Trustee Profile - Elaine Close

Trustee Elaine Close, who joined the ScotsCare Board of Trustees in 2022, became aware of the charity and the support it provides to low-income Scots in London through her connection to Crown Court Church of Scotland in Covent Garden.

Already a supporter of the charity, when the opportunity came up to utilise her professional experience as a trustee she jumped at the chance. With a background in Human Resources, Elaine supports our Chief Executive Shona to better understand how ScotsCare manages its human resources, offering advice on areas such as staff remuneration and trustee appointments. She has also invested time in learning how the charity manages its processes, best practice, compliance with legislation and staying up to date in the world of HR.

Through participation on the Welfare Committee and she is Chair of the Nominations Sub-Committee, Elaine has been able to obtain a good overview of the work the charity does in supporting first and second-generation Scots in London.

“I’ve been surprised by the breadth and complexity of the work undertaken. Being on the Welfare Sub-Committee has given me some really important – and sobering – insights into the work of the charity and the tough challenges that some clients face on a day to day basis. It really reinforces how critical the work of ScotsCare is.”

On the importance of trustees, Elaine shared,

“It’s key that charities operate in accordance with their stated purpose and do that in ways that are effective and appropriate. ScotsCare’s Trustees share the charity’s values and are clearly empathetic to its aims but, importantly, everyone brings very different skills, experiences and perspectives which means those necessary checks and balances are in place.”

About her experience of being a trustee, Elaine shared:

“Learning more about the work of ScotsCare and about the actual operation of the organisation has been very rewarding.”