Please see his invitation letter below. 

Dear Colleague,

I write by way of introduction, and to invite you to participate in a research study. My name is Gareth Powell and I recently retired after a 37-year career in the Royal Air Force. Since then I have become vice-chair of the trustees of Hay & District Dial-a-Ride, and Clerk of Glasbury & District Community Council.

I recently started work on a MSc in Leadership & Management at Portsmouth University. My research explores the contribution that military veterans can make to the third sector as charity trustees, how their experience equips them for the role and, as importantly, how they need to adapt their style to be effective. My aim is to produce work that is useful to both organisations and potential trustees, and hopefully help address the ongoing shortage of trustees.

I am delighted that PAVO has agreed to work with me in this endeavour, and it is through them that I have reached you. As part of my research I am looking to interview charity trustees, current or former, who have served as members of HM Armed Forces. If this is you, and you would be willing to spare me an hour or so of your time to tell me about yourself and your experiences (good and bad!), then it would be great to hear from you.

If, like me, you care passionately about both the Armed Forces and the charity sector, and would like to see a more active relationship between them, I would love to hear from you. Do please get in touch at up2106728(at)myport.ac.uk in the first instance. There is absolutely no obligation and all information will be in complete confidence.

Many thanks for your consideration, and for all you contribute to the charity sector in Powys.

Yours,

Gareth