What skills and experience do you bring to your Trustee role?
I have always worked in the areas of HR, people, organisational change and inclusion so I am hoping to bring varied and useful skills to my role as Trustee for YoungMinds. I care a lot about working cultures and how we create an environment where everyone feels they belong and they can do their best work.
Which of our values do you relate to most, and why do you think it’s an important value for us?
The value I relate most to is 'we are optimistic.'
It’s one of the things that attracted me to support YoungMinds. I believe that it’s essential that we stay optimistic in a world that can often feel very dark. We find hope in community and our work and every possibility for change, big or small.
What do you do to switch off and take care of your mental health?
I read a lot. You will always find me with a book or a magazine! And I like spending time with my friends over coffee and good food.
We celebrate what makes you, you. What three words describe you best?
Our Board is made up of 12 amazing volunteers who bring a huge commitment to our cause, some with own and family lived experiences of mental health needs, as well as a wealth and diversity of experiences and skills. They expertly oversee the charity under the leadership of Caroline Hope, our Chair of the Board.
The role of trustees is to share their knowledge, skills and expertise, as well as give up some of their time unpaid as volunteers, to help us achieve our mission: to make sure all young people get the mental health support they need when they need it, no matter what.
They help us to enhance our three main strategic programmes:
Never alone: Helping young people to look after their own mental health.
Someone to turn to: Making sure young people have adults around them who can really help.
Powerful young voices: Building a youth-led movement to make sure mental health support is there for anyone that needs it.
Our Trustees oversee everything we do, from setting our strategy to being responsible for our work and finances, in line with the key duties as set out by the Charity Commission. They empower our CEO and Senior Leadership Team to take responsibility for the day-to-day running of YoungMinds, but they are the final decision-makers with ultimate responsibility for our success or failure. The Board are supported by the Senior Leadership Team, our wider Leadership Group and our Youth Panel; a group of 14 young people directly involved in our governance and strategy.
Find out more about YoungMinds, who we are and what we do
Take a look at our mission, values, strategy and meet more of our team.