All board members must be fully committed to the concept of a diverse and representative board. If necessary this may need work on changing the culture of the organisation and its board, in which case a game plan needs to be drawn up and the item kept on board agendas until realised. Consideration should be given to the practices of the board: time and place of meetings, whether younger members require shorter terms of office, guidance on claiming out-of-pocket expenses etc. Retention of new trustees is as important as recruitment: it is essential that any training needs are met and the new experience and knowledge they bring are fully used.
Go deeper:
- Youth Governance Guide produced by the Roundhouse
- Arts Council England papers on developing a diverse talent workforce
- A Breath of Fresh Air: Young People as Charity Trustees by the Charities Commission
- Diversity: a critical engagement by Nasheed Qamar Faruqi (Clore Fellow)
- How to Avoid Tokenism by Tarik Elmoutawakil, Creative Producer of Marlborough Theatre, Brighton, written for the British Council
- Charities: Inclusive Boards 2018, a report containing diversity statistics published by Inclusive Boards
- Clore Strategic Review of Governance Development Needs 2016/17