Member Story : Lucia Hiden

I originally trained as a journalist but very quickly realised that my favourite stories were covering local NHS organisations and services! I joined the NHS Retirement Fellowship in 2018 and haven't looked back. I love the junction of NHS and charity. Alongside my role at the Fellowship, I'm also Chair at Stamp Revisited, a charity providing mental health advocacy services on Teesside.

I decided to undertake the Certificate in Charity Law because, as Head of Communications, I was starting to take on more responsibility and look to expand my role within the organisation. I was wary being pigeon holed as a comms specialist and wanted to demonstrate that I was able to bring much more to the table at a senior strategic leadership level. I felt the certificate would give me that authenticity.

The qualification was recommended to me by a former trustee and chair of several charities who was helping me with some career development. I had also just become a trustee myself and felt the course would give me a solid basis for being able to make decisions with a solid knowledge foundation.

Building knowledge and applying it every day

The certificate absolutely enhanced my understanding of charity law and governance in practice. It has changed how I approach my responsibilities because I feel that I either know what I'm talking about or I'm able to go to the right place to confirm what I'm thinking. That makes me more effective in both charities.

For my trustee role, one of the biggest lessons has been the importance of the constitution and governing documents being right. That's a big piece of work I'm leading on as part of our five-year plan.For the day job, almost daily there is something that I say that stems from the learning from the course.

Greater confidence and credibility

Completing the certificate has had a huge impact on my confidence in dealing with charity law and governance matters.The results that I gained were better than I had expected! Plus, they have helped me act with confidence and authenticity. The learning has directly influenced how I contribute to discussions, strategic decisions and board meetings. Being able to demonstrate worth and value beyond a strictly comms sphere has been really important.

I also feel it has strengthened my professional credibility. I've had some lovely supportive comments from senior leaders and Board members individually when my results came in.

An interesting and worthwhile experience

The course was certainly manageable and the course leaders were very understanding when life gets in the way. I'm also mum to a 15 and 10 year old. Having the support of the Fellowship definitely helped. Being able to take some dedicated study time near the exams really made a difference and I felt very well supported throughout. The biggest challenge was adjusting to studying again. I hadn't completed an in-depth training course in about 16 years, so getting back into that mindset was challenging at times.

Supporting effective charity governance

One of the key governance challenges currently facing charities is getting constitutions right, future proofed and fit for purpose, while also keeping up with Charity Commission rules, particularly with the growing impact of AI.

I think it is important for charity professionals and trustees to have structured, up-to-date knowledge of charity law. Effective Boards and teams are built on a mix of skills and people working well together, but having at least one respected person with one eye on the law and governance is massively important to effective informed decision making.The qualification gives you that authority and authenticity.

A rounded charity professional

My professional development and future ambitions have definitely been impacted too. This training shows I'm a rounded charity professional.It has also opened up new responsibilities within my organisation. I'm now responsible for engagement, income generation and have a key role in growth too. I feel I'm able to influence more. I've also strongly recommended the course to the senior professional in the charity I'm Chair at.

My advice

The most valuable takeaway has been the everyday application of the learning. My advice to anyone considering the Certificate in Charity Law is simple: go for it. For me, the real value of the qualification is that almost every day there is something I do or say that stems from what I learnt on the course. It has given me confidence, credibility and a solid knowledge foundation that I can draw on both as a senior charity professional and as a charity chair.