Make-A-Wish UK® launches children & young people’s board
Melanie May | 7 February 2020 | News
Make-A-Wish UK® is launching its first children and young people’s board, called STARboard.
The charity has begun the search for eight young people nationwide aged between 11 and 20, who have had a wish granted by the charity in the last two years and are keen to draw on their personal experience of having a wish to help Make-A-Wish UK® improve its work.
Each member of the group will represent a nation or region of the UK and help make decisions that shift the charity’s focus from being child-focused to one that is child-led.
The creation of STARboard is part of the charity’s mission to ensure every wish has a life-enhancing, positive impact on each Wish Child and their family.
Recruitment for the board has just begun and closes on 2 March with the first meeting scheduled to take place on 16 May in Reading. The commitment involves two further meetings this year at different locations around the country.
Members of STARboard will provide a voice for wish children to inform the charity’s decision making, future strategy and development of the wish journey.
Being a member of STARboard will also give children the opportunity to enjoy themselves, meet other wish children and gain experience in public speaking and making decisions.
Jenny Cook, Director of Wishgranting, said:
“The charity has recently experienced unprecedented demand, with approximately 1,700 children turning to us for a wish between July – November 2019 alone.
“With the charity in a period of growth and demand at an all-time high, there has never been a better time to bring the voices of children to the forefront of our work.
“Not only will STARboard revolutionise the way that Make A Wish operates, it will help former wish children stay connected to a charity that granted their wish when they most needed it.”
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.