East Cheshire Eye Society is an independent charity which solely relies on funding to support all of its activities. The charity is run by a board of voluntary trustees, some of whom have a sight impairment themselves. As the trustees mean so much to the charity, we wanted to get to know them a little bit better and share with you their own experience as a trustee.
Meet Elizabeth Durham
Elizabeth is an adopted Maxonian, having moved up here in 1988 from Oxford, where she and her husband, Richard, worked in banking.
Elizabeth then worked for over 30 years at Macclesfield’s wonderful local hospital, firstly in records and reception, and then, inevitably, in finance. She fully retired, at the age of 70, after latterly enjoying working in clinical audit, which she thinks played to her strengths for investigation, detail, and record-keeping.
She then became a councillor in 2015 and was honoured to have been elected as Macclesfield Town Council’s first mayor.
How long have you been a trustee at East Cheshire Eye Society?
Approximately two and a half years.
What is your favourite thing about being a trustee?
I love helping to give something back to the community and hopefully helping great people.
What was your reason for wanting to become a trustee?
I wanted to give something back to the community and help if I could. But I’ve really loved seeing how much they give in terms of help and support across East Cheshire.
How did you become a trustee?
I first met East Cheshire Eye Society when I was Mayor of Macclesfield back in 2015 and 2016. They are such an enthusiastic group, and so I asked if I could join.
What does a day in the life of a trustee look like?
You can do as much or as little as you like. They welcome help at all times, but I always join the trustee board meetings once a month and other meetings when asked, if I’m available.
How rewarding is being a trustee?
I love knowing that I’m contributing by helping and supporting those in need, through experiences, and building my knowledge and awareness along the way, too.
How would you summarise your experience of being a trustee?
Just a great feeling of meeting with and helping people who can benefit from our society – and making new friends is an added bonus!
You can discover more about our other trustees, here. We’re always on the lookout for new trustees to join us. So, if you’re interested and would like to find out how to become a trustee yourself, please get in touch today, either by emailing info@eastcheshireeyesociety.org.uk or calling 01625 422602.
