Our trustees

Trustees play an essential role in the running of a charity, which is almost always unpaid (At Age UK Bristol this is an unpaid role). Whilst it is not a role to be taken on lightly and may be demanding of time and skills, especially within a smaller organisation, it can be rewarding for many reasons.

A charity’s trustees share ultimate responsibility for making sure the charity is doing what it is set up to do, in line with its charitable purposes, and that all decisions put the needs of the beneficiaries first. They control, and are legally responsible for, a charity’s management and administration, and uphold a responsibility to safeguard the charity’s assets and reputation.

Meet our Trustees

Mina Malpass has been a Trustee at Age UK Bristol for 5 years and was recently appointed to Chair. Mina has had a long career in the voluntary sector and when she retired from her role in 2010 she began volunteering in her community, as a Trustee for another organisation and as a volunteer reader at RSVP – although Mina quickly found herself getting involved in the organisational side of this voluntary body.

Through her work with RSVP, Mina became involved in Age UK Bristol’s work and the early stages of the Bristol Ageing Better programme. “I wanted to get involved in an organisation that was small, lively, energetic, doing things that are going to make a difference, I have never ceased to be impressed by how amazing Age UK Bristol is.”

Mina hopes to bring her previous experience and knowledge of Age UK Bristol to the role of Chair and offer a “voice of stability and continuity during times when the organisation is experiencing a lot of change.”

Jo Sutton has a history in finance systems and, in the last decade, has specialized in providing cloud-based solutions to charities. This experience gave Jo an interest and insight into how important it is for organisations to have efficient back office tools to free up resources to be able to concentrate on their strategic goals.

Jo has lived and worked in Bristol since 1987 and when considering various volunteering roles she decided she wanted to be involved with the local community. “COVID has highlighted the importance of neighbourly cooperation and support, and it has been particularly difficult for older people who can be isolated and limited in mobility. If I could wave a magic wand I would bottle up the lockdown spirit from last April and spread it liberally around all Bristol neighbourhoods in the years to come to encourage generations to mix, the able to help the less able and to end loneliness.”

Yvonne Gordon has been a trustee for Bristol OSCAR for many years and after her mother was supported by Age UK Bristol, she wanted to have an opportunity to get involved and give back.  

Judith Brown is an 81-year-old Mother, Grandmother, and is a trustee for both Age UK Bristol and Bristol Older Peoples' Forum. Judith was recently widowed and says that her volunteer work saved her, and got her through the first grief. Judith works for the empowerment of older people and for their welfare and better life. She has a wealth of experience in the field of campaigning and older people, she was the Chair of Bristol Ageing Better and a co-optee to Bristol City Council’s People Committee.

"It seemed natural to be a Trustee for Age UK Bristol, a leader in the field and a charity that does so much for older people. I look forward to the months ahead!”

Ermira Masha became a Trustee in September 2023. She works in business in Bristol. "I started work in the care sector from a young age and developed an understanding of the core services offered in North Somerset and surrounding areas. Since then, I have gone on to progress in my commercial career and hope to utilise these skills to support AUKB further. If I could make one change for older people in general, I’d love to live in a world where different generations mix more frequently as we now tend to live more separate lives. This would lead to happier and healthier older people in Bristol and around the world, as places and cities would automatically be age friendly!" 

Ross Campbell runs 'The Clifton Exercise Club' a gym that specialises in older adults and as such has a keen interest in provisions for older adults in Bristol. The gym has always been member-led as Ross is passionate about co-production, that older adults should “do” rather than have things “done to” them. Ross was previously a trustee with LinkAge and joined Age UK Bristol as a part of the merger in 2020.

"If I could snap my fingers and make one change that would benefit older people, I’d invent miniature hot air balloons that people could store in their fridge. Whenever they want to go to a class/ workshop/ day centre, you take it from the fridge, put the postcode in, press go, the balloon grows to the size that can transport you safely and for free to your destination. The balloon is then folded into your pocket, ready for the journey home!"

Rachel Millar has worked in television documentaries for most of her career when a series about ageing sparked her interest in supporting healthy ageing, particularly focusing on those experiencing health inequalities. She now works at a health policy institute as well as a campaign called Take Five to Age Well that aims to champion healthy ageing actions and challenge ageist attitudes. She wanted to join Age UK Bristol as a Trustee as she shares their passion in supporting older people to love later life. She is keen to support Age UK Bristol on communications and anywhere else she might be able to help! She looks forward to a future in which older adults are treated equally, are seen and valued by society and that everyone is able to enjoy their life, however they wish to spend it, for longer.