ARMISTICE DAY ADDS A WONDERFUL DIMENSION THROUGH TOWER OF LONDON REMEMBERS
“So moving”, “inspirational”, “truly awesome”, “too touching to miss” are words used to describe the artwork ”Blood-Swept Lands and Seas of Red” composed of over 888,246 handmade poppies which has been visited by over 5 million people. Each poppy represents the death of a British and Commonwealth solder during World War One. It is also meant to symbolise that human beings are transient . As I looked at the wonderful artwork I heard a woman say
‘You’ve got to be there to see it and experience it. The television does not quite capture emotional elements of this experience.’
My touching bit of the installation was the weeping window and the wave segments. Though artist, Paul Cummins said he never intended the installation to be permanent, huge demands from the public sparked a campaign to keep the installation in place for longer.
So what does this mean for Trustee Boards? There is no better advertisement than to make being a trustee an attractive proposition, with a cause that people can relate to. If individuals young and old, men and women can think they can make a difference by serving in a trustee role they will. Some will join the board because they have an interest in the cause, others because they want to give something back and some (like me) will join a board because we think we have an expertise which we can use to serve the board and input into its strategy. Whatever reason for joining, a compelling reason is that we can add value and help the organisation we join to fulfil its vision.