Maidenhead & Windsor

The search is on once again for more enthusiastic and committed local Maidenhead residents to become school governors – inspired by the example of a group of long-servers being awarded top marks for "attendance" next week.

As the 94 Maidenhead high achievers in the long-service stakes line up to collect their awards – marking a total of more than 1,500 years service – the Maidenhead Royal Borough is teaming up with the national School Governors One-Stop Shop to launch a campaign to recruit new governors to fill the current shortfall of about 100 of the total of 950 at borough schools.

The challenge is to "make a lasting difference" to children's lives by volunteering to work in the increasingly-autonomous school environment. The qualifications are enthusiasm, commitment and the time to attend meetings and become involved in every element of school life from finance to site management, human resources to marketing and pupil welfare to curriculum development.

Maidenhead Cllr Cynthia Pitteway, lead member for education, said: "It is very fitting that we are officially acknowledging the hard work and loyalty of our longest-serving school governors as we launch this search for new volunteers to this important role.

"Let's hope the dedication of these award-winners will be a real inspiration to others – and we can encourage more people to join them to make a lasting difference to our children's lives by volunteering to become a school governor.

"We really want to hear from anyone who is genuinely interested in the education of our next generation and in making a contribution to the community. Schools are right at the heart of our communities, and by becoming a governor people can have an influence on how the school is run and how decisions are taken by representing the views of that community. We also provide new governors with the training and the skills to make a really worthwhile contribution to the running of our schools."

Jo Buchanan of the School Governors One-Stop Shop, said: "No one should be deterred from being a governor by thinking they have to be experts. Volunteers do not need to be parents, have special skills or detailed knowledge of the education system – just a willingness to make a contribution to the excellent work that goes on in schools."

The Maidenhead borough's long-serving governors – the second group this year to be awarded under a new scheme recognising governors commitment and loyalty – will receive their awards from Cllr Eric Wiles, Mayor of the Royal Borough, at a special ceremony in the Town Hall, Maidenhead, on Wednesday March 1.

There are 72 Maidenhead awards for continuous service (8 – 15 years); 18 for exemplary service (16 – 29 years) and four distinguished service awards (30 years and above, including one posthumous award for 50 years service to Charles Waltham on behalf of his late wife Joyce, a former governor at Trevelyan Middle School in Windsor).

For further information about the awards evening, or about becoming a school governor, contact Maidenhead Royal Borough governors' services on 01628 796960. Governor packs containing information for individuals, schools and employers are available from the School Governors One Stop Shop (SGOSS) on 0870 241 3883, email info@schoolgovernors-oss.co.uk or visit their website at www.sgoss.org.uk

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead