Creative Youth Network (CYN) is committed to providing young people with new and exciting opportunities to broaden their skills and prepare them for life as an adult.  

Creative Youth Network is a growing charity working with young people across the West of England.  By building long lasting relationships, offering courses, support, drop ins and a range of arts and performance programmes we aim to help vulnerable young people reach their full potential.  

Creative Youth Network also owns and manages a number of properties where we run our youth services, such as youth clubs and events. Trustees are volunteers with a passion for young people. The trustee role is unpaid, but the money you spend on travelling to meetings can be claimed and reimbursed. A full induction will be provided, and trustees are expected to attend around 7 meetings a year along with a half day strategic planning session.  

  

What is a Trustee? 

The Charities Act 1993 defines charity trustees as those responsible under the charity's governing document for controlling the administration and management of the charity. In other words, Trustees manage the charity and how it will run, making sure that it is doing what it was set up to do. 

An excellent publication by the Charity Commission – The Essential Trustee - explains the key duties of all trustees of charities in England and Wales, and what trustees need to do to carry out these duties effectively. This can be downloaded from the Charity Commission webpage on GOV.UK website. www.gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commission 

 

*Names of all Trustees are available to the public after registering with Companies House and the Charity Commission. A Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced (DBS) check is carried out for all trustees.*

How Will You Be Supported?  

·      🌟 Pre-application chat (Mark (CEO) /Noelle (Chair of Trustees at CYN) / Abby (Youth Voice Co-ordinator)

·      🌟 Support with the application (Abby or CYN worker)

·      🌟 Pastoral support (Abby or CYN worker)

·      🌟 Expenses/ support with travel

·      🌟 Attendance to a CYN Board meeting in person or online in March 2024 to observe the meeting and learn what to expect

·      🌟 An existing board member to act as your ‘Buddy’ mentor (including support before and after meetings) to help you understand the role and what to expect from meetings

·      🌟 Training – Governance to skill you up on what it is to be a Trustee, safeguarding, youth voice training programme 

Duties

 Your duties as a trustee board member will be: 

🌟 Making sure that Creative Youth Network complies with its governing document (the set of rules that explains how the charity will run), charity law, company law and any other relevant legislation or regulations 

 

🌟 Make sure that Creative Youth Network is working towards the objectives and purposes that it was created to accomplish 

 

🌟 Make sure Creative Youth Network uses its resources and funds exclusively for what they are meant for. For example, it must not spend money on activities that are not included or relevant to the purposes of the charity, no matter how worthwhile they may be. 

 

🌟 Contribute actively to the board of trustees by giving strategic and firm direction to Creative Youth Network, setting overall policy, defining goals, setting targets, and evaluating if the charity is meeting these agreed targets 

 

🌟 Protect and safeguard the good name and values of Creative Youth Network 

🌟 Work to make sure Creative Youth Network is financially stable 

 

In addition to the above duties, each trustee should use any specific skills, knowledge or experience to help the board of trustees make decisions. This may involve leading discussions, identifying key issues, and providing guidance on new ideas. 

 

Essentials 

Each trustee must have: 

✅ A commitment to the mission of Creative Youth Network

✅ A willingness to meet the time requirements 

✅ Integrity

✅ An ability to strategise and act on a vision

✅ Good judgement and can think independently 

✅ A willingness to speak their mind 

✅ An understanding and acceptance of the legal responsibilities of trusteeship – trustees will need to complete a Fit and Proper Persons HMRC declaration. You will have inductions and briefings on the legal duties that come with being a trustee. 

✅ An ability to work effectively as a member of a team and to make decisions for the good of Creative Youth Network 

It would be good to have some of the skills and experience in the following areas: 

➡️ Working with young people from all different backgrounds 

➡️  The arts, or management of the arts in all forms 

➡️  Safeguarding young people 

➡️  Legal matters relating to the management of charities including Health and Safety

➡️  Management of finances 

➡️  Public policy and public affairs 

➡️  Volunteering 

➡️  Marketing and PR including digital strategy 

➡️  Human resource management 

➡️  Funding and fundraising

➡️  Collaboration

➡️  Impact Measurement 

➡️  Any contacts relevant to any of the above that may benefit Creative Youth Network 

It should be noted that experience is not needed in all the above criteria, as you will be part of a board of trustees, these skills can be collectively accumulated by the whole board. 

In addition, it is not compulsory to have previous trustee experience, as we welcome trustees with all levels of experience.  

As a charity, we are dedicated to creating and supporting opportunities for young people, to help them grow, gain confidence, and widen their skills ready for the future. We want young people to have a significant presence in the decision-making regarding the running of Creative Youth Network.  

With this in mind, we especially want to hear from: 

✨ Young people who have attended Creative Youth Network’s past events or services 

✨ Young people who have experience of care 

✨ Young people from the LGBT+ community 

✨ Young people who are disabled and/or are neurodivergent 

✨ Young people of colour 

✨ Young people who have/ currently receive benefits I.e., free school meals, universal credit 

✨ Young people who are refugees or asylum seekers 

How to apply:

Please complete the application form below

Application form 

If you want to discuss any concerns you may have, please feel free to contact Abby Sheppard at [email protected]