17th November, 2017

Extern has been named as winner of the Northern Ireland Leadership and Good Governance Awards 2017.

Organised by the VSB Foundation in partnership with CO3 and Volunteer Now, the awards shine a light on the work undertaken by Trustees and Boards of charities, and on their efforts to improve their governance.

At a ceremony in the Long Gallery at Stormont today (16 November, 2017), Extern received the Leadership and Good Governance Award in the category for organisations with an income of over £500,000. Play Resource received the award for organisations with an income of less than £500,000.

Last year Extern supported over 15,000 people across the island of Ireland. The charity works with people from the Traveller community and people who are homeless, who are living with addiction, who are refugees, who have an offending background, and with children, young people, and families, who are experiencing challenges in their lives.

Speaking upon receiving the award, Charlie Mack, CEO Extern, said: “We place a great deal of importance on Governance at Extern. We are fortunate to have Board Members who are not only willing to step up to the challenges that brings, but to also challenge us as staff, to ensure we remain committed to our vision of enabling everyone to be able to make a contribution to society. Under the guidance of our Board we were able to support an additional 4,000 people last year. I think that speaks volumes about the impact good Governance can have on an organisation, and on behalf of our staff and the people we support, we would like to sincerely thank our Board Members for all that they do.”

Derek McCabe, Chair of Extern, is also one of only five Trustees to have been shortlisted in the Trustee of the Year category in the 2017 Charity Impact Awards. The winner will be announced on December 13th in CHQ in Dublin and a public vote is now open at charityimpactawards.ie

Speaking after the awards, Derek, added: “Simply put, good Governance can be the difference between someone who is in need of support receiving it, or not. And so, I am delighted that VSB Foundation, in partnership with CO3 and Volunteer Now, and supported by Investec, have organised these awards, to recognise the impact that Board Members, who are also volunteers, make to our society on a daily basis. All of us who serve on the Board of Extern, which supports thousands of marginalised people across this island every day, recognise that it an immense privilege to do so, and we are thrilled to receive this award.”

Denise Hayward, Chief Executive of Volunteer Now said, “The judging panel felt that there was a very high level of investment in the Board and developing their skills, with a particular focus on legal responsibilities and delivery of mission. This is exactly what is needed in order to lead a complex organisation such as Extern, and we are delighted to recognise such a committed group of volunteer trustees delivering at such a high level.”

Nora Smith, CO3 CEO added, “Supporting, promoting and developing the leadership of Trustees is a key area for CO3. As a sector we need to get better at shining a light on the strong leadership of Trustees and Charity Boards, who are leading the way in good governance. The Awards are a great platform to do just that. May I offer my heartfelt congratulations to the winners.”

Further information on the work of Extern can be found online at www.extern.org, or if you would like to find out more about how you can volunteer with Extern or support their work, then please email [email protected]