VCS 005 — Experience for the Community

A community centre had grown considerably and its volunteer committee recognised that day-to-day management had become too demanding to be handled informally.

Through ExEx they found Angus, whose career had included senior management positions in casino and bingo operations. Although his previous experience appeared to come from a very different sector, the underlying skills were highly transferable: managing people, premises, customers, budgets, events and regulatory responsibilities.

Initially Angus joined the centre on a consultancy basis to review its operation and recommend improvements. The relationship worked so well that he subsequently agreed to become its general manager.

The appointment demonstrated that valuable expertise is often defined by capability rather than by the sector in which it was originally acquired.

ExEx Outcome: A community organisation gained professional management, while an experienced manager discovered a rewarding new application for skills developed during an entirely different career.