Teenage Kicks

Entrepreneurship and Independence

Engaging Youth

Siobhan Mullan

Overview...Governance, governance & more governanceHA Board Profile NIThe Helm experienceVolunteeringA fresh approachThe power of youthConclusion

Governance

HA Board Profile (2010)Age Profile: 44% over 60 years old >10% under 40 years oldLength of service: 33% > 10 years service

(courtesy of NIFHA)

The Helm experience

London 2012 the LegacyBoard vacancies0.5% 18-24 year oldsAdded value

Volunteering

Young Volunteers

A fresh approachbe innovative & proactivesquash the stereotypenurture and support

The power of youthA youth led organisation with a mission to represent and empower young people throughout the UK and around the world...90,000 strong membership organisation with the goal of building a generation wide movement to solve the climate crisis...

Funded by the Caribbean Development Bank this youth forum gives young people the opportunity to discuss and share their views on social and economic issues that affect their lives...A Scottish Youth Parliament initiative to pressurise the Scottish Government to legislate for same sex marriage. A top priority campaign for the Scottish Youth Parliament in 2011-12...

Credit Unions and Industrial & Provident Societies Bill Policy Consultation June 2013 & finally...

Teenage Kicks

Entrepreneurship and Independence

Engaging Youth

Siobhan Mullan

*****And the Helm Board?

*The column on the left reflects the age profile of Helms Board in January 2010.58% of our members were over 60 years old, 34% were aged between 51 and 60, and 8% were aged between 41 and 50.

Following renewal of our whole Board over the past two years, our Board today is reflected in the column on the right...as you can see overall the age profile of our Board has significantly reduced over the three year period. The latest profile indicates that 50% of our Board members are now aged between 41 and 40, and 25% are aged between 31 and 40. 20% are now aged 51 and above. **I want to talk generally about volunteering, afterall thats what Board membership is at the end of the day...

According to the December 2013 edition of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries journal Governance and Compliance 44% adults volunteered once formally during the year 2012 / 13 in England and Wales. 29% did so once per month.

*There is no doubt the London Olympics 2012 left a legacy of volunteers who were heralded for their vital contribution. Belfast had a similar experience in 2013 with the World Police and Fire Games.

*Despite this, Charity Commission research indicates that approximately one third of Charities across England and Wales have at least one vacancy on their Boards.

*Just 0.5% of Board / Trustee volunteers are between the ages of 18 and 24. 80% of these are the only young person on their Board.

Given that there are 800,000 volunteers serving on the boards of charitable organisations across England and Wales, it is evident that there is still much to do to raise awareness of the value young people can bring to Boards.

There is no doubt about that value in terms of their knowledge of social media and other technologies. But the value young people bring is not limited to these areas alone.

Young people bring a fresh perspective and can often bring different insights to the table. A diverse Board including people from a range of backgrounds and age groups is much more likely to be representative of the community it serves. In return the young board members will gain confidence, experience and expertise as well as potential advantages when they are competing for jobs.

Board member responsibilities fall above that of an individuals day to day employment, offering individuals the opportunity to play a key role in strategic decision making and management.******Thank you for listening...*