Guest blog: Prams, strollers, buggies… and charity boards!

This is a guest blog from Mairead O'Rourke, who is Strategic Engagement Manager at The National Archives. Mairead has previously also worked at Arts Council England and as a Museum Development Officer for the South East of England. It’s certainly a reflection of being in late pregnancy... ...but I have come to think that choosing the right baby buggy has a lot of parallels with choosing the right charity board. For the last few months I have been bewildered by the array of options, from the Strawberry, the Vista, and the Donkey; to the Bee, the Buffalo and the Terminator (OK, that last one may not be true...). I am told this is a common conundrum for all buggy buyers. How do you make a choice? Which ‘travel system’ will best fit your lifestyle? What are the most important things to consider? These questions remind me of those related to recruiting boards of trustees, so I have identified six parallels between choosing board members and choosing the right buggy: 1. Travel with purpose Ultimately the buggy is a means to travel with a baby. This may be stating the obvious but it is very easy to be led astray by cup holders and parasols, and you end up with something less streamlined, less fit for purpose. The same is true when recruiting for a charitable board. You need to be very clear on what your charity is trying to achieve, and how your board supports thi