As a Christian, I am convinced that Christians are supposed to be pace-setters of integrity and industry in the society. If corporate organisations demand and pursue excellence, the Church should do better as God’s beacon of quality standards. 

News report about Churches and charities being investigated or found culpable of poor management and financial malpractice, make my stomach churn. Charity Commission and Companies House publications of churches “in their net” don’t make for good reading. Removal or dissolution of various Boards of Trustees of faith-based charities arises mainly from structural or accountability fault lines which can be avoided. 

Church has been an integral part of my life. I was raised as a pastor’s child, I’m married to a pastor and my husband and I serve within small, medium, and fairly large churches. We are also privileged to serve on the Global Board of a Minister’s Network.  I have personally served in various arms of the church – usher, choir, administration, treasury, deaconate, etc. My involvement and experience span the governance, administrative and service delivery spectrum. Pursuing improvement of governance, accountability, and transparency within the Church as well as the wider charity sector is a personal crusade. 

Governance is complex and it is not spoken about much within the charity sector, especially within the BAME community. Yet, it is highly essential to the effective running, resilience, and reputation of the organization.  My passion and pursuit of solution led me to obtain a Masters degree in Corporate Governance and Business Ethics in 2018. The combination of a sense of calling, personal experience, skills, qualifications, education fuelled the setting up of G.A.T. SERVICES as a company. 

GAT Services works with trustees, management committees, CEOs, staff, volunteers, funders, service users to critically evaluate and reposition existing structures, services, policies, and practices. We simplify complex processes; offer bespoke training, seek funding, register companies/charities; write/review/implement governing documents; etc. Our experience span decades and we are still growing.