What Is a Charity Trustee – And How Could It Support Your Career Development?

Matt is a Headhunter with over 20 years recruitment experience across professional services. His work also focuses on evolving Charitable Boards across Greater Manchester working with charities such as Forever Manchester, Barnabus and Coffee4Craig.

Victoria Cronquist is the Head of Smart Works Greater Manchester, a charity dedicated to empowering unemployed women with confidence and skills to succeed on their employment journey, through delivering transformative interview coaching and high-quality clothing services to help unemployed women secure jobs.  Victoria joined the charity in 2020, during the pandemic, and faced the challenge of adapting operations to continue supporting women remotely.  Since then, she has overseen the charity’s growth, led the opening of a second centre in Manchester city, supporting over 1,000 women annually from across all 10 Greater Manchester boroughs.

With a professional background in the third sector and not-for-profit organisations, Victoria brings valuable experience and insight to her role leading a small yet passionate all-female team, and dedicated volunteer community of over 60 volunteers.  Victoria’s work reflects her commitment to uplifting women and fostering financial independence, she is an advocate for the unemployed women the charity supports, ensuring their voices are heard and their needs are met.  Working alongside other stakeholders within Greater Manchester, Victoria strives to create fair and equitable employment opportunities for all.

Shamaine is the Director of Programmes for National Social Mobility charity LTSB and has over 10 years experience working in the charity sector. After graduating with a PGCE in Lifelong Learning specialising in Dance, Shamaine worked for the National Citizen Service (NCS) and then joined LTSB in 2018 and following 2 promotions is now the Programmes Director. LTSB is a charity that prepares and supports bright young people from disadvantaged backgrounds into meaningful roles with major firms all across the UK. The programme personally and professionally develops young people through practical skills coaching, higher-level critical thinking sessions, the power of sport and how to utilise the transferable skills you learn from the field into the workplace, and insight events with leading companies, business professionals, and LTSB alumni.

I have always been passionate about working with young people and helping them reach their full potential. Sports has significantly shaped who I am today, and I believe the transferable skills gained through sports are crucial in early career development.

Graeme is a Partner at the law firm Brabners LLP and heads up the firm’s Charities, Not for Profit and Social Enterprises team. 

Graeme is an experienced charity lawyer, having practised exclusively in charity law since 2010, and both Graeme and his team are recognised as being the leading experts in the field of charity law in the North West.

Graeme acts for charities of all shapes and sizes, including museums, research organisations, grant-making foundations, religious organisations, hospices and other care providers, educational institutions, registered providers of social housing and youth and community centres.  Graeme also acts for a range of sports organisations, including charities associated with professional sports clubs, and individual sports people.

Graeme and his team advise on a wider range of matters for charities, including their governance, charity mergers, trustee duties and their responsibilities in specific circumstances and where regulatory challenges arise involving the Charity Commission

Ann Durrell has dedicated over 25 years to the property industry, beginning her career in South Manchester and the City Centre at one of the area’s largest independent agencies before its sale. Her expertise spans residential sales, lettings, property management, investments, and new build developments, with additional experience in the commercial and Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) sectors.
Beyond her property expertise, Ann has built a strong foundation in operational management, IT, marketing (both online and offline), HR, events, and training. Her ability to streamline operations and enhance strategic growth has made her a respected leader in the industry.
Ann recently took on the role of Managing Director at Maddox Noel, a startup agency serving Greater Manchester. With a clear focus on customer experience, the agency is committed to delivering exceptional service not only to landlords and sellers but also to tenants and buyers.
Outside of her professional pursuits, Ann is a passionate race enthusiast and a champion of an alcohol-free, active lifestyle. In January 2025, she launched Active Women of Property alongside Hollie Snowball—a networking group designed to bring together women in the property industry who share a commitment to leading an active lifestyle, however that may look for them.