Trustees' Week: Our unsung heroes of Bath Rugby Foundation

This Trustees' Week, our CEO, Lynne Fernquest, speaks about what our Trustees give to Bath Rugby Foundation. 

"If I could bottle the wisdom, humour, and sheer generosity of Bath Rugby Foundation’s Trustees, I would.  

They are, without question, one of our greatest assets. They give their time, their skills, and their perspective freely, even though your average person doesn’t know what Trustees do, or just how much of a difference they make. 

The word Trustee sounds a bit old-fashioned, doesn’t it? It conjures up images of suits, committees, and long meetings. But the truth is far more interesting. Trustees are the people who sit beside us, not above us, they help us see the big picture when we’re deep in the detail, bring calm heads to tricky decisions, and use their professional know-how and lived experience to steer us through both opportunity and challenge. 

Being a Trustee also carries serious responsibility. Our Trustees are accountable to the Charity Commission for making sure Bath Rugby Foundation is run properly, transparently, and always in line with our charitable purpose. They are the guardians of our mission, to change young lives through sport, inclusion and education, and they take that duty incredibly seriously.  

Their oversight means that every penny we spend, every risk we take, and every goal we set has integrity at its core. 

At Bath Rugby Foundation, our Trustees come from all walks of life. Some are business leaders, some are educators, some are community champions. What they share is a belief that every child deserves a fair start in life. They’re the people asking the tough questions when it matters, and offering a reassuring ‘you’ve got this’ when it’s needed most. They hold us accountable, but they also have our backs. 

And here’s the thing I’d love more people to understand, you don’t have to be a corporate heavyweight or sit on multiple boards to be a brilliant Trustee. You just need life experience, a sense of fairness, and the willingness to give a few hours a month to something that truly matters to you. If more people from different backgrounds realised how much impact they could have, our boards would be richer, braver, and far more representative of the people we serve. 

Every time a young person finds their confidence on one of our programmes, every time we open a new door for a child who’s lost faith in themselves, our Trustees have played a part in that story. They don’t shout about it…but I will. 

So to our Trustees…thank you for your time, your honesty, and your heart. You make Bath Rugby Foundation stronger every single day. And to anyone wondering if they’ve got something to offer, trust me, you probably do. Maybe it’s time to step up and see just how powerful your voice could be."

Thank you to our incredible Trustees for believing us in our mission and uplifting our charity:

• David Scotland, Chairman of Trustees
• Tarquin McDonald
• Louise Harvey
• Chris Alexander
• Emma Haines
• Christopher Potter
• Claire Taylor
• Emma Davis, Treasurer