Declan Naughton joined Ballina Credit Union as a member of the Board of Directors in January 2023 having previously worked in the RSA.

He feels the role of Credit Unions is to “support communities through financial education and careful lending practices, ensuring members money is being kept safe and investing in funds which allow the organisation to grow”. To achieve these goals requires support from the local community through volunteerism. These volunteers will sit on board of directors or on various committees and directly contribute to the running and growth of the organisation.

Declan works on a number of committees including the Strategy, Audit and Risk (SAR) Committee. This committee works alongside the CEO to advises the Board on strategic processes for risk and governance. Some of the tasks undertaken by the SAR Committee on a regular basis include:

• Monitoring the delivery of the Credit Union Strategic Plan,
• Reviewing the Credit Union Risk Register
• Reviewing Credit Union Anti Money Laundering activity
• Reviewing Audit and Compliance Reports
• Tracking the implementation of Audit and Compliance recommendations
• Reviewing Credit Union Anti Money Laundering activity
• Making recommendations to the Board on the Audit and Compliance Plan

Declan highlighted one of the main benefits of volunteering with the Credit Union being the access to training and supports which helps committees keep abreast of changes made to regulations. He also notes the teamwork opportunities stating “The SAR Committee consists of 5 members along with the CEO and is a real team effort, we all benefit from the expertise and experience of our colleagues”

When it comes to giving back, Declan said “Before I became a volunteer, I was able to get loans from the credit union and now I’m happy to be able to give something back by volunteering.”