From the beginning we’ve had a particular idea about how we might build The Trust Partnership; that by finding the natural abilities in the people who join us, patiently nurturing them in a supportive environment, and constantly learning from each other, we could build a team of highly skilled foundation administrators and clerks to trustees.
Almost 20 years since we were founded, we wanted to know more about how this concept has fared. How do patience, kindness and forgiveness (all Biblical descriptions of love) build a team? We asked some of our team members for their insights.
Life at The Trust Partnership
Our employees come to The Trust Partnership from many different working backgrounds. For all of our team, we strive to create a culture which nurtures their development.
Jill Lawrence, our Service Director, joined us in 2017 following a career in the Probation Service. With us, she has progressed from Administrator, to Clerk, to Client Manager and has been in her current role since July 2024.
Jill says the culture is a key part of the business. “It positively contributes to the principles of working as a team, which is vital to ensuring effective service delivery to our clients.”
Mia Duddridge, Trust & Foundation Manager, has been with us since we were founded, having previously run her own private catering business.
She has seen first-hand how our company has evolved. “We are always encouraged to learn new things and progress our careers if this is what we want to do, while recognising that some of the team are happy to continue doing the jobs they do.”
Mia has developed personally, as well as professionally. “My working life is a constant learning curve, and I am always amazed at how we all often look at things differently, and individually bring something new to the party. By working together much can be achieved on our work fronts, and bonds and friendships built.”
Cora Butler is a Senior Administrator and Clerk, and joined our team after a career in customer services. She believes our core values set us apart.
“I think that the way the company is run is inspiring. I have never worked for a company that is so open to forgiveness, which encourages truthfulness. This creates a refreshing environment to work in and reflects in the way we deal with our clients and colleagues.”
Many of our team members have found a new path in joining The Trust Partnership, while others, like Administrator Daja Millward, are early in their careers. Daja graduated from university in 2022 and joined us in 2023.
“Joining the business with very little experience, the fact that everyone works their hardest and genuinely wants to do a good job, not only sets a high standard from the get-go but it’s also motivating. Despite the workload being heavy, if you ever need help, someone will stop what they are doing and help to the best of their abilities.”
If Jill, Cora, Mia, and Daja’s experiences are indicative of our team as a whole, we are proud to be offering a supportive, caring work environment. Not all workplaces are this positive. As Jill recalls from her previous experience, “The Probation Service was very different, and I had to manage some extremely difficult and stressful situations with colleagues, which was part of the reason for leaving.”
Facing challenges together
Of course, no organisation is perfect. Mistakes happen. We believe that how we handle these challenges is a measure of our integrity. Again, we asked our team for their thoughts.
Mia commented: “To err is human, but we never hold blame and always seek ways to mitigate something going wrong in the same manner again. We are always open and honest with our clients too, which I think they appreciate.”
Cora agreed: “The senior management team find a solution for the problem and discuss ways that any errors can be avoided in the future. They do not hold on to blame and therefore open us up to honesty. I deal with many of the senior management team at The Trust Partnership and they all treat you in this way, with kindness and are grateful for our honesty. That way any problems can be resolved and are a lesson learned.”
Becoming part of The Trust Partnership
We’re delighted that Mia, Cora, Jill, and Daja have such positive experiences with us. Mia sums it up perfectly. “I am proud to be part of the family and hope that I have helped in a small way to create the warmth, love and professionalism in which we conduct our business and that I carry these ideals with me in all parts of my job.”
Looking ahead, we are committed to maintaining this positive culture as our team grows, staying true to our core values of patience, kindness, forgiveness, faithfulness, hopefulness, and truthfulness.
If you are interested in joining us on our journey, and working with The Trust Partnership, you can find more information here.