A Birmingham-based education charity that is embarking on a round of trustee recruitment is urging younger professionals to also consider trustee roles, as recent research highlights an age imbalance on many charity boards.

Sharon Bell, Chief Executive of Services For Education, issued the call as a Charity Commission study* found that just three per cent of trustees in England and Wales are aged 40 or under, while more than half are retired.

The report says that the findings reveal not only a diversity issue but a governance risk with boards that have an older demographic potentially lacking the lived experience of a charity’s beneficiaries.

“As a charity that predominately supports young people – we teach music to some 28,000 children a year and work with schools to deliver expert training and development to schools across the West Midlands – we are aiming for  a balanced board of trustees  including experienced commercially minded specialists as well as younger professionals who may be at the earlier or mid-term stages of their career.

“Such a balance will both enhance the experience of younger people as well as enabling both our board of trustees and other charities to better reflect the diversity and demographics of the city and region we serve,” said Sharon.

The Charity Commission report says the age profile of charity trustees has hardly changed since its last survey in 2017 and concludes that as a result, skills gaps can emerge around digital, technology and community insight. This issue can be worsened by informal recruitment, such as personal invitations from trustees, which maintains a lack of age diversity.

“We have worked hard to develop both our trustee recruitment process and subsequent induction programme, respecting that trustees are voluntary and may have limited time availability,” said Sharon.

“We also recognise that for many, this may be their first appointment as a trustee and they may be unsure about how to develop their role on our board – so we have introduced a ‘buddy’ system with an existing trustee who will provide support,” said Sharon.

“By combining long standing experience with a younger profile, we will help ensure our work continues to be relevant to those we support and in the communities in which we work.”

Services For Education is particularly seeking applications from those with a wide variety of backgrounds who have a passion for seeing lives transformed through education. In this round of recruitment, there is a focus on those with leadership roles in primary and secondary schools and multi-academy trusts, as well as those with financial expertise to work alongside the current finance lead trustee, who is at the beginning of his third term in office.

“We are happy to have informal discussions with those who might be interested but are hesitant. We want to make the process as easy and friendly as possible – recognising that for many this is uncharted territory. There is enormous satisfaction and experience to be gained by becoming a trustee – especially in one serving the local community and young people whose future lives are often determined by the work we undertake,” said Sharon.

Services For Education has an annual income of around £7m and is supported by Arts Council England, charitable donations and its commercial operations.

Further details are available at https://www.servicesforeducation.co.uk/careers/trustee-board-member

Applications close on Monday, June 1, 2026.

* Trusteeship – a positive opportunity: Understanding skills, experience and demographics in England and Wales, published by the Charity Commission, working with Pro Bono Economics.

ENDS

Sharon Bell, Chief Executive of Services For Education

About Services For Education

Services For Education is an education and training charity based in Birmingham, that brings music and learning to life. The organisation employs around 200 staff who deliver music tuition to children and provide expert training and development to teaching and school support staff. It works with more than 90% of Birmingham schools and has an annual income of £7.1m (2023/2024). Part-funded by Arts Council England, it also operates its own fundraising and subsidised commercial activities. Services For Education works with more than 90% of Birmingham local authority schools.

Services For Education’s Music Service, teaches music to more than 28,000 children each year, reflecting Birmingham’s diverse population. Twenty-two percent of pupils it teaches have special needs, 35% are eligible for free school meals and more than 40% have English as an additional language.  The Music Service also runs 113 free ensembles and provides more than 18,000 musical instruments free of charge, ensuring that children can access and enjoy making music together. In recent years, to enable children to develop musical skills and experience collaborative music-making, it has expanded its whole-class instrumental teaching. Each year, 12,500 children in Birmingham schools take part.

A highlight of the year is Services For Education’s annual Youth Proms at Symphony Hall that enables nearly 3,000 young musicians from schools throughout Birmingham to perform to an audience of more than 6,000 over four nights. The Music Service also runs music schools, operates a world music department, provides private music tuition for all ages, and works with partners to offer musical and choral opportunities to disadvantaged and vulnerable groups.

Services For Education’s School Support Service delivers expert training and development to teaching and support staff in schools across the West Midlands and increasingly across England.

It helps improve practice and ensures teachers are equipped to respond to changes in curriculum and policy. In 2024/25, 94% of head teachers rated its training as either good or excellent.

The organisation also delivers innovative programmes that support the physical and emotional wellbeing of children and young people through its Health for Life initiative which has been running for more than a decade. Learn more at www.servicesforeducation.co.uk

For further information on Services For Education:

David Clarke, Clarke Associates, (Public and media relations, Services For Education)
E: david-c@clarke-associates.co.uk;
M: 07808 735255

Issued on behalf of:

Services For Education
Unit 3 Holt Court
Holt Street
Birmingham Science Park
Aston
Birmingham B7 4AX