Trusting in young people

About 18 months ago, I joined the board of a London performing arts charity – Collective Artistes, a group that uses theatre to tell the stories of the African Diaspora and create social change. I hadn’t seriously considered trusteeship before I saw the position advertised, but I can’t overstate the difference becoming a trustee has made to my life. There’s all the warm and fuzzy stuff you would expect – the feeling that I’m making a difference, furthering a cause, contributing to the community I live in. But I might have gained these ‘brownie points’ in other ways – say by volunteering in one of my charity’s projects or by making a financial contribution.

What makes trusteeship special is the responsibility it brings and the skills, knowledge and confidence it’s helped me develop – all of which are proving immensely valuable to all areas of my life. I’ve learnt how to scrutinise accounts, how to evaluate projects and how to strategically plan for the future. So far, so good – for me anyway, and I hope for my charity.

But recent statistics demonstrate how few other young people are tapping into the opportunities and benefits trusteeship offers. Charity Commission research shows fewer than 2% of charity boards include trustees below the age of 25 and that the average age of trustees is 57. Nearly 50% of trustees are over 60¹.

My worry here is three-fold. First, young people are missing out on valuable development opportunities. Current school and university leavers face enormous competition for jobs and internships. Trusteeship is one way of standing out from the crowd, of demonstrating that you know what it means to make a commitment, take responsibility and be held accountable for your decisions.

Second, communities suffer when young people are not sufficiently trusted and engaged. I grew up and still live in Leyton, in the borough of Waltham Forest, a part of east London that is comparatively deprived. I enjoyed a happy and settled childhood but I know many children growing up in the area face challenges. A third grow up in families living on out-of-work benefits², and the number of young people who achieve A*-C grades at GCSE ³ is well below the national average. I’m certain that part of the reason so many young people in London literally ran riot, is that they have never experienced the rewards of responsibility, have never felt what it’s like to have been trusted with something important.

At Collective Artistes we witness the impact responsibility and leadership can have on young people all the time. Recently, we worked with a group of young people on probation. They took part in a two-week project during which they developed and wrote short plays, which they then saw performed by professional actors. I’m confident in claiming that those two weeks helped change the course of some young lives. In the words of one participant: “Before, I didn’t have much confidence, I didn’t really want to do anything. I was thinking ‘ra, I can’t do it’. But when I went to the drama, it built up my confidence. Now I want to move on in life. Leave all this crime stuff behind me.”

Now, I’m not suggesting charities should start recruiting troubled young people to their boards en masse. Nor should the granting of trusteeship be seen as an act of charity – trustees have serious duties and, regardless of age, should be recruited according to skills, ability and character. But I do think arts charities, most of which, like Collective Artistes, have an interest in making a difference through the arts, should be taking a lead by asking what younger people in their communities could contribute to the charitable sector. They would be doing society more generally a service – which, ultimately, is what all charities aim to do.

But it is charities themselves that stand to gain the most. The dearth of youth on boards suggests charities are missing out on a huge resource. Younger people bring fresh ideas, energy, a new perspective – and some very valuable skills. In my experience, younger people are more confident about taking calculated risks – perhaps in exploring innovative ways to pursue the charity’s aims. Younger people also tend to have their noses to the wind with respect to technological advances, including social media. One of our recent volunteers helped revolutionise the way the charity uses Facebook and Twitter to make contact with audiences and supporters. As income from tickets or entry fees make up at least part of any arts charity budget, they have a financial interest in capitalising on these skills to attract new audiences through the input of a younger trustee.

Like many arts charities, we are always looking for ways to encourage younger people to take on more responsibility in their communities. And trusteeship is a great way for arts charities and younger people to have a mutually rewarding experience.

So here’s my plea to arts charities: take a look around your board table and ask yourselves – are we missing something here?