Young Trustee
Welcome. We’re glad you’re here.
Thanks for your interest in becoming a trustee at Radical Recruit. We’re not looking for traditional boardroom types with decades of experience in governance.
We’re looking for people who care deeply, think differently, and want to help us grow—with guts, heart and radical honesty.
Maybe you’ve never been a trustee before. Maybe you’ve never even considered it. That’s OK. We’ll support you to learn on the job if you bring the right energy and values.
The application process:
Please do not submit a CV. We only require you to submit a covering letter with answers to the questions below. These have been designed to help us get to know you. Each question has a few prompts to help you think about your answer and a clear explanation of what we’re looking for.
You don’t have to answer every single prompt - just focus on what feels relevant.
A quick note before you apply:
To get your hands on the full Trustee Recruitment Pack (with role descriptions and everything you need to apply), just email holly@b-radical.co.uk.
You don’t need to be a brilliant writer to apply. We’re not judging your grammar or punctuation. We care more about what you think, believe, and bring to the table. That’s why we welcome the use of AI tools to help you write your application if you’d like to use them—they can be great confidence boosters or editors. But what matters most is that we hear your voice.
People often tell us that what they love about Radical is how real and honest we are. We hope this process helps you show up the same way—authentically and unapologetically yourself.
💬 Application Questions
Answer as many as you can. Just be honest, real, and in your own words. We’re here for potential, not perfection.
1. Why Radical?
There are loads of great charities out there. Why us?
Think about:
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What caught your eye about Radical or what we stand for?
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Have you been through or seen some of the things we’re trying to change?
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Does something about our mission, voice or story feel personal to you?
We’re looking for:
People who feel a connection to our purpose and are excited to help us do more.
2. Standing up for what’s right
Tell us about a time when you challenged something unfair.
Think about:
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Did you ever stick up for someone who was treated badly?
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Have you spoken up when something felt wrong—at school, work, online, in your community?
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How did you handle it? How did it feel?
We’re looking for:
People who act with courage, care and fairness—even when it’s hard.
3. Helping others through change
Describe a time you helped a group, team or community through a tough moment or big change.
Think about:
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Were you the person keeping people calm or focused?
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Did you bring ideas, hope or humour into a difficult space?
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What did you learn about yourself or others from that experience?
We’re looking for:
Leadership, resilience, empathy and a willingness to grow.
4. How you could help Radical grow
What skills, ideas, networks or experiences could you bring to help Radical level up?
Think about:
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Are you good at speaking up online or in person?
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Do you know people or places we should connect with?
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Have you seen other organisations do cool stuff that we could learn from?
We’re especially keen on:
Comms, campaigning, partnerships, youth voices, employer connections, and people who just get how we could go further.
5. What guides how you work with people
When things get tricky, what value or mindset helps you stay grounded?
Think about:
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What’s most important to you when working with others—honesty, respect, humour, fairness?
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How do you handle conflict or pressure?
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Can you think of a time you stayed true to your values?
We’re looking for:
People who know who they are and try to lead with integrity and care.
6. Your perspective matters
Is there something about your life, identity or experience that would help Radical see things others might miss?
Think about:
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Have you lived through something that gives you a different lens?
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Are you part of a community that’s often excluded or underrepresented?
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What truths or insights do you carry that more people need to hear?
We’re looking for:
People who challenge groupthink and bring fresh, important perspectives.
🕰️ What Happens Next
Once we receive your application, our team will take some time to read it carefully. We’re not looking for a ‘perfect’ trustee—we’re looking for the right fit. That means heart, perspective, and the willingness to learn and grow.
If you’d like feedback on your application, just say so when we get in touch—we’ll always do our best to offer it, whatever the outcome.
We’re also serious about making this process accessible. If anything in the application or interview process doesn’t work for you (for any reason—big or small), tell us. We’ll listen and work with you to find a better way.
If you’re shortlisted, we’ll invite you for a conversation - not a scary panel interview - with some of the Radical team. We’ll send you all the questions ahead of time, so you’ll know what to expect and can prepare.
📅 Recruitment Timeline
Applications close:
🗓️ Wednesday 18 June 2025
Shortlisting period:
🗓️ 19–30 June 2025
We’ll read through all applications and select people to invite for a conversation.
Outcomes & feedback:
🗓️ 1 July 2025
We’ll contact everyone—whether you’re moving forward or not—and offer feedback if you want it.
First-round conversations (interviews):
🗓️ Week starting 7 July 2025
You’ll meet some of our team, including Radical staff, a current trustee, and a Radical with lived experience.
A note on criminal convictions
We know that a criminal record can be a major barrier to employment and leadership opportunities—and we exist to challenge that.
At Radical Recruit, we do not automatically exclude people with convictions from trustee roles. In fact, we actively welcome applicants who bring lived experience of the criminal justice system. Your insights are not just valid - they’re valuable.
Some trustee roles may be subject to legal eligibility checks (for example, if a role falls under the Charity Commission’s automatic disqualification rules). But even then, there are waivers available, and we’re happy to support eligible individuals through that process.
If you have any concerns or want to talk confidentially about your eligibility, please get in touch - we’ll always take a fair, case-by-case approach. We will only ask you to disclose your conviction at the point of making a conditional offer so as not to bias the process.
Our commitment to feedback
We know how much time, energy and hope goes into applying for a trustee role—especially for those who may not see themselves reflected in traditional boards.
That’s why we commit to offering constructive feedback to every applicant who reaches interview stage. We’ll do our best to ensure you walk away with something useful, whether or not you join us as a trustee.
If you’re not shortlisted, you’re still welcome to request feedback. We’ll always aim to provide a response that’s honest, kind and helpful—because we’re here to open doors, not close them.
We’re learning too. If you spot ways we can improve the process, we want to hear it.
🙋♀️ Need anything?
If you'd like a quick chat about applying, need support, or just want to check if this opportunity is right for you, email Holly at holly@b-radical.co.uk. She’s running this process for us and is happy to help - no pressure, no judgment.
Final Note:
At Radical Recruit, we exist to champion those furthest from the labour market and that starts with our own recruitment. We want to understand who is seeing, applying for, and succeeding in our trustee recruitment process. That means paying close attention to any barriers or blockers that might be affecting people with lived experience or from marginalised groups.
The questions in the application form are completely optional. You don’t have to answer them but if you do, your responses will help us build a more inclusive recruitment experience. They’ll also help us reflect on where we need to do better and hold ourselves accountable to our mission.
Your answers will be kept confidential and used for monitoring and improvement purposes only. They won’t be shared with the selection panel or affect your application in any way.
Thanks for helping us walk the Radical talk.