting to the cessation of employment, along with the loss of a close family member. In many respects though, I could discern the longer term benefits from becoming involved with the running of a charity from which I’d benefited as a service user over many years.

Some of the issues covered had a complexity, that was highly insightful for a relative beginner in the field of charity governance.  There were, however, some occasions when, as a service user, I was able to carry an informed view into discussions based on insights gleaned from special purpose groups such as the Transport Forum.

At a broader level, I was able to witness some substantial changes, not just in terms of personnel, but also the evolution of strategic and operational direction as new ideas and insights immerge.  While some of the more global dimensions of enforced change need little introduction here, it is worth pointing out, thanks to developments in communications technology, I’ve been able to participate in all regular board meetings, along with a number of training opportunities the Society has been able to organise over recent months.