Our May board meeting: new investment, innovation and inspiration

I became a trustee at Parkinson’s UK in 2018, and Chair of the Board in 2019. It’s been my privilege to see how our board has evolved over these past few years, and how passionate my fellow trustees are about making the biggest possible impact for people with Parkinson’s.

We've just had our May board meeting, and I wanted to share some of the exciting discussions we had and our biggest priorities for the months ahead.

First things first: the essentials

The charity’s finances may not sound like the most glamorous topic, but trustees are ultimately accountable for everything Parkinson’s UK does. A huge priority for us is ensuring that we’re making the most of every penny of supporters’ money. 

We were encouraged to hear that we've continued to come through the worst of the pandemic in a strong financial position. Deciding to sell our office building in central London, as well as giving our staff and volunteers greater flexibility in how they work, will also give us new opportunities to target our funding where it's most needed. 

This means that despite the current economic backdrop in the UK, we're in a good place to invest in the research and services that matter most to the Parkinson's community. We had a good discussion with the senior leadership team about the right initiatives to invest in, from exercise programmes, using tech and wearable devices, to health and care support where the NHS is under acute pressure.

Exciting new initiatives to look out for

I'm excited to be able to tell you that we agreed to launch a new innovation fund. We know that good ideas can come from many different places, all across the Parkinson's community. This fund will empower our senior leadership team to be more nimble, reacting to opportunities and investing in promising ideas quickly. It cuts some of the red tape to make sure nothing holds us back from delivering real improvements for people with Parkinson’s.

We also discussed some important new opportunities to drive greater investment in the Parkinson's Virtual Biotech, our drug discovery and development arm. We’ve just marked the 5-year anniversary of this innovative programme, which is designed to plug the critical funding gap stopping us from finding the next life changing new Parkinson’s treatment. 

I won't reveal the details just yet, as we need to confirm some information and plan to make a couple of big announcements in the next few months. But I can say that the Virtual Biotech, which in just 5 years has built up a diverse portfolio of 9 active research projects including 3 large scale clinical trials, is clearly showing how a more innovative, agile approach is going to be absolutely key to finding a cure for Parkinson's. And we're having promising discussions with new potential investors and partners who recognise this and want to join forces to make it happen.

Truly one team 

On top of these exciting developments, it was brilliant to spend 2 days together with the Parkinson's UK management team and my fellow trustees. We had an energising "marketplace session", where we had the opportunity to talk in depth with colleagues from our fundraising, engagement and marketing teams about the work they're doing to attract new supporters and get Parkinson's understood. 

We also caught up with each other on the various events and activities we've been involved in as trustees. Elaine Evans, Sally Bromley and I had just come from doing Europe’s longest zip wire to raise money for Parkinson's UK. No small feat considering Elaine's fear of heights! You can watch Elaine zooming down at 100 miles per hour on the ITV News website. 

This prompted Kyle Alexander to agree to look into doing an abseil on a landmark in Northern Ireland. Now that it's in writing, Kyle, we'll be able to hold you to it!

When I first became chair 3 years ago, I was conscious of making sure that I gave everyone the opportunity to speak at our board meetings. I think it's testament to the strong relationships we've built, and how closely we work with the leadership team and wider staff, that it feels like there's no stopping people now. Every trustee contributed at this board meeting: each of us spoke up loud and clear.

And I'm proud to say that there are now 6 of us on the board who have Parkinson’s, alongside our fellow trustees who have other personal connections to the condition. We also bring a range of skills with different backgrounds and experiences of Parkinson's. At this board meeting, as ever, I learnt plenty from the insights people brought.

Our aim is to change attitudes and find a cure, supporting all those affected by this relentless condition. We are working towards this with energy and urgency, with the board, Caroline, our CEO, and the management team working together and new partnerships happening all the time. Despite the challenges, there are plenty of opportunities and lots to be inspired by. 

Thank you to all our volunteers, employees and supporters for that inspiration and commitment. And to our Scotland Trustee, David Allan, who unfortunately couldn't join us this time due to illness: David, get well soon and we look forward to having you with us next time.