SECTOR FOCUS: SKILLS
From BTEC to boardroom
Meet the young student making an impact at one of Plymouth’s oldest charities.
Going from studying a BTEC Level 3 in business to becoming a Board Member of a £1.5m turnover organisation isn’t the usual progression route the average 18- year-old. But that’s exactly what Tom Buttriss did, when he joined the 172-year old charity YMCA Plymouth at the end of last year. He’s now making his impact felt, leading the charity’s international partnerships and lending a fresh perspective to their new business strategy. Tom successfully graduated from
Discovery College in 2018. The college is part of YMCA Plymouth, which is based in Honicknowle and offers a range of vocational training courses for young people aged 16- 18.
Tom said: “I never would have
believed I’d become part of the Board of Trustees just a few years after starting my course here.” Tom was asked to join the board
as part of an effort by the YMCA to engage more with its beneficiaries, particularly young people. Tom was also chosen for his range of skills that he demonstrated over his time at the college, which he’s now bringing to the organisation. Stacey Ferris, Centre Manager at
YMCA Plymouth, said: “Throughout our work we look to empower young people. We take an asset- based approach by harnessing the strengths of those we work with and utilising their input into the design of our provision.”
This approach, however, was
missing from the board until Tom joined.
Chairman of YMCA Plymouth
John Coates said: “There’s no point in older people thinking they know what young people want. Tom is a very impressive young man and has added great value to our board. Not only does his perspective help make sure we deliver services that are relevant to young people, but he also brings a wealth of talent, which shows experience isn’t everything.” According to the Charities Aid Foundation, 18-24-year olds account for less than 0.5% of charity trustees in the UK. Equally for corporate boards, in 2017 the average age of a non- executive director was 60 years, an average which has risen in the last decade. This is in contrast to other countries in Europe who are increasingly seeking out younger board members, especially to better adapt to the growing impact of new technology. Tom decided a BTEC qualification was the right choice for him due to its practical structure, and he was keen to study business at Discovery College. He said: “My time at Discovery
College was truly life changing. The college is unique due to being part
Discovery College, which is part of YMCA Plymouth
‘Tom is a
very impressive young man and has added great value to our board’
of the YMCA, which allowed me
to be part of coordinating community
events and get involved in other parts of the business.” Now in his role as Trustee, Tom
has been leading YMCA Plymouth’s strategic partnership with Old Colony YMCA, based in Plymouth Massachusetts, USA. The partnership between the two YMCAs has been struck up with the help of Tom, who is now coordinating a series of joint Transatlantic events as part of the Mayflower 400 celebrations. Tom said: “I’m proud to be
leading on the Mayflower project with YMCA Plymouth. Connecting young people and our communities to exchange ideas and celebrate the occasion is what we’re trying to do and we’re very fortunate at YMCA to be part of a global network that can bring people together.” Alongside being a Trustee, Tom
is studying International Business at Plymouth University, and will be studying at St Nicholls State University in Louisiana USA from September. However, being stateside doesn’t mean that Tom is stepping down from his role at YMCA Plymouth. Tom said: “I’m still very much going to be continuing my work on the YMCA board. In fact, being in the same time zone as one of our international partners is a big help! Plus, I’ll be attending board meetings via video conference and keeping in touch with the YMCA.” Helping other young people set
their sights high and not feel that their age can hold them back is something Tom is keen to advocate, sending the message out to his peers that they shouldn’t be put off by their inexperience. He added: “I think we should
encourage more young people at board level, especially within charities who seek to serve young people. But even within other organisations, I think young people can still bring a lot to the table.”
Tom Buttriss Visit:
www.discoverycollege.co.uk 42 Chamber Profile Spring 2020
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