Behind every great charity is a group of people who care deeply about what it does and the difference it makes.
At Youth Talk, we're incredibly fortunate to have a Board of Trustees who bring such a wonderful mix of experience, expertise, energy and commitment to our work. Our Trustees do so much more than attend meetings and make decisions. They challenge us, champion us, encourage us and help us be the very best we can be for the young people who need our support.
As we celebrate Trustees' Week, I want to say a huge thank you to each and every one of them. Their time, wisdom and belief in what we do is invaluable, and I'm enormously grateful to have them alongside us on this journey.
David Barker, CEO of Youth Talk
A team with a shared purpose
Youth Talk is supported by ten Trustees, all of whom give their time voluntarily. They come from a variety of professional backgrounds and bring a wealth of knowledge, skills and experience to their Youth Talk roles. Together, they provide guidance, share their expertise and help ensure that Youth Talk is effectively and responsibly run. Their role is vital in helping us make the best use of our resources, plan for the future and remain focused on what matters most: providing support to young people who need someone to talk to.
But what does being a Trustee actually mean to the people who give their time to Youth Talk?
We caught up with two of our Trustees, Alison Kiernan and Mike Chapman, to find out more about their backgrounds, what inspired them to get involved and why they believe Youth Talk's work is so important.
Giving something back
Alison joined Youth Talk as a Trustee in January 2023, bringing with her many years of experience in HR across a range of sectors, including retail, charity and telecommunications. For Alison, becoming a Trustee was an opportunity to give something back to her community and support a cause that really mattered to her. Having two grown-up children, Alison has seen the impact that mental health challenges can have on young people and their lives. She explains: "It's very rewarding to be able to give something back and to support the people who are making a difference. Being part of something that is trying to make things better really matters to me."
One of the things that has particularly reinforced Alison's belief in Youth Talk's work is hearing directly from people whose lives have been touched by the charity. She recently met a young woman at a Youth Talk fundraising event who stopped to make a donation. The woman explained that Youth Talk had supported her when she was a teenager, and she wanted to give something back to a charity that had made such a difference to her. For Alison, this story speaks volumes about the importance of Youth Talk and the lasting difference its support can make.
Looking ahead, Alison hopes Youth Talk will continue to thrive, reach more young people and remain part of the solution to the growing challenges around young people's mental health.
Her message to our supporters and local community is simple: take a look at the stories shared by young people who have benefited from Youth Talk's counsellors: "I challenge you not to be inspired."
The trustee responsibilities
Mike joined Youth Talk in October 2025. A lawyer by profession, much of his work focuses on governance, risk and helping organisations operate effectively. Mike grew up in St Albans and is now raising his own family here, so has a strong connection to the area and interest in the success of the community.
He had known about Youth Talk, but it was seeing the work being done by his former teacher, our Head of Fundraising Jim Lewis, that prompted him to get involved. Mike was looking for an opportunity to use his professional skills locally, and supporting Youth Talk felt right. Although the Trustee role works behind the scenes, he sees how important it is: "Trustees aren't in the counselling room. Our job is to make sure the charity is well run, financially sound and able to keep its promise to young people for years to come."
Mike believes that demand for mental health support among young people has grown enormously, while statutory services are under increasing pressure. He also recognises the importance of listening to what young people themselves say they need. Our 2026 Growing Up Survey highlighted how stressful and isolating growing up can feel today, with young people telling us that they would prefer to access face-to-face support from someone they can trust.
For Mike, this makes Youth Talk's work particularly important: "That's exactly what Youth Talk provides: free, confidential counselling from qualified professionals, right here in St Albans."
His hope for the future is that asking for help with mental health becomes as normal as visiting a GP or dentist, and that Youth Talk is on a secure enough footing to continue supporting the next generation of young people.
He also has an important message for our supporters and local community: "Please keep talking about Youth Talk, because the more people who know we're here, the more young people we can reach."
Alison and Mike are just two of the ten people who give their time, knowledge and experience to help Youth Talk do what it does. Every Trustee brings something different, but they share a common belief in the importance of ensuring young people have somewhere to turn when life feels difficult. Their contribution may often happen behind the scenes, but its impact reaches so much further.
From helping us make important decisions and plan for the future, to sharing professional expertise and challenging us to keep improving, their support helps make everything we do possible.
So, this Trustees' Week, we'd like to say a very big thank you to all ten of our Trustees.
Thank you for your time, your commitment, your generosity and, most importantly, for believing in Youth Talk and the young people we support.