Charlotte Davis, Human Rights Manager at Lloyds Banking Group, shares her experience of being a trustee for Ella’s Home, a charity working with survivors of modern slavery and sexual exploitation.
06 November 2023
Trustee Charlotte Davis at a visit to charity Ella's
I have been familiar with the work of Ella’s for quite a while. I met Emily Chalke, the founder of Ella’s, through my role at Lloyds to discuss how the Group could support organisations like theirs through financial inclusion of survivors of modern slavery.
Ella’s has been supported by Lloyds Bank Foundation since 2022 through unrestricted funding and a range of additional support. I attended a forum they were part of, along with other colleagues with an interest in modern slavery. These forums are a chance for charities funded by the Foundation to ask Lloyds Banking Group staff for support with challenges they are facing.
They said they were looking for new trustees – particularly trustees that have had a background in fundraising. I used to work in corporate fundraising for an NGO, so I felt like I could offer them some advice and tangible support. After the forum, I volunteered to become a trustee and took up the position a few months ago.
Volunteering with Ella’s as a trustee supports my role at Lloyds, which involves looking at how the Group can develop products and processes that supports the financial inclusion of survivors of modern slavery. We want to be survivor-led rather than making assumptions about what they need. Being involved with Ella’s is helping me to understand more about the experience of survivors and how we can support them in meaningful ways.
I’ve helped to connect Ella’s with teams at Lloyds Banking Group, and they’re also taking part in a pilot scheme the bank is running around financial literacy. We want to find out how we can better support survivors with banking and financial services and their feedback is playing a key role in how we develop products and processes.
Meanwhile, in my role as a trustee I am able to play a part in shaping the development of Ella’s and supporting their leadership team. Along with the other trustees, I can be a sounding board for any ideas they may have and help drive the organisation forward.
I think that being a trustee is a really worthwhile thing to do because there's a lot you get out of it for your own development. It's a mutually beneficial thing for both parties. There’s a lot that you can learn while being able to support a cause that you're passionate about.
Being a trustee is not just about attending board meetings but there are opportunities to have a more hands-on role. I’ve only been a trustee with Ella’s for a few months so I’m excited to get more involved and see if there’s any other areas where I can support the staff, particularly around fundraising. And I want to volunteer in other ways to learn more about the organisation and what they do. It’s just a fantastic cause to be a part of.
If your charity is currently funded by us, we can introduce you to employees from Lloyds Banking Group who are interested in becoming a charity trustee. You will have the opportunity to specify any preferred skills you are looking for in a trustee and we will try to find the best fit for your organisation.
