At the Young Trustees Movement, we take pride in celebrating the invaluable contributions of young people to governance, including our own board. Over the past 12 months, our Transition Board, comprising six dedicated members, has led us through an exciting phase, guiding us through challenges and preparing us for the next chapter as we welcome a permanent board in the new year.

Having grown for over three years, with our roots going back far beyond that (read about our history here), our movement embarked on the journey of becoming a charity one year ago. To ensure that the process was guided by young people and aligned with our values, we formed a Transition Board composed of young adults. This board played a crucial role in centering diversity of perspective in our decision-making, laying the groundwork for the organisation’s future.

Stay tuned as we share the learnings from this process, allowing others to benefit from our successes and challenges. The Transition Board will pass on the torch, having done invaluable work to build a stronger foundation for the movement — watch this space for more updates!

Our Transition Board has left an lasting impact on our movement, shaping a bold strategy that centres youth voices, guiding policy development toward equity and inclusion, and amplifying our commitment to transforming governance for the better.

Let's hear directly from some of our Transition Board members about their experiences.

"My time on the Transition Board was amazing, I was able to connect with other young trustees to create a solid foundation for future board members. Working on changing the mission statement was a highlight of my time on the board, brainstorming with the team and really digging deep into what YTM meant to us was a great experience".

Read what Bola shared with us about her Trustee journey in 2021 here.

“I am most proud of working towards better financial sustainability of the movement, to help support the team deliver even greater impact across the sector. It was a delight to be able to do this in consultation and involve as many voices as possible in the process.

The most challenging part was ensuring the smooth running of the transition and helping to leave the Board in a great starting position for the new trustees coming in, this was a big responsibility for a movement that is so vital and I hope as a team we did a good job!”

Read about the consultation process Kate mentioned here. And,In 2021, Kate shared her trustee journey with us - take a look.

Dan shared his trustee journey with us in 2020 - read it here. In it he shared his motivations for being a trustee and how rewarding it can be.

The biggest reward has been… “seeing the impact that I’ve had and what I've been able to give back. For me, it's about seeing the impact of what I've done on the 400 people that used the services of the charity”.

Read Dlyan’s Trustee journey which he shared with us in 2021 here. In it he says:

“It is no coincidence that the charities who are the most resourceful, are often the ones with the most diverse boards.

They are the ones who can call on diverse perspectives and experiences. They are the ones able to utilise skills and resources in new ways. They are the ones uniquely able to understand and mobilise their communities. Ultimately, it is the charities with the most diverse boards who are best placed not just to survive, but to thrive. Having a young trustee is certainly a good place to start.”

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Two members of the Transition Board, Amelia and Harry, will continue their journey as Trustees, bringing their valuable insights into this exciting new phase.

"Leading the Transition Board over the last 12 months, working alongside such a committed group of young people on the board and YTM’s brilliant staff team, has been a privilege. It has certainly been a period of significant change for the organisation, not only in terms of our governance, as we have evolved from having no formal governance structure to appointing 7 trustees, but also operationally, as we recruited a maternity cover CEO and diversified our income streams. I’m really proud of both the progress we have achieved and the way in which we have centred our values in every aspect of our work."

Amelia previously shared her trustee journey up to 2020 with us, here.

‘I am most proud of working towards better financial sustainability of the movement, to help support the team deliver even greater impact across the sector. It was a delight to be able to do this in consultation and involve as many voices as possible in the process. The most challenging part was ensuring the smooth running of the transition and helping to leave the Board in a great starting position for the new trustees coming in, this was a big responsibility for a movement that is so vital and I hope as a team we did a good job!’

In 2021 Harry shared his trustee journey with us. He reminded us to challenge the assumption of what makes a good trustee:

“More than anything, I think being a good trustee starts with caring for a cause, and then using that passion and your unique way of viewing the world to make the best possible decisions for your charity. I’m so glad that I took the plunge and got involved in trusteeship, and would encourage everyone reading this to do the same. Regardless of your age or background, your perspectives are truly valuable. Don’t let ‘the norm’ tell you otherwise.”

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Working with our Transition Board allowed us to approach things differently. As this movement expands, we remain committed to keeping young people at the heart of our mission. We are grateful for the brilliant Transition Board members, whose contributions have been instrumental in shaping this phase of the movement.

As we move into 2024, join us in welcoming our incoming board, a dynamic team ready to steer the Young Trustees Movement forwards. Stay tuned for more updates and exciting developments!