We are delighted to welcome Olivia Tomlin as a guest to our Trustee Board. Olivia is a second-year student at Merton College, Oxford, and is taking part in the Young Trustee Programme developed by Student Hubs.
The Young Trustee Programme is a new initiative from student volunteering charity Student Hubs. Despite making up 12% of the UK’s population, 18-24 year-olds account for less than 0.5% of all charity trustees. Even if they know about it, they often feel too inexperienced to become a trustee. Because of this, most boards lack diversity. However, young people can make brilliant contributions to charity boards, widening their collective skills and providing unique perspectives.
The Young Trustees Programme connects students with charities looking to welcome a young trustee onto their board. The aim is to equip students with the knowledge and skills to become a visiting trustee and help a charity to tackle social and environmental issues.
OCF is one of the first charities to take part in the programme, which was developed last year. Olivia will attend meetings of our Board of Trustees as a visitor, contributing ideas and projects. She is currently studying Classics at Oxford University, and has a range of previous experience, including volunteering with Oxford Hub, where she coordinated a project working with disadvantaged young people. She will be supported and mentored by OCF trustee Anne Davies.
We are really looking forward to working with Olivia and hearing her insights and ideas!