Meet Our Trustees: The People Behind the Mission

Trustee Spotlight: TrustTEATime with Rachel Howell

At Bristol Charities, our Trustees play a vital role in shaping our strategy, guiding our work, and ensuring we stay true to our values and purpose. They bring a wealth of experience, insight and passion to the organisation – helping us make a lasting difference in the lives of the people and communities we serve.

In this series, we’re introducing you to the individuals behind the boardroom table – sharing their stories, what motivates them, and why they chose to be part of our journey.

In this edition of TrustTEA Time, we sit down with Rachel to hear about her journey, her motivations, and her hopes for Bristol Charities. Rachel brings decades of experience as a clinical psychologist, senior NHS leader, and school governor, with a deep commitment to wellbeing, collaboration, and tackling inequality in Bristol.

Rachel also serves as the ‘link Trustee’ for Wellbeing at Bristol Charities, championing a supportive, inclusive culture and ensuring staff are cared for as they care for others.

Q: Rachel, could you tell us a little about your connection to Bristol and your career background?
Whilst I was not born in Bristol, after moving here for my first job more than 40 years ago and having married and raised my two sons here, I consider Bristol to be my home. I am qualified as a clinical psychologist and worked within the NHS locally throughout my career. During the course of my work, I was privileged to hear the stories of many peoples’ lives and came to appreciate the importance of social circumstances in both mental and physical wellbeing. I became acutely aware of the impact of deprivation and inequality in Bristol.

Q: What inspired you to become a Trustee with Bristol Charities?
As retirement loomed, I was looking for a new challenge that would not only offer me the opportunity of continuing to contribute to the community in which I live by making use of the skills and experience I had acquired, but would also offer me the opportunity to learn. As a member of the senior management team within a big acute NHS trust I gained considerable experience of collaborative working with a wide range of clinical and non-clinical professionals and contributed to the development of new ways of working spanning the acute and community settings. In addition, my experience as a school governor, enabled me to see the value of the role of a “Critical friend” and as I became aware of a vacancy on the board of Bristol Charities, I decided to make contact.

Q: How has being part of Bristol Charities met your expectations so far?
Being part of Bristol Charities has lived up to all my expectations. I have been introduced to new ways of working, met some wonderful people, gained new friends and feel able to contribute to something worthwhile that makes a positive difference to people’s lives.

Q: Can you share a memorable experience from your time as a Trustee?
During my early days as a trustee, I had the opportunity of visiting the Bristol Charities Alms Houses, one of which was still a building site. I remember being impressed by the quality of the homes that Bristol Charities provides and excited at the prospect of being part of an organisation that was striving to improve people’s lives by offering such lovely accommodation. It was even more inspiring to return to the building site months later and to witness the transformation and a thriving new community.

Q: You’ve mentioned wellbeing and supporting carers — can you tell us more about your focus in this area?
Throughout my career I have endeavoured to help people find a way of reducing the distress they experience when facing difficult situations. Whilst my initial focus has been in helping patients, during the course of my career I have been increasingly drawn to caring for the carers. This led me to pursue a qualification in coaching and mentoring and a greater focus on wellbeing within the workplace. As Bristol Charities has grown and the work in deprived areas has increased, it has become increasingly important to ensure that all staff are supported appropriately and I am pleased to be able to offer my experience as link trustee for wellbeing.

Q: With the current challenges in Bristol, how do you see Bristol Charities making a difference?
With the current cost of living crisis and housing shortage impacting across the city there is no doubt that Bristol Charities is well placed to make a difference. The creation of the community hubs co-located with our housing projects in areas of high deprivation, provides an ideal opportunity to make a significant difference to a significant number of people. By providing affordable space to other charities on the Vassall Centre Site, Bristol Charities is also able to facilitate their work, increasing the impact even further.

Q: What would you say to someone thinking about volunteering or getting involved?
I would definitely encourage anyone thinking of volunteering in whatever capacity, to step forward. Volunteering can enhance your own wellbeing and provide a sense of purpose.

Q: How would you sum up Bristol Charities’ approach?
Bristol Charities: Committed, innovative, caring

Q: Finally, what excites you about the organisation’s new strategy?
Bristol Charities has a very long history of providing support to disadvantaged citizens in Bristol. Up until recently this has been achieved by focussing on housing with more limited additional charitable support via various grant giving projects. The new strategy seeks to pull all these threads together. By seeking to develop community hubs embedded within areas of deprivation alongside housing provision, Bristol Charities is ideally placed to facilitate change. By endeavouring to support the development of these communities and integrating support across the ages, Bristol Charities is intending to make lasting changes to peoples’ lives thereby continuing the legacy of helping those in need.

Q: And finally — how do you take your tea?
I like my tea to be the first drink of the day: weak, with milk and in my favourite mug, preferably in bed listening to the radio!