How Trustees Shape the Future of the Register
By Maria Papagiannaki RNutr RD – AfN Trustee, Quality Assurance (non-degree) Committee Chair
When we think of the UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists (UKVRN), we often focus on the standards required to join and remain on the Register. Behind those standards sits a wider system of governance, review and decision-making. Since joining AfN Council as a Trustee, I have gained a much greater appreciation of how this work helps shape both the Register and the future direction of the profession.
Trustees have a responsibility to look at the bigger picture. We consider where the profession is now, how nutrition practice is changing, and what AfN needs to do to ensure the Register stays credible, relevant and focused on public protection.
For me, one of the most valuable aspects of being a Trustee is contributing to these discussions alongside colleagues with different areas of expertise and experience. Council brings together Registered Nutritionists and lay Trustees, offering a broad range of professional and external perspectives. Decisions benefit from discussion, constructive challenge and different viewpoints around the table.
Much of this work takes place behind the scenes. Council considers areas such as strategy, governance, risk, professional standards and future priorities for the organisation. These discussions might seem removed from the day-to-day experience of being a Registrant, yet they influence how AfN develops and how the Register continues to support confidence in the nutrition profession.
My role as Chair of the Non-Degree Quality Assurance Committee has also shown me how closely quality assurance links with the wider work of AfN. Nutrition education and professional development continue to evolve, and quality assurance must evolve with them while preserving the standards expected of the profession. The same principle applies to the Register. Its standards must remain rigorous and relevant to contemporary nutrition practice.
Trustees also have an important responsibility to ask questions. Good governance involves looking at evidence, considering risks, discussing different perspectives and keeping the public interest at the centre of decisions. As individual Trustees, we each bring our own knowledge and experience, but our responsibility is to contribute to collective decisions in the best interests of AfN and its charitable purpose.
Serving as a Trustee has given me a broader understanding of the work involved in maintaining and developing the Register. It has also reinforced the value of Registrants contributing to AfN beyond their own professional roles.
Nutrition science, education and professional practice will continue to develop. Trustees play an important role in helping AfN respond to these changes while protecting the standards, credibility and public trust represented by registration.
