Paulina Stachnik headshot

Bringing digital skills to the board – introducing Paulina Stachnik

Tue, December 1, 2020 by Charles Tyrer

Here at Settle Stories, we couldn’t do what we do without such a string team of volunteers. One very important role is that of Trustee, to govern the Charity. We caught up with our newest Trustee member Paulina Stachnik to find out more about her.

What in particular made you want to volunteer as a Trustee for Settle Stories?

I’m a big believer in the power of storytelling and was so inspired by Settle Stories’ mission and their flagship Yorkshire Festival of Story event. Seeing the impact that COVID-19 has had on the charity sector – and on arts charities in particular – I wanted to get involved and support in the best way I could. Having great conversations with Sita and Charles as part of the induction process was also a big factor – I’m inspired by the passion, commitment, and ingenuity of the whole team. Settle Stories is a small charity but it’s one that punches above its weight and dreams big which is exciting to be a part of.

What do you see will be the key tasks in your role for the year ahead?

One of the key priorities between now and the beginning of 2021 will be launching an online learning platform. This will be a one-stop shop for amazing storytelling content and courses – allowing Settle Stories to build on the success of the Yorkshire Festival of Story and build its global community while also acting as an income stream. It’s been great to work with the Settle Stories team and the Digital Committee on bringing this to life and we’re so excited to share it with the world in 2021.

In your role as Digital and Campaign lead at Women for Women, a charity that supports women survivors of war, you must be very busy, what made you decide to do voluntary work also?

Working in the charity sector for the last eight years has been rewarding and challenging. There are never enough hours in the day but I’m so inspired by the team I work with and the women survivors of war we serve. I think when you’re passionate about something you can tap into sources of energy that you didn’t know where there, and that’s how I feel about volunteering as Trustee. I’m passionate about storytelling, teaching and digital so it’s been a pleasure to contribute to these areas as a Digital Trustee.

Is this your first trustee role?

Yes this is my first Trustee role – I was thinking about applying for a few months but wanted to make sure I found the right fit and when I saw the advertisement for Settle Stories I knew it was it. It’s been an interesting experience so far – especially coming from a charity background and being on the other side of the Board reports (that is reading instead of contributing to them!). The Board have been very welcoming as well which has been lovely, and I feel grateful that my first time as a Trustee been so positive.

What do you feel you will gain as a trustee?

There are areas of governance that I am learning about now that while I knew about them before – for example the role the Charity Commission plays – being in a Trustee role makes you look at these areas in a different light as you are ultimately responsible for the organisation. I’m also very much looking forward to learning from my fellow Trustees who have backgrounds and expertise in a wide range of areas.

What are you hoping to bring to the role?

As a Digital Trustee, I want to apply my digital skills to projects which tap into my experience in digital brand building, marketing and communications, digital platform creation and education – I was a teacher for three years and often used storytelling to convey lessons in my classroom. I aim to bring a digital-first approach to the Board and coming from a charity background gives me an understanding of the challenges of the sector to help inform ambitious – but realistic – targets.

You have lived in eight different countries throughout your life, has there been a story/ storyteller from a certain country that has really resonated with you?

It’s not a specific person but I worked as a historical guide in three cities (New York, Edinburgh and London) for SANDEMANs New Europe Tours and I was always impressed with the storytelling prowess of my fellow guides who were able to inspire visitors with the their knowledge and passion. I think history is a subject that might make some people’s eyes glaze over, but when told through interesting and informative anecdotes you can bring characters to life and make them relatable, memorable and ultimately more human. On any average tour, I would be joined by travellers from at least a dozen countries so it also highlighted the universal power storytelling has in connecting us all.

And finally – If you could be a character from any story, who would you be and why?

My answer to this would have to be Hermione Granger – she was my childhood heroine. She is brave, a self-proclaimed nerd, big-hearted and stick to her values. Fun fact: my Harry Potter fandom inspired me to first visit Edinburgh in 2012 – where JK Rowling wrote the books – and then returned two years late to pursue my post-graduate degree at the University of Edinburgh. I met my partner, and soon-to-be husband, in that magical city and have been living in the UK since – so you could say she had quite the impact!

 

Interested in our board. Think you could make a difference? We are currently recruiting for a Chair.

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