Get to know our Trustees… Katie
Do you want to know a bit more about our Trustees? We’ll be sharing a series of Q&A sessions from conversations with the Trustees over coming weeks and hope you’ll enjoy learning a little more! Got anything you’d like to know or any burning questions? get in touch!
Today we hear from Katie Gudgeon - she’s a HR Business Partner for a blood cancer charity and has lifelong links to Waddow. You can find out more about our trustees here.
How did you first hear about Waddow Hall?
I first heard about Waddow Hall when I was a youngster; I attended a lot of events at Waddow over the years including Guiding camps and events like Grandparents & Grandchildren weekends away. In addition to this, I’ve always felt some sort of connection to Waddow and the Clitheroe area in general due to family ties and their involvement in Guiding. Whilst I’ve not been in Guiding for a number of years now, I still have family in Clitheroe and the town really holds a special place in my heart, I travel up there as much as I possibly can.
What’s you’ve favourite memory of Waddow Hall?
There’s almost too many but my favourite memory of Waddow Hall has to be running an event with friends for a group of young people and this being an opportunity to help develop the skills of others and provide them with new experiences in such an amazing setting. Waddow Hall is set in such beautiful grounds and really gives space to just breathe and be away from everyday life, only enhancing the experiences of those that use it. There’s a fun picture of me being pushed down the hill grass sledding which I’m hoping to find for this blog post! I also fondly remember my first visit to Waddow Hall after my 18th birthday and visiting the bar for the first time with friends!
What interested you in becoming a Trustee with Waddow Hall Trust?
I was determined that I could be part of helping secure Waddow Hall for the local community and future generations and knew that I had skills that could be of use to the Trustee team. My experiences of HR within the public and charity sector as well as other personal and professional experiences put me in a good place to support; I’m not afraid to get stuck in where needed.
What are Waddow Hall Trust’s key strengths?
Absolutely the people that are backing us and cheering us on. It’s so heartening to see and hear the messages of support and fundraising efforts of all. We’re working so hard in the background also to ensure that we can secure Waddow and establish opportunities for communities far and wide to use Waddow in the future. We can’t thank everyone enough for trusting us to move forward on this journey.
What advice would you give to someone looking to get involved with Waddow Hall Trust?
Reach out! Whether you want to do some fundraising, have some information you’d like to share or don’t know where you’d like to start in supporting us, we’re really up for talking further and finding a way for you to get involved. You can get in touch with us via email or on our social media platforms.