Our new Youth Fellowship Programme will help gain the fresh perspectives that younger people can bring and, by broadening the appeal of the waterways, will create a pathway for a new generation of waterway supporters and enthusiasts.
Supporting the next generation
Our voluntary 12-month programme will support more young people, aged 18 to 25, to join our regional and national advisory boards and have a say in our decision-making processes.
Fellows will design and manage a three to six-month project that will bring new thinking to an area we a want to strengthen within the Trust, with a national project looking at how we can grow engagement amongst young people, who are currently underrepresented amongst the our volunteers, workforce, and visitors to the waterways. They will play an important role in defining our offer for young people from all walks of life.
Encouraging young role models
Richard Parry, our chief executive, comments: “Representation and equity are at the heart of the new Youth Fellowship Programme. Close to nine million of us live within 1km of a canal or river and there's a real opportunity to engage more young people who currently aren't benefiting from spending time in these amazing green and blue spaces.
“Fellows will take the lead in looking at how we can make the waterways relevant and attractive to a new generation, embracing diversity and anchoring the canals' importance in the communities they run through. In turn, we will support them to become true role models for other young people in their communities, as well as the wider charity and environmental sector.”
More about the Fellowship
Fellows will receive training around project planning and management, practical delivery of activities, impact measurement, public speaking, leading teams, event management and more. They will have the opportunity to represent the Trust at high profile events and conferences, where they can share their experiences and at the same time help to raise the awareness of our work with new audiences.
Recruitment for the Youth Fellowship Programme is taking place between 16 August and 6 September with Fellows starting from mid-September.