Meet your Essex Charity ambassador Mike Beckett
Get to know your Charity ambassador in Essex.
Name: Mike Beckett
Position/company: Chief Officer Colchester Foodbank
Describe your current role/company:
Making sure our foodbank has the resources to be sustainable for as long as they’re is need for our service, while working to end the need for foodbanks.
Previous roles:
- A Citizens Advice Manager, A local Mind charity Chief Executive and NHS Governor
- Other information (eg. Other positions held, charity roles):
- Chartered Director
- IoD East of England Director of the Year Award, Chair’s Award Winner 2021
- IoD Essex Branch Charity Ambassador
- Brightlingsea Town Councillor
- Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (until 26th January 2023 when I become a full Liveryman)
- Freeman of the City of London
- Freeman of the Cinque Port Liberty of Brightlingsea
- Member of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising
- East of England branch committee member of the Chartered Governance Institute
Outside work (hobbies/interests):
- Dancing
- 1980s music
- Live music
- Social Policy
- Current Affairs
How long have you been an IoD member?
I first joined the IoD in 2011 as I wished to pursue the path of becoming a Chartered Director.
Describe your role as an Ambassador:
Explaining the Charity sector to business leaders and reaching out to colleagues from the voluntary and community sector to help them develop their governance skill base.
What part of IoD membership do you value most?
Networking opportunities to meet people and find out what they do and a bit about what makes then tick and sharing best practice.
What are the top three things about your branch area?
The Cricket team, Brightlingsea to visit as a tourist and Colchester too…
If you could give one message to the Prime Minister, what would it be?
Change politics away from short term lurches to left or right, away from negative politics and promote the Nolan principles in both deed as well as words which to date have lacked teeth.
What are you most looking forward to in the next 12 months?
Visiting the Isle of Iona
Looking back, what advice would you give yourself when you started out in business?
Review career development goals at least annually
