Trustee

Organisation: Youth Sport Trust
Salary: Unpaid role with Paid Expenses
Location: Loughborough/London/Virtual
Contract type: Volunteer (Part time)
Closing date: 10 May 2026
Interview date: 5 June 2026
Job Description: Trustee
A commitment across c.10 days per annum
Loughborough/London (with some virtual meetings)

Do you believe in the power of sport to offer life lessons, develop life skills and affect young people’s life chances? Are you passionate about building a brighter future for the next generation? If so, then this Trustee role with the Youth Sport Trust is the role for you.

We are the UK’s leading charity improving every young person’s education and development through play and sport. Our vision is a future where every child enjoys the life changing benefits of play and sport, and we work tirelessly to increase equality.

Sport gives young people a platform to have their voice heard and a place where they feel they belong, and we are on a mission to harness this extraordinary power to change young lives today and help them build a brighter tomorrow.

Over 30 years we have developed a unique way of maximising the power of sport to grow young people, schools and communities through the development of physical and mental health, fostering inclusion and building character and leadership skills. We have been fortunate enough to work closely with government to influence policy and deliver national strategy, as well as in delivering and co-creating projects for a range of Trusts, Foundations, Lottery distributors and Corporates. We are now seeking a Trustee to join our Board of Directors to influence key strategic and governance issues and ensure we meet performance objectives.

As a Trustee you will work to guarantee the highest standards of integrity and governance and help ensure statutory requirements are met. We will look to you to make sure financial controls and systems of risk management are robust and defensible as well as provide expert advice on all matters of Board business. You will also monitor and review the executive teams’ activity and provide challenge and feedback as needed to enhance their performance. Important will be the ability to help the Board maximise impact for the young people we support as well as ensuring sustainability of the charity without compromising our moral position and brand.

The Youth Sport Trust was established in 1995 by our benefactor and President, Sir John Beckwith supported by our Vice President Duncan Goodhew. The organisation is now the leading national charity working within education on youth sport and is looking for a Trustee who thrives on accountability and is unfazed by the responsibility of being the guardian of our reputation. We are looking for someone who will champion all we stand for and will promote our work through external relations and stakeholder engagement.

Naturally, you will have knowledge and a genuine interest in the education, sport or youth sector. Commercially astute, you will have sound business judgement and the ability to constructively challenge and hold others to account. You will have strong diplomatic, communication and interpersonal skills too.

The charity uses a skills and diversity matrix to map the expertise and experiences required for an effective Board. We value lived experience as a form of expertise that strengthens governance, decision making and impact. Through this appointment, we are particularly interested in individuals whose lived and professional experiences bring insight into how sport, education and policy can work together to improve young people’s life chances. This may include experience gained through performance sport and its administration, political or public affairs influence, or leadership within the charity or voluntary sector.

Youth Sport Trust positively welcomes and seeks to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment. We encourage applications from all candidates regardless of age, race, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or nationality. We particularly welcome applications from individuals who are currently under represented on charity boards, where lived experience can bring insight, challenge and perspective to our strategic decisions.

If you share our passionate belief in the power of sport to improve young people’s life chances and believe you can make a meaningful contribution to the governance and future direction of the Youth Sport Trust, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Registered charity number: 1086915
How to apply: To apply for this position, please submit the following: • A supporting statement explaining how your experience and perspective would contribute to the role of Trustee and the work of the Board • A short introductory statement outlining your motivation for seeking the role • A comprehensive CV, including details of your achievements. Please email your application to to jobs@youthsporttrust.org. Interview date: Friday 5 and Friday 12 June 2026 via videocall