Step Up To Serve and the Young Trustees Movement and have worked together to bring you a checklist for getting young people onto your board.It contains a practical process and best practice guidelines to ensure you get the most out of young people and give them the best opportunity to be involved. This is a process that has been used by Step Up To Serve and been successful but may need to be altered depending on the set-up of each organisation and should only be used as a guide.
Research shows that charity boards are around 92% white, with an average age of 60 and 18-24 year-olds only account for less than 0.5% of all charity trustees. Diversity on a board allows for more robust decision making, and a diversity of experience is key to this. Young people are able to bring energy, commitment and fresh perspective to direct a charity. This also gives young people the opportunity to build their skills and experience which in turn will put them in a better place to be the leaders of charities in the future.
The government’s civil society strategy argues that the contributions of young people are vital to a thriving society, and have a critical role in helping the country tackle challenges and deliver a better future for all.
