The rise of youth advisory boards

Gathering the views of beneficiaries and stakeholders is vital for a charity to ensure it is constantly improving and acting on the concerns and views of those it supports.

 

Many charities, especially those with a focus on children and young people’s issues, are looking to formalise this by setting up youth advisory boards as part of their decision-making structure.

 

There are myriad benefits to setting up a youth advisory board. These include guaranteeing that charities improve their links with young people and ensuring that you carry out support with people with ‘lived experience’, not to them.

 

Below we look at how youth advisory boards are structured and some of the charities that have already set them up.

 

 

Youth advisory board structure

 

The exact structure of youth advisory boards will vary. But there are common themes. They are often made up of a diverse group of young people, who have a genuine say in the running of charities.

 

You should ensure youth advisory boards are formally linked to your organisation. To achieve that you should, among other things, include an agenda for meetings, ensure minutes are taken, ensure further discussions follow with senior staff, preferably considered by the top table team. All members should be recruited through an open process.

 

In addition, cement the youth advisory board by having a member of the board sit on the charity’s senior team, or report directly to its board of trustees. That link between board members and senior leaders needs to be strong and not something that is allowed to drift.

 

 

Save the Children

 

Save the Children has an 18-strong youth advisory board, made up of 12- to 18-year-olds from across the U.K. Save the Children has a clear goal to “ensure we amplify young voices and stay true to holding children’s rights at the heart of everything we do”. All its youth advisors joined following an open recruitment process.

 

“I chose to join the Save the Children Youth Advisory Board because I am passionate about changing the world for the better. There are so many injustices that children face every single day, and the voices of the younger generation are too often overlooked,” says Youth Board Member Ayesha, aged 17, from London.  

 

 

EY Foundation

 

EY Foundation has a 12-strong youth advisory board, made up of 16–25-year-olds from across England and Scotland.

 

They sit on the board for two years and “are responsible for bringing a youth person’s perspective into every area of the EY Foundation’s work”. The have quarterly meetings and their comments and feedback on the charity’s plans are taken to its board of trustees.

 

Advisory board members also contribute to the charity’s social media content, speak at events, and can work on their own projects related to the EY Foundation’s work. It has an open recruitment process that is flagged up via social media.

 

“My aim is to contribute to open productive dialogue, robust research and transformative action for the communities that need it the most,” says Youth Board Member James, who is also a school governor.

 

 

Childnet

 

The youth advisory board at internet safety charity Childnet is made up of 13–16-year-olds from across the U.K. and helps the organisation with decisions around its resources, messaging, and future campaigns.

 

It was created following a charity run residential trip, where young people looked at issues around online safety. The board was then formalised into the charity’s organisation and meetings are held monthly.

 

“I wanted to join the youth board because of how much of an influence social media has and has had on me and other people in my life. It was an amazing opportunity to spend time with great people and really look more into social media and mental health,” says Youth Board Member Hannah, who is 15 and loves music and films.

 

 

Career Ready

 

Social mobility charity Career Ready’s youth advisory board is made up of eight young people, aged 25 and younger from across the U.K.

 

All “have varied, lived experiences of social mobility”, according to the charity. They meet four times a year and advise on issues impacting young people and make suggestions on future programmes, as well as run campaigns and events for young people and other stakeholders.

 

“I believe that we should each be empowered to experience and achieve everything we’re capable of. By joining the Career Ready youth board, I hope to play a part in influencing this for the better,” says board member Marley Ahmed, who is 21, and studies business management at the University of Sussex. He is a former student of the charity’s programme.

 

 

Top tips for setting up youth advisory boards

 

In setting up a youth advisory board, charities should ensure: 

• There is an open recruitment process
• Members are diverse and represent a wide range of young people
• Boards can meet regularly and views are clearly documented
• Decisions are heard at a senior level, either by the top executive team, or board of trustees
• Encourage board members to be proactive and support them to develop their own projects