We bid farewell to our long serving trustee, Nick Stuart
For almost 10 years, Nick Stuart has served as a trustee of Walton Charity. As he comes to the end of his term, Nick reflects on some of his most memorable moments and just how much change the charity has seen over the past decade.
“I was driven by the fact that local poverty seemed to be getting worse and this was a great opportunity to give back and use my past experience to benefit the charity.”
From biscuits to Board papers...
I first became a trustee at Walton Charity in 2012 after retiring from United Biscuits. I had spent 32 years working in various roles, including marketing, sales and communications and saw the opportunity of becoming a trustee as a great way to use the skills that I had learnt in business to support my local community.
Nick Stuart, (man on left) visiting the KT One Two football project, supported by Walton Charity
I must admit, I did have a degree of trepidation when I took over the role of Chair in 2018 from David Nash, who sadly died. However, I was driven by the fact that the local issues of poverty seemed to be getting worse and this was a great opportunity to give back and use my past experience to benefit the charity.
Shifting priorities and fighting weeds...
Selling our then care home, Sherwood House, represented a step-change for Walton Charity. It freed up time to focus on our core areas such as supporting more local people to have a better standard of living, signposting them for help, and improving our independent living and allotment sites.
I can vividly recall a visit to our largest allotment site in Terrace Road where, literally, one third of the land had turned into a dumping ground. Not only was it an eyesore, but such a waste as we had demand from local people looking for space to grow their own food.
Our Green Spaces Manager, Karen, was tasked with clearing the land. Not only did she achieve that, but she created a Community Allotment where people from all walks of life can come together, socialise and learn new skills.
It’s great to see local people who feel isolated, or who face barriers because of their mental or physical health, joining in regular outdoor activities in an area that was once covered in weeds!
Opening the doors of Charities House...
In 2018, we purchased two adjacent buildings in central Walton to be used for office space and meeting rooms for local charities. We knew there was a growing need for affordable long-term accommodation for smaller charities and we are pleased that today Charities House is home to fantastic local organisations like Home-Start Elmbridge and North West Surrey Samaritans.
Another highlight, this year, was opening the doors of our latest project – The Bridge, a new community space offering practical support for Elmbridge families struggling with the rising cost of living.
Working in partnership...
Working together is something that all of us at Walton Charity agree is the way forward. We can achieve so much more if we work in partnership with other organisations and can support so many more local people. It’s been great to see many new partnerships formed over the years.
A final word....
I believe that there have been some great ideas which have come to fruition due to the hard work and dedication of the charity’s staff and as a result of the trust that our Board of Trustees has in the staff team.
As I prepare for my final Board meeting, I feel a sense of quiet pride to have been part of these changes that I have seen at Walton Charity.