For many people, retirement marks the end of a career. For Lisieux Trust Trustee Elizabeth Fruer, it simply created more opportunities to continue a lifetime of volunteering and supporting others.

Elizabeth has spent decades helping people through her work with the British Red Cross, her professional career in the Civil Service and, for more than a decade, her role as a Trustee at

Having worked across the country during a Civil Service career that took her from London and Croydon to Germany, Reading, Surrey and eventually Sutton Coldfield, Elizabeth settled in the Midlands after her role was relocated in 1990.

Alongside her career, volunteering had always played an important role in her life.

“I’ve basically volunteered ever since I left school,” she explained.

Much of that time was spent with the British Red Cross, where she started as a first aider before becoming a trainer, teaching a wide range of first aid and emergency care subjects.

“I started off as a first aider and slowly became a trainer,” she said. “I taught lots of first aid-related subjects, right up to ambulance crew level.” Elizabeth has done training courses with the Residents and Tenants here on first aid too – pictured above. 

Today, she continues to volunteer, delivering training online, although she admits she prefers meeting people face-to-face.

“You don’t get the same connection online,” she said. “People are much more forthcoming when they’re in the room with you.”

Elizabeth’s connection with Lisieux Trust began through her local church, Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Sutton Coldfield.

At the time, several Lisieux residents attended services there, and Elizabeth would often stop to chat with them when they had ended.

One of the Trust’s early trustees noticed her interactions and suggested she might consider becoming a trustee herself.

“He said, ‘You ought to become a trustee,’” Elizabeth recalled. “That’s how I got involved.”

After an initial period as a trustee, Elizabeth stepped away due to other commitments before being persuaded to return in 2013 by former Chief Executive Martina Riley.

Thirteen years later, she remains an active and passionate member of the Board.

Trustees carry important legal responsibilities, helping oversee the charity’s work and ensuring it remains true to its purpose. But for Elizabeth, the role is equally about supporting those who lead the organisation day-to-day.

“Our biggest responsibility is to support, encourage and advise the senior management team,” she explained. “We help and guide them.”

She currently serves on the Property and Estates Committee and is also a member of the Residents and Tenants Working Group, helping ensure the voices of the people supported by the Trust are heard.

What has kept her committed for so many years is simple.

“I love seeing the way our tenants and residents develop,” she said.

“I’ve seen quite a lot of them go from almost not communicating to really participating in life, taking opportunities to develop and enjoy themselves.”

That progress has mirrored the growth of the Trust itself.

When Elizabeth first became involved, services were largely centred around Lisieux House. Since then, the organisation has expanded significantly, developing supported living opportunities and helping more people achieve greater independence.

She points to the journeys of people moving from residential settings into their own homes as some of the most rewarding examples of that progress.

But above all, it is the sense of community that continues to inspire her.

“One of the principles of Lisieux is that life should be fun,” she said.

“It’s so nice to see our residents and tenants having the opportunity to have fun, whether that’s Sports Day, the pantomime, Lisieux’s Got Talent or all the other events we hold. They support each other as well, and that’s lovely to see.”

As Volunteers’ Week continues, Elizabeth’s story highlights the extraordinary contribution made by trustees who give their time, skills and experience behind the scenes.

For Elizabeth, the reward comes from watching people thrive.

“It’s wonderful to see people being treated as individuals,” she said. “To see them grow in confidence, achieve things they perhaps never thought possible and enjoy life. That’s what makes it worthwhile.”

Elizabeth, on the left here with Maura