Prepare, Transform, Inspire with ASPIRE

Say hello as BeOnBoard proudly welcomes entrepreneur and advocate of women in leadership Laura Morin Quintal to the team and find out about her role leading our exciting National Lottery funded ASPIRE project…

Laura Morin Quintal

Programme Manager, Entrepreneur, Advocate of Women in Leadership

With over 20 years of business experience, in Strategy, Marketing and Business Management, I am delighted to join BeOnBoard, an organisation that I deeply admire. Thanks to BeOnBoard’s great work, I became part of the Board of Directors of St Pauls Carnival. During my time at BeOnBoard, I will collaborate on the Aspire Project, a programme that will prepare, transform and inspire the future of Boardrooms in the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise sector across Bristol.

DIVERSITY IN THE BOARDROOM 

Do you know that from the top 500 charities in the UK, only 6.6% of trustees are trustees of Colour, of which only 2.9% are women of colour?1 Moreover, according to the Taken on Trust Report by the Charity Commission, the median age of trustees is 61 years, and only 0.5% of the trustee population is made up of 18-24-year-olds. The previous statistics clearly show that boards in the VCSE sector lack diversity.2

An interesting point to highlight is that 99% of the organisations that participated in the research considered diversity important at governance and senior management level. Those organisations stated that ethnically diverse boards could build a better sense of community and enhance the decision-making process by gaining a deeper understanding of society and its stakeholders.3

ASPIRE PROJECT

“Some People want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” 

― Michael Jordan

Many People of Colour ASPIRE to start a career as a Trustee or Board Member. It was undoubtedly one of my aspirations. However, there are numerous and systematic barriers that maintain an unequal and unrepresentative balance of power in these positions. One factor contributing to the problem of board diversity is that 81% of charities recruit trustees by word of mouth or personal recommendation (2021). Meaning that they replicate and maintain the status quo.

ASPIRE, a pilot project funded by the National Lottery, aims to break barriers, and disrupt the leadership status quo by diversifying boards with People of Colour to increase representation across the VCSE sector. Launching in January 2022, ASPIRE will run across Bristol to build capacity, confidence, and collaboration with four organisations committed to diversifying their Boards and eight candidates aspiring to become trustees.

ASPIRE will nurture the 8 emerging and established Trustees of Colour to help them advance and accelerate their Boardroom careers through a focussed program of support including:

  • Boardroom placement with organisations committed to inclusive governance
  • Training in governance, confidence, and leadership 
  • Fireside chats with diversity disruptors who have broken through the boardroom glass ceiling
  • Mentorship with established Leaders of Colour and peers
  • Pathways to future Trustee opportunities

For the four organisations, ASPIRE will help them to diversify their boards whilst increasing their ability to lead with inclusion by:

  • Match making aspiring Trustees of Colour with your organisation
  • Deliver diversity of thought with new insight, ideas and lived experience
  • Through workshops supporting your organisation to lead with inclusion
  • Reverse and reciprocal mentorship opportunities
  • Toolkits to support your adventures in inclusion 

With Colston’s statue coming down, BLM and the sector looking to recover from Covid-19, now is the perfect timing to increase diversity of thought and lived experience across our city’s Boardrooms. Given the recent headlines associated with Yorkshire County Cricket Club, maintaining the status quo is no longer an option. By delivering on diversity, you will reduce risks to your reputation, enhance relevance, resilience, and revenue, whilst supporting the recruitment and retention of talent.


Whether you’re an aspiring leader of colour, an established leader of colour or a VCSE organisation looking to diversify your board, click HERE to find out more and express an interest. Places are limited so apply today!

Prepare, Transform, Inspire with ASPIRE