Highly Sprung are currently recruiting for young people to join our Youth Advisory Board. Today Zoe is here to give more detail on why we need a board, and what’s in it for you.
Why do Highly Sprung want a Youth Advisory Board?
Highly Sprung have been a Charity since 2018 and are run by a fantastic Board of trustees, who guide us strategically and ensure that all the work we do is for the benefit of children and young people.
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. (https://youngtrusteesmovement.org)
Our Board is no exception, and as a charity that works mostly with children and young people, we know that our Board should be more diverse and reflective of those we interact with. Our intention is by 2023 we will have at least one young trustee helping to lead us.
Our first step on this path is our Youth Advisory Board – a group of young people aged 14-25 who meet 4 times a year to give opinions, insights & expertise to help shape Highly Sprung’s work, strategy and vision. This will be a springboard to give the participants the skills to be able to serve as a young trustee in the future – either on our Board or other Boards. We hope that at least one member of the YAB will apply to be a young trustee with Highly Sprung
What is in it for me to be a part of the Youth Advisory Board?
The YAB is a great personal professional development opportunity for any young person who is interested in the arts, or how charities/companies are run. We hope to give you the skills to discuss big questions and make decisions that feed directly into our Trustee Board meetings.
Young people’s voice is so important to our work, and hearing from young people to feed into leading our organisation should be no exception. As part of our YAB meetings, each quarter we will focus on a different skill that is important to the running of Highly Sprung. Volunteering to be a part of the Youth Board would look great on applications for jobs, college or uni, or could potentially be used for Duke of Edinburgh. Those other ‘soft’ skills like confidence, public speaking and constructive challenge, are also transferable to everyday life!
Sounds great, I’d love to be a part of it, how do I sign up?
Find out more about applying for YAB here, or contact Zoe to chat further.