We’re excited to welcome Sharon Goldman and Julie Cheng as the new leadership of The Mill’s Board of Trustees. Sharon will be stepping in as Chair, with Julie serving as Deputy Chair. They are taking over from Richard Bennett, who we’re pleased to share will continue to support The Mill as a trustee.
Some of you may already know Sharon and Julie, but for those who don’t, here are a few words from them both to introduce themselves.
A heartfelt thank you to Richard for his exceptional service as Chair. We are deeply grateful for his leadership and are glad to share some reflections from him as well.
Sharon Goldman, Chair of Trustees
I joined The Mill as a reception volunteer in January 2022 and went on to become a trustee in June 2023.
I was attracted to The Mill by its friendly relaxed atmosphere. As I am a keen crafter I felt very much at home and love seeing the exhibitions.
When I was on reception, I was very impressed by the dedication of the volunteers and staff and the range of things that happen at The Mill. I saw the value of The Mill as somewhere with an open door and a lot on offer for free.
The story of how The Mill was founded appealed to me as I had been involved in grassroots campaigns in the past.
I really felt that the values of The Mill were in tune with mine and the way that I have worked with people in the past as a social worker and as a charity project manager. Now that I am retired, I hope that the skills I developed over the years can be useful at The Mill. As I have become more involved, I have enjoyed meeting lots of the people who help to make The Mill such a wonderful place and have learnt a lot from them.
As a trustee I have taken lead on safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion and The Mill Meetup. I have also been involved in Build the Mill and strategy discussions. This has helped me to understand the way that The Mill works and the plans for its future, on which I can build as Chair. Through my time as trustee, I have met many of our wonderful volunteers and appreciate how much they make The Mill.
I have had links with Walthamstow since I moved to London in 1984 and have lived here since 1998. I love that it is such a vibrant and diverse borough. I had worked in another borough, so I am now enjoying being able to engage locally. As well as my involvement with The Mill I read with children at a local primary school and am also trustee of another local charity.
I really appreciate the difference The Mill makes to peoples lives as it made a huge difference to me personally. I became involved at The Mill when I was going through some big challenges and becoming part of this community helped me enormously.
I would like to be able to help as many people as possible, from as many backgrounds as possible to benefit from The Mill and to help it go from strength to strength.
Julie Cheng, Deputy Chair of Trustees
I moved to the U.K. in 2021, so I have been living in Walthamstow for 4 years now. I chose to live in Walthamstow for the simple reason that my best friend lives here. Little did I know about the diversity and the camaraderie of the community until I moved here. People look after each other and always offer a helping hand. This makes me feel welcome as an immigrant and at the same time makes me proud.
Looking to meet more people, especially locals and to give back to the community, I started to search for a volunteering opportunity in E17. In 2023, I became a Trustee, Secretary to the Board, and a member of the management group on strategic communications at The Mill. Two years in, I am grateful and privileged for the opportunity to step up and contribute in a different capacity to this unique, special place.
The story of The Mill never fails to fascinate me. It’s the power of the people of Walthamstow, to keep an open, welcoming space for everyone in the community. I come from Hong Kong, where everyone is stressed and walks really fast. You will be frowned on (or even cursed) if you stand in the way of others. Coming to The Mill, however, feels like chilling on a beach! The Mill is filled with happy faces. Everyone is friendly, open to a chat and to get to know each other.
Professionally I have over 20 years’ experience working in branding and communications, advising companies on their brand strategy, design to communications. I help companies tell clear and compelling stories about themselves to engage their different audiences. I’ve worked and lived in a few cities in Asia and Europe, with clients from Asia, Europe and America. My clients include global brands to Hong Kong family businesses to start-ups. While I’m working in the commercial sector, my belief is that business can be a force for good, and I see that the power of the consumers is driving this positive change worldwide. This is why I find so much resonance and encouragement in The Mill’s belief – people making things happen!
This shared optimism of people making things happen is very much needed in today’s world with challenges big and small: cost of living crisis, a slow economy, global political shift, wars, climate change… Therefore, it is my hope that I can bring my experience in the private sector to collaborate with other trustees who have in-depth knowledge in the charity and public sector to keep The Mill a thriving community living room for our friends and neighbours in Walthamstow.
I look forward to getting more involved, meeting and working closely with our dedicated staff team, volunteers, group organisers and visitors. If you see me at The Mill, or on the street, please say “hi”.
Reflections from Richard Bennett
I stepped down in early May after 3 years as Chair of Trustees for The Mill.
I’ve been a Trustee since 2019, and Chair since 2022. I’m delighted that Sharon Goldman and Julie Cheng will be leading us for the next period. I’ll continue to be a Trustee, and look forward to continuing my engagement in all sorts of activities at The Mill.
It’s been quite a journey for me so far.
My first couple of years as a Trustee were dominated by Covid 19, the lockdowns that kept our doors closed, and then the social distancing rules that affected what we could and couldn’t do with our limited spaces. We had to go right back to the basics of what The Mill is and what it means, to ensure the community was still able to express itself, and The Mill’s people could continue to support each other, through such tough times.
As Chair, I’ve witnessed The Mill’s re-emergence as a centre and community that means so much to so many people. It’s been a real joy to feel the change in the building as we opened up again, and re-built the exuberant range of activities that make The Mill what it is. Our strapline – ‘People Making Things Happen’ – is there to be seen, every time I walk through the front door.
I’ve been able to observe with real admiration the great work done by experienced professionals volunteering their time to our big-picture oversight and governance:
- Developing a refreshed understanding of what equity, diversity and inclusion mean to us
- Converting this, and our underlying values, into new strategic directions which are now helping us with concrete plans for the next few years
- Strengthening our prevention of, and preparedness for, any safeguarding issues that might arise around our work
- Developing solid and detailed plans for what the building could become for our community with additional funding
- Initiating new ways for our community to contribute and lead on new ideas for The Mill’s ethos and activities
And much else, of course. The Mill is run by and for our community, and it’s been a privilege to be part of the energy and activism that our 80+ volunteers and staff bring to making The Mill what it is.
I’m looking forward to more of that experience as a Trustee and participant in the next few years!