Raymond O’Hare is a trustee for ProjectScotland

IT’S often overwhelming when you listen to the news and hear about the needs of so many people and groups across every part of our society.

It’s easy to become immobilised by the number of good causes that need to be supported, and so for many of us we just default to making donations and responding to other people’s charitable exploits and supporting their JustGiving pages (which is still a great thing to do) – or worse still we do nothing at all.

I finally pushed myself to do something tangible about an area of need that I really care about – helping young people to realise their potential and change their lives through volunteering, no matter their circumstances or backgrounds. It’s one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.

First and foremost, the charity I work with – ProjectScotland – does an amazing job of changing young people’s lives for the better. There are so many incredible examples of how its intervention has given young people a chance that quite literally changed their lives forever. I care so much about people being given a number of chances in their lives, and working on the ProjectScotland board allows me to play a small part in making that happen.

We all have skills, talents and strengths which most of us take for granted. It doesn’t matter what jobs we do or how old we are. It doesn’t matter what colour, creed or sexual orientation we are. Each one

of us could play a part in changing people’s lives for the better, and surely that’s the most important thing of all.

I used to say to the people who worked for me over the years: “Never underestimate the difference and the impact that you personally can make to any situation.”

Being a trustee on a charity board is the perfect place to turn that statement into a practical reality.

You don’t need to be a high-flying businessperson or public servant to be a trustee. How many times have you heard the comment, “you are a born organiser” or “you have such a great way with people”; or even that “you are so full of good ideas” or “you are such a practical person”? These are the skills and life experience we want on our charity boards; and we want people from every age group and walk of life to come forward and share them with us.

The ProjectScotland board is currently looking for new trustees and as part of that we are ensuring we add the voice of young people to our board. After all, we were created to help young people in the first place. There is no greater feeling of satisfaction than knowing you are contributing (even in the smallest of ways) to something you truly care about, and that it is making life better for someone else.

The deadline for applications to join the ProjectScotland board is June 21. To find out more visit www.projectscotland.co.uk/joinourboard/ and email CV to info@projectscotland.co.uk