Following a governance review and targeted recruitment drive, Carer Support Wiltshire (CSW) are delighted to welcome Chris Meier, Janet Surr, Ruth Martindale and Jane Mason to its board of trustees.

The new board, led by Chair Laraine Marriott and Vice-chair Huw Ponting will be working closely with Chief Executive Catharine Hurford to ensure the charity continues to support unpaid carers in Wiltshire. As well as supporting staff and acting as advocates for carers, the board will be looking at the opportunities and challenges changing commissioning models will bring to the charity and exploring future collaboration with other organisations.

New trustee Jane Mason already has experience of working with CSW. She comments:

“My involvement with CSW has shown me the invaluable work done by the organisation in supporting and advocating for people whose contribution to society so often goes unrecognised, and whose voices are rarely heard.”

Jane trained as a nurse before turning to higher education and later human resources working mainly with organisations in the voluntary sector. She has been a volunteer at the Carer Hub at Royal United Hospital Bath and a volunteer representative on the Carer Support Wiltshire Quality and Policy Subcommittee.

Ruth Martindale has worked at director level in the charity sector for 12 years primarily for organisations that provide welfare support. Whilst she is first and foremost a qualified accountant she also has knowledge of charity law and governance as well as of investment, IT, insurance, employment law and fundraising. Ruth has first-hand experience of the impact a caring role can have on an individual and family.

‘An organisation that provides support to carers would have been of real value to my mother when she was acting as a carer so I look forward to my involvement with CSW and helping it to make a real difference to the lives of carers in Wiltshire.’

Chris Meier will be drawing on a 28-year career in marketing and business development within manufacturing and financial services, as well as experience of providing a number of national and local charities with marketing and communications expertise. He is currently working on the development of a virtual marketing support proposition for small and medium sized charities.

Janet Surr brings nearly 30 years of marketing and product development in the toy and gift industry to the board, as well as an understanding of the carers role. Her mother died when she was a teenager and she helped to look after her younger siblings. She is also a dressage judge officiating at events throughout the southwest.

Chair, Laraine Marriott comments:

“As CSW seeks to sharpen its focus on our goal of ensuring that Wiltshire’s carers are well supported, we welcome the addition of four new Board members. We believe that their experience and expertise not only of carers’ issues but in the fields of finance, fundraising, marketing and quality assurance will strengthen and increase our ability to move our organisation forward and respond positively to the challenges arising from the changing climate in the health and social care sector.”

Catharine Hurford, Chief Executive of Carer Support Wiltshire comments:

“We are delighted to welcome these four new trustees to the Board of Carer Support Wiltshire. They bring a breadth of recent skills, knowledge and experience, along with personal and professional insights into the complexities of unpaid caring.

“With their help, Carer Support Wiltshire will be in the best possible position to capitalise on opportunities to work collaboratively to ensure unpaid carers are well supported in Wiltshire.”