So, what is a charity trustee? Trustees are keepers of the flame of a charity’s mission, providing scrutiny and strategic guidance trusted to the executive team, and trusted by the interests of the constituent groups they serves.
Trustees work together voluntarily, to help decide how a charity should be run and the direction it is taking. This takes trust and buy-in from the executive team, making sure that the organisation has clear priorities and plans, operates effectively and manages its resources responsibly.
At its most basic, trustees are responsible for the financial stability of a charity, and formal reporting duties and held accountable through formal governing structures and laws. Yet at their most potent, trustees can provide inspiration, ambition and advocacy for the charity and its causes.
None more so than those starting a charity from scratch, when time seems limitless and energy is boundless, with a passion and commitment matched by professional skills and guidance.
We spoke with Darren Simpson and Hannah Allen, on what it is like to form and shape a new charity and how important volunteers and trustees are for its creation. Young Liverpool brings youth organisations together from across the city.
This starts with a clear sense of purpose.
“As a trustee at Young Liverpool, I’m involved in wider conversations about the future of youth work, including how we develop the workforce, support organisations and influence decisions about services and investment,” said Darren, manager at Walton Youth & Community project (WYCP). “For me, Young Liverpool is an opportunity to take what we’ve learned from youth and community charities working locally and to use that experience to help improve youth services and influence decisions at a city-wide level.”
Hannah wears two hats as Group CEO of Positive Futures and a trustee of WYCP and Young Liverpool. She explained, “As Founding Chair of Young Liverpool, I’m helping to strengthen the collective voice of the youth sector, building trust between organisations and communities, to encourage collaboration and ensure young people’s experiences influence policy and practice.”
Young Liverpool launched at the end of September 2026, as a new youth charity supported by Citadel with more than 120 people at The Beatles Story, including young people, youth organisations, funders, council representatives and people from across the sector. Running through all that the new charity aims to do is to improve young lives, and at scale.
“There are some fantastic youth organisations in Liverpool, including small community groups that have been supporting families for generations. But we’re all dealing with similar pressures, whether that’s funding, recruiting youth workers, keeping buildings open or making sure young people’s views are listened to. I think we’ve got a better chance of tackling those issues if we’re working together,” said Darren. He added, “For me, being involved in Young Liverpool as a trustee is also about making sure the experience of grassroots organisations is heard by the people making decisions.“
Mobilising support, there are now 39 youth and community groups as members of Young Liverpool. There are many involved as volunteers and trustees, some covering city-wide issues, and others surviving specific communities.
Hannah said, “I’m proud to be a trustee of Walton Youth & Community Project, an organisation that played an important part in shaping my own life. I remember going on a residential and spending time talking with Darren Simpson, who was my youth worker. Looking back, it was one of the first times I remember feeling genuinely listened to as a young adult. Being a trustee gives me chance to give back to the community where I grew up,”
She added, “I’ve spent my career working to improve opportunities and outcomes for children and young people, including as a trustee of the national charity OnSide. Young Liverpool provides a structure and the collective impact of each and every member organisation to do more for their own area while improving young lives across the city.
Darren agreed, “We’ve seen the benefits of organisations working together rather than everyone trying to do things on their own. Young Liverpool is about taking that approach across the city. By building trust between the local groups and youth organisations, we build trust with young people and communities where they live and work.”
This takes time, trusted relationships – and more time – to come together to share and deliver for young people, and influence how services and decisions are made across the city. As can be seen by the hours and commitment of Hannah and Darren as trustees beyond their day jobs, time is the main currency of trustees, most in a voluntary capacity and unpaid.
Citadel Director Jonathan Hopkins reflects on the role of trustees: “Going through the motions means trustees attending 3-4 trust board meetings a year, prepared to scrutinise and to ask questions or raise concerns, supportive of – but sometimes challenging to – the executive teams.” He continued, “Specialist skills or trustees’ experiences can be added into board committee cycles primarily keeping track of more detailed considerations from finances to oversight of recruitment, leadership and business plans. This commands more time and preparation by trustees.”
He added: “There are other times when specialist skills can be tapped into by executive team, working groups and ad hoc guidance, and advocacy at events and stakeholder relations. Much of this revolves around funding, income and robust finances. All the time having to walk the tight rope of providing strategic counsel and governance, yet not cut across the organisational integrity of the charity’s executive, but ready to intervene and act at a time of crisis or objective independence. This all takes careful time management.”
Jonathan has served as a trustee for some 25 years, in school governance, as founding chair of a multi academy trust, the first independent chair of a national youth charity, and currently trustee at Clore Social Leadership with a mission to develop and support community leadership at all levels.
“Each year in Trustees Week we celebrate trustees, their time and commitment to a cause we hold dear. No charity or leader can act alone. Real lasting change happens when we connect, share experience, and move forward together,” said Jonathan. “That’s why this year we shine a light on Young Liverpool and all those involved in starting up this new, fantastic charity. And our renewed commitment to Clore Social Leadership, building a community of social leaders.”
Trustees Week runs 9th to 13th November 2026
