VOLUNTEERING FEATURE
The RCOT Boards ensure vital two-way communication between the Royal College and its council . They have an advisory and strategic role in supporting the delivery of the RCOT annual workplan and relevant core team workplan objectives , and the Board chair is also a member of Council .
OTnews : What motivated you to volunteer to sit on one of the RCOT Boards and what have you learnt most from the whole experience ? Fiona : It was the experience of being involved with the Scottish Northern Regional group that motivated me ; being part of re-energising this group and working with the local community to re-form and run it .
As chair of the RCOT Board : Scotland and a member of Council , I have learnt so much about the vast amount of work that the Royal College does and about governance and effective leadership at this level .
OTnews : How can we encourage members , who have perhaps never engaged with RCOT before , to volunteer for one of the many opportunities on offer ? Fiona : I think being more open and visual about what goes on and who is currently in the roles would encourage others to get involved .
Get involved and reap the benefits
Fiona Warrender , Chair of the RCOT Board : Scotland , talks about her experience as a member of the board and Council
‘‘
I
Fiona : I have been involved in so much : Board meetings , Council meetings , roadshows , manning stands at events , chairing conference sessions , participating and planning the previous chief executive Julia Scott ’ s tour of Scotland , attending events at Scottish government , representing RCOT at stakeholder events .
think being more open and visual about what goes on and who is currently in the roles would encourage others to get involved .
And two things really stand out : being part of Julia ’ s tour of
transferred .
Scotland and learning from working with RCOT officers and other Council members .
OTnews : What are the main challenges to getting involved with the professional community , and how have you overcome these , and what would you say to someone thinking of putting themselves forward in the future ? Fiona : Taking on the role of Board Chair and Council member is a unique opportunity . Now that I am applying the skills I have learnt in my new role as a trustee within an arts organisation , I am realising all that I have learnt , and that the skills can be
Our members often feel that work pressures get in the way and we need to show them that we recognise this and understand what the work place is like . People often don ’ t realise what the benefits are until they get involved .
OTnews : What type of activities have you been involved in during your time volunteering for RCOT and what has been the best opportunity during your term of office ?
For more information on Council and Boards visit : www . rcot . co . uk / about-us / governance / council-and-boards / rcotboards .
OTnews July 2021 59