Volunteer Trustees sought to impact the lives of thousands of children and young people across the UK.

What will you be doing?

For more than 15 years Children's University Trust has worked with a significant network of organisations to make a difference to the lives of children from a really young age. Now, every year we work with more than 65 place-based delivery partners across the UK to reach more than 110,000 children in 1,000+ schools and since April 2023, thanks to a new individual digital subscription model, we are accessible even beyond that network, to all children and young people, wherever they are and regardless of how they are educated.  The last few years have been particularly challenging for the charity sector and for the Trust, but with each challenge comes opportunity. As a charity, we successfully managed the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, developing a strong digital offer which now sits at the very heart of all that we do, and drives our vital impact reporting and comprehensive data analysis, providing us with a dataset like no other in the UK. Now, as we navigate the current financial complexities and cost-of-living crisis, we have seized the opportunity to take a laser-like focus to our charitable aims and how we can best continue to make a difference to the lives of those children and young people who we know benefit most from the work we do. The result is a new 3-year strategy which will guide all that we do for our beneficiaries over the coming years. In increasingly difficult circumstances, we remain determined to make a real difference to as many children and young people as possible. Our Trustees have been central to determining and driving forward our ambitious goals for the future:

By 2026, every child and young person in the UK will be able to benefit from Children’s University By 2026, every child and young person in the UK will be able to find and participate in a wide range of Children’s University learning activities where they are By 2026, the governments in England, Wales, and Scotland will be acting upon data and insights provided by Children’s University By 2026, Children’s University will be receiving significant and sustained investment to develop learning beyond the classroom for all.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for candidates who fully support our charitable aims and objectives and are passionate about our vision and mission, and really care about:

the power and potential of informal education and informal skills development raising young aspirations closing gaps in educational opportunity, attainment, and outcome boosting the self-confidence, resilience, and cultural capital of children, regardless of their background and social mobility.

This year, we are particularly looking for candidates who can deepen our expertise and understanding in one or more of the following areas:

Finance and accountancy expertise, ideally a qualified accountant with an understanding of charity accountancy matters Professional marketing expertise, with experience of marketing strategy and industry knowledge PR and communications expertise, with experience in implementing strategic PR and communications plans to raise the profile of a brand and/or in broadening awareness of a brand’s values and priorities and increasing its visibility across a wider audience.

You don’t need to have experience in all areas to apply. We welcome applications from candidates who have relevant work and life experiences and have the passion to help Children’s University Trust make a difference. Children’s University Trust is committed to reflecting the communities we serve. We believe true diversity makes us a stronger organisation, which is why we’re interested in who you are. Your lived experiences and your values are as important as your professional achievements. To reflect our commitment to diversity and inclusion, we particularly welcome applications from people who:

under 30 identify as disabled or neurodivergent have a broad range of experiences of working life (you don’t need a university degree to be a Trustee) are ethnically diverse are from a working-class background are LGBTQIA+

What difference will you make?

Becoming a Trustee of Children’s University Trust is hugely enjoyable and rewarding. It comes with the opportunity to help shape the current and future direction of Children’s University, to impact the lives of thousands of children and young people across the UK every year, to meet and work with people outside your own professional sector, and for both personal and professional development. It can also offer a lot of challenge and fun.  As a Trustee of Children’s University, you will have a focus on creating opportunities for children and young people and you will act as an advocate for what we do. The children we work with come from a broad range of backgrounds. To best support all the children we benefit, our Trustees need to come from a wide range of backgrounds themselves. Therefore, we particularly welcome applications from a diverse range of people to reflect the diverse nature of our beneficiaries.  Our Board of Trustees is responsible for setting and overseeing the implementation of our strategy and for guiding the work of the charity in relation to areas such as finance, risk management, and organisational performance. Our Trustees come from a wide variety of professional and personal backgrounds, and this makes for excellent discussions and sound decision making. Our charity benefits from our Trustees lived experience of their own education, learning, and enrichment, and we value all the varied contributions that Trustees bring. Children’s University Trust has accessibility and inclusivity at its heart, so as a Trustee, you will join a Board where different viewpoints are welcomed and respected. We’re looking for candidates who will support but also know how and when to challenge the Executive Team and who will have the vision, enthusiasm, and strong communication skills to influence Board decisions.