“It’s been a brilliant experience! I am so pleased to have been involved. It’s been a real privilege.” So declared Ann Harrison at the Communities 1st annual general meeting in June 2025, in response to a tribute paid to her by Communities 1st chair, Jason John, who was thanking her for her great contribution as a trustee. She was standing down, having been a trustee for over ten years. And what a lot of change she has seen. I wanted to find out more, so, on a very warm day, we sat over a cold drink in Potters Bar, her old stomping ground.
I was keen to find out more because through being a trustee, Ann has been a volunteer for many years. When we think of volunteers, we don’t always remember the role of trustees. Ann agreed, adding that “Sound governance is so important. Trustees play a part in shaping the direction of the organisation. They also hold the organisation to account.”
From engineering to local government … to Communities 1st
Ann has had an interesting and varied life. She was born in Croydon, and after school she studied physics at Sussex University. She took up a career as an engineer, later becoming an engineering manager. This must have been unusual for a woman, I observed – “It still is,” she retorted, channelling the feminist in her. Ann’s work brought her to Hertfordshire in 1983 – her husband was working in Stanmore, and she was working in Harlow, so they moved to Potters Bar which was halfway between the two workplaces.
In 1994, Ann joined the Labour Party, following a chance visit to a stall, and six months later was elected a borough councillor. She went on to become Leader of the Labour Group and was responsible for a number of successes in local government. In 2018, Ann was given a Hertsmere Civic Award for Service to the Community.
Sadly, Ann was not re-elected to the council in 2015, having lost by a handful of 23 votes. She was not expecting that and was understandably shocked and upset. The council’s loss was our gain because at that stage, Ann was invited to become a trustee of Community Action Hertsmere which went on to merge with Community Central St Albans, to become Communities 1st.
Big oaks from little acorns grow
Ann reflected that “When I became a trustee in 2015, Community Action Hertsmere was a small organisation, with a small budget. It was little known.” She went on to confess, “Indeed, I had to show my ignorance and ask what exactly Community Action Hertsmere does?” Over the following decade the organisation has grown, merged with others, and expanded in terms of budget, staffing, and the range of activities undertaken. It became a force to be reckoned with. Ann saw a huge number of changes and developments in the voluntary sector during her time as a trustee and she was able to contribute, based on her knowledge, experience of the community, networks, and her “political nous.” Ann has been able to give to the Trustees a unique and special perspective.
The importance of policy
Ann is interested in policy and influencing. She’s been a governor of two very different schools, and she believes early years education to be critically important. She is a strong supporter of SureStart. She’s been involved in campaigns for electoral reform. Currently, she is concerned about the proposals for local government reorganisation and their impact on communities in Hertfordshire.
“There will be a lot of wheeler-dealing going on,” she commented with, I thought, a glint in her eye and an element of relish. “You’re a frustrated politician,” I teased. “Yes, I am!” she asserted, “And that’s because it is important.” She added that while charities cannot be political, but they can exercise influence. Ann is pleased that Communities 1st has become more involved in policy work over the time she has been a trustee. “Stephen, our chief executive is very authoritative, and he is very committed,” she commented. “He may be quiet but when he and Communities 1st speak, they do so from a position of thoroughly understanding the community and the conditions facing many people, children, and families. We have a responsibility to make our experience known to achieve change.”
“I wonder,” she pondered, “if we should do a little more to promote awareness of Communities 1st. We do such a lot but not everyone understands what we do. With improved understanding and a higher profile, we might be even more effective.”
It’s not jam and Jerusalem
Our discussion had been quite serious, probably reflecting the fact that Ann is a serious person. To lighten the mood, I asked what she liked to do in her free time. She surprised me. She is a member of the Women’s Institute! “It’s not just about jam and Jerusalem,” she protested. “I, recently, went on a lobby of parliament with the WI to raise issues about climate change.” She is also a bowler and a member of a Radlett U3A reading group. She enjoyed Robert Harris’s Act of Oblivion. “All the characters were very nasty to each other!” she smiled, quickly adding “We should, of course, all be nice to each other.”
Contributing to governance is so worth while
As Ann steps down from the Communities 1st Board of Trustees, she reflected that she had no regrets in volunteering as a trustee. “I feel I have made a contribution from my experience. I would recommend being a trustee. The voluntary sector cannot function without us.”
Thank you, Ann, for your service to Communities 1st and for your passion.