14/11/2024
Paddy Doherty is the chairperson of Leave No Trace Ireland and, a charity that works to ensure we protect and enjoy the outdoors responsibly. This is Paddy’s story...
“I was CEO of Dublin Bus and I retired in 2015. I wanted to do something a bit different. I’d been in transport for my whole career, so I was looking around for something new. I came across Leave No Trace on Boardmatch Ireland, they were looking for volunteers to join their board, and I thought it sounded interesting.
I was always interested in environmental issues, I was a cyclist and a hill walker, I loved the outdoors. I got involved on the board, and now I’ve been chairperson for a few years. I think it was a good move for me!
I don’t have a background in environmental science or anything like that, but in terms of general management experience, managing growth and development, I could bring something additional to the table.
Leave No Trace is a timeless message. I often think that whether you were living in Ireland in 1824, 1924 or 2024 the principles of Leave No Trace are valid.
The central message is about leaving the minimum impact you can on the environment. The organisation conveys that message through education programmes, advocacy, research, public awareness campaigns and engagement with partner organisations who will help drive the message.
We’ve grown a lot. When I started, the research and the ideas were there but it was quite small in terms of its footprint. Now there are 12 people on the team, there's 160 accredited trainers right around the country. There's a whole raft of engagement. We work with all the key players in outdoor recreation in Ireland and we're very much involved in outdoor recreation strategy. We're a trusted partner.
The role of the board is to oversee strategy, to ensure financial stability and sustainable growth. We're fortunate, we have a very strong and motivated management team who are committed to good governance.
Good governance is about having good policies and procedures in place, monitoring them, auditing them, and making sure they actually work and that they are relevant. I think that's why the organisations we work with are comfortable partnering with us. Our transparency is good. Our reporting is good. If you look at our report, you can see exactly what our money is spent on, down to the last euro.
We’ve been growing fast and you have to manage that. Sustainable growth is critical to ensure that expenditure doesn’t grow ahead of revenue, and that the commitments we’ve made can be delivered on.
It's a great pleasure to be the chairperson of Leave No Trace. We’re making more progress, it’s having more impact, it’s getting more support, and all that makes me happy!
