In July 2025, a conversation began between LEAP Housing CEO Heidi Walton and James Grubb as LocalMotion Lincoln were keen to explore the opportunity for more young people (aged 15-25) to become trustees or board members across the city. This supports our ambition to get young voices from our local communities amplified in decision making and vision setting spaces.
Trustees are people who help to shape the vision and direction of charities as well as having a say on the operational management of charities. Trustees must be at least 16 years of age to be a trustee of a charity which is a company or charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) or over the age of 18 to be a trustee of any charity.
James first connected with LocalMotion Lincoln through his paid role at Lincolnshire Coop. He expressed an interest from his own experience around the housing system and offered to co-facilitate conversations with young people at a Raising Lincoln’s Young Voices event held at Lincoln College in April 2024.
Heidi was aware of the work that LocalMotion Lincoln is doing in empowering our local community and charitable sector. LEAP Housing are committed to tackling homelessness and supporting vulnerable people – many of which are young people.
As part of a wider evolution of LEAP’s board, with an aim of bringing in more diverse insight and experience, Heidi was keen to bring in a young person with lived experience of the challenges within the local housing system as a trustee.
James was voted onto the board with the full support of Heidi and her chair of trustees, and attended his first board meeting in October 2025.
In February 2026 LocalMotion Lincoln checked in with Heidi and James to see what else they needed and learn from their experiences to date.
Here’s just some the learning that surfaced during the conversation:
- Timing is key – the decision to bring in a young trustee happened as part of a wider trustee transition piece for LEAP which included an organisational review. There was a flurry of activity which helped him “get up to speed quickly”
- Regular interactions build confidence – In the first 6-9 months it is useful to have a buddy system in place to offer mentoring support, guidance and soundboarding between board and committee meetings
- We need to be realistic: we don’t have unlimited capacity- There was an awareness from James and Heidi that the trustee role doesn’t start and end with formal meetings. There is a need to manage expectations of self and those of others in the work to maintain relationships
- Understand the skills and experience a young person can bring in as a trustee – If a young person is employed elsewhere or is doing training, there is a need to acknowledge and value the personal development and “skills exchange” opportunities that happen
- Avoid a tokenistic approach- Don’t appoint a young person to “tick box” or because there is a feeling of “it has to happen”. There needs to be broad support of board members to create and maintain a culture of radical honesty where alternate views and perspectives can be heard and reflected on
- Be open to Scrutiny- Current society-driven narratives around trustee positions/roles as well as internal views around the role of the trustee within some organisations can create an unhelpful power dynamic. Everyone involved should feel empowered to question those narratives whilst maintaining empathy and respect.
Heidi believes that having James as a LEAP trustee has had a big impact, especially in discussions around strategy, succession and vision.
James shared that his experience as a trustee has changed the way he has approached a recent cooperative director campaign – specifically around language and purpose of such roles.
Heidi recommends that any organisation which is looking to appoint a young trustee should reflect on the induction process and how they can be supported to feel embedded and empowered within the organisation. For example, James visited tenant accommodation with the team as part of his induction process and has been given space to ask questions regularly since then.
Heidi and James have been inspired by work of The Young Trustees Movement which brings together current and aspiring young trustees, employers and allies to increase the representation of trustees aged 30 and under on charity boards.
If you’d like to find out more about the work of The Young Trustees Movement, check out their website: https://youngtrusteesmovement.org/