The secret life of trustees: Someone has to keep the lasers legal!
Lasers, lathes and leadership When I first joined Nottingham Hackspace in October 2024, I was mostly looking for a place where my partner and I could build things without tripping over each other in our shared house. I’d heard great things about the space, but I didn’t realise just how much it would come to mean to me. Yes, the tools were impressive—giant laser cutters, an impressively stocked wood workshshop, even a metal lathe—but it was the people who really got me hooked. A community of tinkerers, builders, hackers, and artists who share ideas freely and love nothing more than helping each other learn. Becoming a Trustee (Even When You’re Not Sure You Can) When a mid-term trustee position suddenly became vacant, I didn’t immediately think of putting myself forward. I had surgery coming up, and honestly, it felt like a big commitment. But the election was at risk of not happening due to a lack of nominations, and a few fellow members encouraged me to go for it anyway. “You don’t need to be at every single meeting,” they said. “There are lots of ways to contribute.” T