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Young Governors' Network

YGN is member-led: created and run by those governing with support from the National Governance Association.

virtual meeting

The Young Governors’ Network (YGN) supports and encourages young governors and trustees by allowing them to:

  • share their experiences
  • address challenges and opportunities
  • create relevant and sustainable connections
Join YGN

All governors and trustees aged under 40 are welcome to join YGN – you don't need to be an NGA member.

To join the network, email ygn@nga.org.uk and tell us your name, school/trust and location. You'll be the first to know about future meetings, will receive regular updates and have the opportunity to shape the network's development.

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Network meetings

Our termly virtual meetings provide an informal space for young governors and trustees to share experiences, expand their knowledge, and contribute to a stronger educational community.

Whether you're new to governance or have years of experience, YGN meetings offer a valuable opportunity to connect, collaborate, and grow.

Meetings are open to all governors and trustees aged under 40 – NGA/YGN membership is not required.

Join our next meeting
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Why under 40?

NGA's latest annual governance survey found that young people continue to be significantly underrepresented in school governance – only 9% of governance volunteers are under 40, with a mere 1% under 30.

We believe that governing boards should reflect the community they serve and wider society, and that increasing diversity on boards should be a priority for all schools and trusts. Supporting young governors and trustees – and growing the number of young people involved in school governance – is essential to bring a broad range of perspectives to discussions and decisions, as well as provide role models for young people.

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Not under 40 but still want to help?

While the network serves those under 40, the support of all governors and trustees is greatly appreciated. Please encourage young members of your governing board and those in your other networks to register their interest.

We'd also love to hear about why governing boards might find recruiting and retaining young governors a challenge, and what governing boards can do to attract young governors. Do ask us any questions or share your stories by emailing ygn@nga.org.uk.

Myth-busting governance series

NGA has teamed up with Eteach to create a series of short webinars debunking common misconceptions about young governors. To watch, visit the webinars page.

As part of this collaboration, Eteach has published a blog piece written by NGA's Samuel Tranter. This can be found on the eteach website.