More than 50 parishioners have expressed interest in becoming a foundation governor for Catholic schools in the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle, following a new awareness-raising initiative.
As in other parts of the country, foundation governor vacancies at schools in Hexham and Newcastle had been increasing. To address this the diocese’s Department for Education devised a recruitment campaign based around Education Sunday, which took place on 14 September this year.
Rebecca Daglish, the department’s governance lead, shared a brief speech for headteachers, foundation governors, curial and academy trust staff members to read out at Mass on Education Sunday.
Here’s an excerpt:
“Bishop Stephen and the Diocesan Department for Education are very grateful to those who already serve as governors; however, we do need more volunteers to be foundation governors in our schools.
“Being a practising and committed Catholic who would be able to receive a supporting reference from your parish priest is an important starting point. An interest in supporting Catholic education is also a great help. Many of you may have experience in recruitment, leadership, finance or buildings. These skills or experiences would be incredibly useful too.
“We need people who are good listeners, who will ask pertinent questions and who care about the whole community and the future of Catholic education in our diocese.”
They emailed and posted the text and an accompanying poster to all parishes in Hexham and Newcastle, and followed up to make sure a speaker was confirmed in as many as possible. Expression of interest forms were also available following Mass, along with a QR code displayed on the poster. Similarly, many parish bulletins also featured details of the campaign.
Rebecca said: “The response has been fantastic! We've had interest from over 50 people so far, and we’re currently organising two in-person welcome sessions, along with one online session to accommodate everyone.
“We’d like to thank those who kindly volunteered to speak on Education Sunday about the need for foundation governors, and everyone who has since contacted us to find out more about getting involved.”
For more information, contact education@diocesehn.org.uk
