From the 3rd to 7th November 2025, it’s Trustees Week and we want to celebrate the amazing contribution made by our Trustees to Aurora New Dawn. The time, commitment, and effort these fantastic people bring to our work is invaluable – we’re delighted to introduce you to some of them through this week.
First up, meet Commander Chris Hillard a Royal Navy Commissioned Officer specialising in Air Engineering
Chris has spent the majority of his 20 year career working in the joint front line operational space supporting aviation output in all environments and is currently attending the Advanced Command and Staff Course at the UK Defence Academy at Shrivenham.
What inspired you to become a Trustee for Aurora?
I was inspired to become a Trustee for Aurora for several reasons.
Firstly, as a survivor of domestic abuse I am wholly grateful to the numerous charities within the UK for what they do to both support survivors but also raise awareness of this subject.
Secondly, given Aurora is a military facing charity, I believe it is crucial for members of the UK Armed Forces to receive necessary support from a team who wholly understand what the military does, given their close ties with Defence. This means that when I work with them, there is already a major connection and empathy and understanding for what the Armed Forces do, how we operate, how we may be more at risk, and how they can support us.
Thirdly, having visited Aurora and seen the work they do I am amazed at the significant positive impact they can make with often very limited resource, but what they certainly don’t lack is enthusiasm, passion, dedication, and the desire to stand alongside those who have suffered, and these are values I wholly believe in
What’s something you’ve learned since being on the board?
Since becoming a Trustee, I have had my eyes opened wide to the sheer breadth of work that the Aurora team do. A charity must be successful across multiple domains whilst remaining wholly professional and accountable to those people it supports and the wider public.
Having personally experienced some of the administrative tasks such as Domestic Homicide Reviews that are conducted by charities like Aurora, I have a better understanding of the time and complexity it takes to complete this vital activity, but this is just a small fraction of what the charity does. I am therefore amazed by the sheer amount of output a charity such as Aurora can achieve, despite the challenges of funding and resource.
What this amazing team can deliver given their size is incredible, and offers a very humbling and inspiring experience to me.
