The children’s charity Make A Wish UK is putting young people at the beating heart of its activities by setting up a Children and Young People’s Board.

Make-A-Wish is recruiting eight young people from all over the UK who are aged between 11 and 20 and who have granted a wish in the past two years, to form the first STARboard.

The group will each 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.

It will draw on the expertise of former wish children who are best placed to offer insights on how wishes can be improved, based on their own experience.

Recruitment for the board has just begun and it closes on 9th March  2020. The commitment involves around three 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.

Not only that, being a member of STARboard will present children with 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.

Image: Make A Wish Foundation