Who we are
YHA is a leading social enterprise charity with a 90-year history of making travel and adventure available to all. We improve health, wellbeing, and life skills through the experiences we create at around 150 hostels across England and Wales.
We’re an ambitious and progressive organisation, determined to extend our reach to people from more diverse backgrounds. YHA particularly focuses on young people — in line with the priorities outlined in our 10-year strategy.
The role
We’re looking for new Trustees
Share our values? Help shape our future.
YHA is a leading social enterprise charity with a 93-year history of making travel and adventure available to all. We’re a big, friendly organisation with a huge heart and great purpose. We make a big difference to almost a million beneficiaries every year — priding ourselves on the impact we have on young people in particular, as outlined in our 10-year strategy: Adventure. For the first time and a lifetime.
What you will get from joining our Board?
- the opportunity to contribute to the success of a national charity
- the chance to use your strategic knowledge to make a lasting impact
- a full induction and membership of an inclusive, welcoming Board
This role is voluntary, however, we realise that being a Trustee can incur financial expenses such as travel or the cost of covering care. We are committed to ensuring that these costs are not a barrier to the application or to carrying out the Trustee role.
What are we looking for?
We’re looking for candidates who fully support our charitable objective. As a Trustee, you will have a focus on creating opportunities for young people and act as an ambassador for YHA. We’re looking for our new Trustees to know when and how to challenge whilst supporting the executive team. If you have the vision, enthusiasm and strong communication skills needed to influence Board decisions, we want to hear from you.
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:
- are aged 18-26
- 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+
We seek people with the skills and experience to guide and challenge the strategic direction of the whole organisation. Each year, we review the areas of expertise we seek to add to our Board.
This year, we are particularly looking for candidates who can demonstrate one or more of the following desirable attributes:
- experience in the hospitality, leisure, commercial or tourism sectors — particularly if you have helped shape or manage the organisation’s approach
- strategic property experience gained within a multi-site environment inclusive of historic, residential, commercial, industrial or land real estate
- an understanding of Welsh policy and Welsh agenda, e.g. experience of Welsh government or public administration, Welsh grant giving, tourism/rural development in Wales
How to apply
You don’t need to have all these attributes to apply. We welcome applications from candidates who have relevant work and life experiences and have the passion to make a difference with YHA. You don’t have to be a current YHA member to apply to become a Trustee either. To be elected, however, you will need to become an Association Member of YHA before the AGM on Saturday 4 November 2023.
A complete application consists of:
- your CV — a maximum of two pages highlighting a short summary of skills and experience likely to be of value to YHA, education and qualifications, employment history, general interests and activities
- an online application, which includes your personal details, diversity monitoring and candidate statement
If you need support with the application process or to submit your application in an alternative format, please contact [email protected]
Application deadline: 9am on 21 July 2023 Interviews will take place early September 2023.
To read more about this opportunity please download our application pack at jobs.yha.org.uk/our-roles/become-a-yha-trustee/
“YHA gives young people the opportunity to have adventures, to meet other people, to really get to know themselves, and to get to know others and the environment in which they live. It’s a wonderful safe space in which you can really discover things and start to think about how you want to live as a person and make your contribution.”
Graham Turnock, current YHA Trustee
If you have any questions, please email [email protected]
Please note the Trustee Recruitment Pack and Advert are also available in Welsh.
Supporting document(s)
- trustee-recruitment-pack-0-final-e--compressed.pdf - Download
