Disability Arts Cymru & Jo Taylor, Azets

The Challenge

The Arts Organisation – Disability Arts Cymru (DAC)

The Challenge
To recruit a Finance expert to the Board to take on the role of Treasurer.

The Adviser – Jo Taylor, Associate Director, Azets

The Development Need
In her work at Azets, Jo reports to clients’ Boards. She wanted to experience the internal workings of a charity in order to better understand them and the challenges they face. Jo also hoped to share her sector knowledge and help the organisation apply best practice to its internal governance.

The Development Need

In her work at Azets, Jo reports to clients’ Boards. She wanted to experience the internal workings of a charity in order to better understand them and the challenges they face. Jo also hoped to share her sector knowledge and help the organisation apply best practice to its internal governance.

The Results

For Disability Arts Cymru (DAC):
• Having taken on the role of Treasurer, Jo was a reliable source of expert advice on accounts – both quarterly and end-of-year
• Jo was central to policy review and development, ensuring that DAC was responsibly governed, adhering to Charity Commission regulations and recommendations
• Jo led DAC through the process of registering as a CIO and recruiting a new Director
• Jo was a proactive and committed Trustee and Treasurer, offering support and expert guidance

For Jo:
• Jo developed her influencing and communication skills as a result of working as part of a collective
• She gained hands-on experience of operational issues such as HR
• Jo has developed her understanding of governance, which has directly improved her ability to deal with charity clients
• She gains a great deal of satisfaction from seeing the implementation and positive outcomes of her advice

The Endorsements

We are extremely grateful that Jo gives her time so generously. She has a calm and supportive manner; is totally reliable and is invaluable as both a Trustee and as an employer of staff. She is extremely well informed on third sector issues and her knowledgeable advice and support during a difficult period of organisational change has been absolutely invaluable, reassuring other Trustees, staff and major funders. She is an exemplary Trustee. Aled Rhys-Jones, Chair, Disability Arts Cymru  
   
Being a Trustee of Disability Arts Cymru has given me an insider’s perspective on the workings of a charity and a Board of Trustees, which has been invaluable in my role. I’ve gained confidence and developed my influencing skills as a result. It’s been very satisfying to apply my third-sector knowledge in a very practical and tangible way to assist the organisation. Jo Taylor, Associate Director, Azets