King's College London

Effective school governance and trusteeship requires a variety of views and experiences at the table. With more governors aged over 80 than under 30, more needs to be done to diversify school boards in the UK. Meanwhile, the charity sector lags behind the FTSE 100 on board diversity, as 29% of charity boards are all white compared to 4% in the FTSE.

From conversations with charities and local schools, we know that there is a shortage of skilled volunteers on boards, and a desire to recruit and retain a diverse range of volunteers. Diversity is essential for driving innovation, reflecting the communities served, and enhancing decision-making.

Board level volunteers – a term used for individuals who voluntarily serve on the governing board (e.g. charity trustee or a school governor) of a not-for-profit organisation, local school or a similar entity– play an important role in ensuring that the organisation’s delivery aligns with their vision and making sure decisions made meet the needs of the beneficiaries.

King’s is committed to supporting and increasing the number of staff and students serving as charity trustees and school governors within our local community. Charities need trustees with a huge range of skills and experience that the King’s community have in abundance: finance, legal, HR, marketing, PR, technology, digital, fundraising, analysis, to name just a few.

That’s why King’s Volunteering has teamed up with Governors for Schools for a second year to deliver the Pathway to Governance Programme for King’s staff and students. We’re also partnering with King's Organisational Development to offer another year of our highly successful Aspiring Trustees Programme for King’s staff.

Hear from board level volunteers

Two members of the King’s community share their experiences.

Samantha Wright: ‘Give back to my community’

Samantha Wright, Head of Global & UK Payroll and Pensions at King’s, participated in the programme for aspiring trustees and went on to secure a role with Resonate Arts, a charity who produce a programme of creative activities with and for people living with a dementia, their families and carers in Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster.

On explaining why, she decided to apply to Resonate Arts, Samantha said, “Resonate Arts are in my borough so the location was perfect, they were looking for a particular set of skills that I felt I could support with. The application process wasn’t easy, and it required me to take time out to understand the organisation, read up on their ambitions and vision and take time to speak to other trustees, to get a sense of how it was for them.”

“For me, it was important to consider becoming a trustee to give back to my community, whilst I am nervous about the idea of being a trustee - you don’t always see people who look like me on trustee boards - I am happy to be able to break that perception of who sits around the table.”

Sharon Adebola: ‘Be at the forefront of accountability’

Sharon Adebola, currently studying a Master’s in Governance, was successful in joining the governing board at Fleet Primary School in Camden having completed the Pathway to Governance programme.

“I started the programme not knowing the intricate details [of school governance]. Now I can leave completing the programme knowing everything I need to know. I especially found the training very useful.”

Watch this short video created by Governors for Schools about her experience.

What’s in it for you?

Volunteering as a school governor or trustee isn’t just about giving back. Taking on a position of responsibility can help you gain leadership experience, cross-sector skills and exposure to new environments that can help enhance your own career and wellbeing. This experience will enable you to explore your leadership style, build your confidence in decision-making and learn how to implement and apply strategic thinking.

As a trustee you’ll be working with others who care about the causes you are passionate about – a great opportunity to build your network, whilst also learning from the skills, knowledge and experience that you will all bring to the board.

For King’s Staff, these opportunities qualify as part of your Service Time - everyone employed by King’s can choose to spend up to three days or 21 hours per year doing voluntary work for another organisation or volunteering scheme, regardless of the role you have at King’s.

In addition, the reward and recognition scheme has been designed to celebrate and thank King’s staff and students for their contributions.