Leadership and inspiration

Over the last few months as things have been challenging, I have drawn strength from my friends, family and and colleagues.  It has been a great time to go back to basics.  I am rediscovering my creative side, the things that make me laugh, cry, frustrated, angry, amazed, distressed, joyful, happy and content.   I […]

Happiness and inspiration

The recent session I ran at the NCVO conference on Inspirational Governance: a happiness hypothesis was well received.  It was great to see and hear people sharing how hope and optimism is giving them a platform of resourcefulness in these difficult times.   I will be running a day training at the Directory for Social […]

The debates rage on to pay or not to pay?

The debate rages on about whether charity sector  board members should be paid or not.   The majority view is that trustees should not be paid.  The Charity Commission has made it possible for board members to be paid for services.  The position still remains that board members cannot be paid simply by being a […]

Inspiration at Hertfordshire Charity Trustee Conference

I met a wonderful trustee at the Hertfordshire Charity  Trustee  Conference and it was  against the background of  wonderful  Spring-like weather.   The encounter struck me for three reasons.
She is a new trustee and did not know where to start.  Her charity had paid for her to attend the day and had asked her to […]

A look on the world

Welcome to my governance world.   For the last fifteen years, governance has come to mean so much to me.  It can make so much difference to the world, to society,  to organisations and to people and causes served.  We do not exist to govern, but like vanilla, it will be missed if it isn’t […]

Welcome to Tesse’s Blog

This is the journey of Tesse Akpeki as a governance traveller. I start of by showing you the gradual route I have made in my governance thoughts. Management and governance are often described as being separate and never meeting. More of that later. I welcome thoughts on this.

My governance excitement index

It never ceases to amaze me about how my governance excitement index goes up when I come across a new governance practice. It is what good governance can achieve that sets my heart racing. I see a little local group who […]

Implementing good governance practice

When I witness the wonderful things that can happen when good governance is implemented my governance index curve shoots right up. I have just spent time with a voluntary sector arts group. They have worked out their purpose, their reason for serving their community. They have revisited […]

When you have seen one board you have seen one board

Perish the thought that one model of governance will fit all sizes!  The wealth of the voluntary and community sector lies in its ability to respond to need, to gaps, to innovate and reach out to parts and people that  others don’t touch.   Form should follow function not the other way around.    Where the passion, […]