We are delighted to have two new recruits join our board of Trustees.
Polly Marsh and Colonel Paul Edwards MBE have been volunteering for the Trust as members of our Grants Applications Committee in Spring 2021 and have recently accepted the invitation to join our Board of Trustees.
Polly is passionate about young people being the best they can be – helping to ensure all young people have the knowledge of and access to life-changing opportunities, regardless of background. She is a founding Director of Cuddledry Ltd and is also a reserve army officer working with the Youth Engagement Team for the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
“I am a passionate supporter of anything that develops young people, inspiring them to be good human beings capable of achieving everything they want to be.”
When asked about her appointment as a member of the Board of Trustees Polly said,
“I am a passionate supporter of anything that develops young people, inspiring them to be good human beings capable of achieving everything they want to be. All uniformed youth and cadet forces have at their very heart the values and standards required to help young people become more confident, resilient, valuable and employable members of society – whatever career path they choose to follow in the future. To me – that is the best life foundation anyone can give a young person. The Ulysses Trust does this in bucket loads – developing young people through challenge and adventure, to push beyond their comfort zones and discover who they really are, and how much more they can be. The Ulysses Trust continues this commitment into adult life– supporting people through University years (via Officer training corps), and future careers (via reserve forces).”
Captain Polly Marsh
Paul is a management consultant specializing in Strategy, Leadership and Organisational Performance. He served 32 years in the Regular Army before retiring in 2020. Currently an active Reservist and a Colonel in the Army Cadet Force, Paul has kept his links with the military. Paul is an active mountaineer, skier, cyclist and sailor and is also an Honorary Vice President of the Army Mountaineering Association. Speaking about becoming a Trustee for the Trust Paul said,
“I am delighted that I have now become part of team that will enable such life changing experiences for the recipients of our grants.”
“Having been a climber and mountaineer for over 45 years, and a Regular Army Officer for 32 of them, the opportunity to become a trustee for the Ulysses Trust was not one that I could pass by. I remember clearly when our Vice Chairman, Phil Neame, formed the trust following his adventures on Everest and since then I have seen first hand the benefit the trust has had in allowing Reservists and latterly Cadets to attend expeditions in the UK and across the world. The impact that such expeditions have on people is often profound. Whatever age they begin to engage with adventure in the outdoors, it often becomes a lifelong passion. Adventurous expeditions challenge individuals, pushing them outside of their ‘comfort zones’ whilst building teamwork, leadership and personal resilience. These expeditions also expose their participants to the beauty and grandeur of remote places in the world, highlighting their fragility, biodiversity and need for careful conservation. I am delighted that I have now become part of team that will enable such life changing experiences for the recipients of our grants.”
Colonel Paul Edwards MBE