Free Champion Training
Join a 1 hour training session to understand the power of young trustees, have a framework to understand how to approach board diversity and take practical next steps. New dates are added every month.
03 May 2021
Ethan Hopkinson
East Midlands Ambassador
Young Trustees Movement Ambassador
Ethan has a long standing interest and commitment to public service and youth representation in all areas of public life. Being a trustee of a local youth club which he helped establish has given Ethan lots of skills and opened him up to lots of opportunities. Ethan looks forward to promoting the positive impact that young people can make as trustees.
How did you get involved in trusteeship?
Whilst at secondary school I attempted to create a youth council to promote youth involvement with local decision making. During my time working on the youth council the need for a youth club within the town was identified and I worked with a group of local residents to establish Irthlingborough Youth Club.
Due to the fact that the club isn’t registered with the Charity Commission (it’s an unincorporated association) I wasn’t able to serve as a trustee on the Management Committee at first but worked closely with the committee and became involved with the club’s fundraising.
When I turned eighteen I joined the Management Committee as the club’s Fundraising Secretary which is the role I continue to fill.
What motivated you to become an Ambassador for the Young Trustees Movement?
Being a trustee has opened me up to so many opportunities that have helped me in my career and my other interests and I’m passionate about more young people becoming trustees - not only for the beneficial insight that they can offer to the charity but for the amazing experience that the opportunity can offer them.
Working with the youth club on fundraising and then becoming the Fundraising Secretary sparked my passion for fundraising and working in the charity sector which led me to apply for a fundraising job with a palliative care charity. From there I have gone on to join a small learning disability charity where I’m working with the Chief Executive to establish their fundraising proposition.
My work with the youth club also led to me being asked to stand for election to the Town Council in the elections of May 6th.
This coupled with my passion for young representation in all areas of public life are the reasons that I wanted to become a YTM Ambassador.
What is your campaign focus and what do you hope to achieve with your campaign?
As an Ambassador I am campaigning for more transparency around youth involvement in the governance of charities - particularly as trustees. Whilst all charities should have diversity on their board including youth representation, it is particularly important for charities providing services for young people.
Who better to help lead an organisation then the beneficiaries themselves?
Promoting best practice and transparency will help more and more organisations to increase the diversity and how representative their board is. Ultimately I aim for charities to report on how many young people are on their board of trustees and if there are less than 10% what actions they are taking to increase representation.
Why are you passionate about your campaign focus?
Youth involvement with governance and representation of young people in all areas of public life has been a long held interest of mine and believe that the useful insight that young people can bring is all too often overlooked.
Transparency around how organisation’s include young people in governance will hopefully increase the number of young trustees and promote more widespread support for youth representation in governance - both in youth organisations and beyond.