Q&A: Lydia Stewart on becoming a young trustee
Lydia Stewart, an associate in our real estate team and trustee at Choysez, chose to join the charity as a trustee in 2025, sharing its vision and ethos of kindness.
Choysez is an alternative education charity for disadvantaged young women aged 9 to 16 in Northumberland.
Lydia visited the charity in Bedlington to learn more about its work and was later approached to become a trustee and support its strategic decision-making.
Working on the charity’s board as a trustee, Lydia will support Choysez's future development and its efforts to help more disadvantaged young women over the next 20 years.
In this article, Lydia shares her experience as a young trustee, her initial worries about not being as experienced as those who’ve been trustees for a while, and how she overcame them by recognising her own strengths.
Q: What made you want to become a trustee?
A: They were a charity that we’d previously provided some funding to.
My colleagues were going to meet them, and I was invited along. I ended up meeting the girls and teachers, and I thought it was just really lovely, and a really safe environment for these young girls.
I care a lot about women’s education, particularly young women’s education and having a quality of education for all people, so I liked the cause anyway. Then they followed up to say thank you for the visit and asked if I’d like to become a trustee, and I said, of course; I was very happy to do it.
Q: As a young trustee, could you tell us why you think young trustees are underrepresented on charity boards?
A: I think it’s a mixture of things. I think the main thing, and this is what it primarily was for me, is that I was worried that I didn’t have the experience to be able to do it. I didn’t really know what a trustee did.
I’d done little bits of charity work and support, but I’m in real estate, so it’s not the main kind of work I would do, so I didn’t have much knowledge about it. I think I just assumed that I’d need to have a lot more knowledge than I did. But actually, I talked with Hugh (senior partner, Hugh Welch), who said it’s more about bringing a new perspective and different ideas.
Q: There’s a perception that a trustee is someone who’s older with more experience. What do you think charities can do to help break the perception and encourage young people to become trustees?
A: I think it’s difficult for some charities; using social media channels and advertising in that way can help.
It’s also about charities speaking to companies they work with and getting them to put the opportunities out to young people to let them know those roles exist. Firms and associates can help young people as well because they don’t always know what to do and how to put themselves out there.
Q: Can you give us the top tips that you’d give to someone considering taking on a trustee role, who maybe isn’t sure they’ve got the necessary skills and experience to put themselves out there?
A: I think if you’re hesitant, it’s just knowing you do have knowledge, you do have experiences, you do have perspectives. You might not have as many experiences as someone who’s a little bit older, but you do have opinions and thoughts by the very fact that you exist and that you’re an intelligent young human.
Don’t feel like you’re at a disadvantage because you don’t have as much time in the world; you being you is enough.
The second point I would make is that finding someone who’s been a trustee for longer would be helpful. I mentioned that I spoke to Hugh, and he was really comforting and helped put me at ease. As he’s really experienced, he was able to give me advice and make me feel relaxed about going for it.
The third thing would just be to pick a cause that you care about. For me, it was young women finding a safe space to have an education when they couldn’t in a school environment. That really touched my heart, because we’re not all so lucky. It’s finding your passion and something you care about in your day-to-day life.
Lydia’s practical tips for those considering becoming a trustee:
- Don’t assume you don’t have enough knowledge or experience to be a good trustee
- Connect with someone who is an experienced trustee and ask for their advice
- Choose a cause that you’re passionate about so that it’s a natural fit
Considering becoming a trustee?
Our charities team is hosting free online training on how to be a good trustee this November! To learn more from our legal experts, sign up today.