How do I feel as the CEO of a charity when ‘revelations’ are made about how big name charities are run

Probably like everyone else in the country actually…. Disappointed and hurt that trust has been broken…. worried that the people that the charity is supposed to be working with will be damaged/abused/let down… relieved that the issues have been raised and that any bad management can be corrected…… Hopeful that the people of Ireland won’t turn their backs on all charities and recognize that the vast majority of us are working diligently everyday to provide the best service possible to our clients or members, as well as ensuring that we as charities are governed in a manner that is clear, accountable, transparent and trustworthy.

Youth Work Ireland Tipperary is a small charity in the grand scheme of things, but we are confident that we make a big difference to our young people and volunteers. We have been in existence since 1970 and in that 46 years have worked hard to build up a reputation and a structure that serves well the needs of our young people, our communities and indeed our funders and donors. We recognize that we have a duty to both our young people and to those who resource us and who place their trust in us – funders, donors, parents, other community and voluntary groups. To this end, we have a strong and dedicated staff, and a voluntary board of directors who oversee our work and ensure that we retain an ethos of best practice. Youth Work Ireland Tipperary is a member of The Wheel, affliliated to Youth Work Ireland and participates in a range of quality standards – the National Youth Council of Ireland’s Health Promotion Standard, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs National Quality Standard Framework, and particularly relevant to governance – the Wheel’s Governance Code. We also fully comply with the Charity Regulator and the Companies Registration Office. This mightn’t mean a whole lot to the young people we work with, but it provides us, our funders and our supports with the reassurance that we take governance and practice extremely seriously.

So, how do I feel when I hear these revelations?????  Confident that we are doing our piece to restore and maintain confidence in the sector as a whole. It takes all of us to ensure that people who are considering placing their trust in our hands can do so satisfied that the charity and community sector can be proud of all the work we do.