People often ask me how I came to be the Chair of the Board of Directors of ApparelXchange. It all came from a chat in the playground! My kids and Izzie’s kids were at the same primary school, so as you do, we got chatting. (And even before then I’d admired Izzie’s stylish dressing from afar – of course!)
As we got to know each other better, I was excited to discover she was the founder of ApparelXchange, which I’d already heard about, and I was keen to find out more. We would chat about our love of second-hand clothes shopping, and our shared passion for protecting the environment.
At the time I had recently moved to a 4 day working week, partly with the aim of having more time to volunteer my time to causes I felt strongly about. So when Izzie asked if I’d be interested in joining the Board of ApparelXchange as a volunteer Director, I jumped at the opportunity.
I have no background in retail, textiles or business – though sure, I love clothes, and am very happy folding tshirts! But what I bring to the organisation is professional expertise in two main areas. One is writing funding applications; I’m a lecturer in English literature, so I’m very comfortable crafting a persuasive piece of prose, and academics are constantly having to apply for funding these days. The other area of professional experience I could draw on was many years of running meetings, so it was an obvious fit when I took on the Chair role after a year or so on the Board.
I joined the Board nearly five years ago, and in that time it’s been really exciting to see ApparelXchange go from strength to strength. Being Chair means that I have ultimate responsibility for governance, and that includes making sure that everything we do is aligned with our social and environmental mission. It’s so rewarding to be part of an organisation with such a clear set of values, and single-minded ambition to make the world a better place.
Being a small organisation, getting the most out of everyone’s interests, skills and abilities is really important. So our Directors aren’t the kind who just turn up for meetings every couple of months to give their views and then disappear. Everyone pitches in throughout the year, whether that’s working on finances or policies, exending our contacts to maximise our social impact, spending an afternoon in the warehouse helping sort a big donation, or doing a few hours in the shop serving customers.
I have learned an incredible amount since joining ApparelXchange. Of course I’m now much more knowledgeable about social enterprise and the circular economy. But one of the things I love about being part of ApparelXchange is the fantastic diversity of people we have, both on the Board and on the staff. That range of perspectives on the challenges that the organisation faces is so important, and really exciting to be around. I also love meeting our customers and partner organisations – it means so much to see the impact that our work has, and how our message about sustainable clothing consumption is growing in reach and strength.
It’s an absolute privilege to be part of such a dynamic, ambitious and progressive organisation. On behalf of ApparelXchange, thank you for all the support you give us, which keeps us going when times get tough. And if you see someone outside the shop weeding the planters, it’s probably me, so come and say hello!