10 March 2021
Victoria Sanches, 23, was first supported by the Trust in 2013 while in recovery from craniopharyngioma, a type of brain tumour. In 2017 she became a volunteer, leading crews on four and five-day sailing trips from the Trust’s Largs base.
On joining the Youth Board, Victoria said: “I wouldn't be the person I am today without the support and confidence the Trust has given me. I want to be a part of giving young people the long-term support which has changed my life, and can change theirs too.”
Taking part in the Trust’s Round Britain Your Way event last year, in which she climbed Ben Lomond and raised over £200, she said: “The Trust has helped so much by teaching me I can achieve way more than I thought I could.”
The Trust’s Youth Board ensures the voices of the whole Trust community – young people, volunteers, medics, and other crew members – are prioritised, promoted, and heard. It is a link between the young people supported by the Trust and the charity’s Board of Trustees, making sure young people are put first when decisions are made.
Chair of the Trust’s Youth Board, Dan Bishop, said: “I’m delighted that we are welcoming Victoria on to the Youth Board, and her experience with the Trust and links with our graduate volunteer community will be an excellent asset to the work we’re doing in supporting the Trust achieve its aims in this season.”
The Youth Board meets up to six times a year and up to 12 members can sit on the Board at one time, with Victoria bringing the current membership to eight. It aims to represent all young people the Trust supports with a diversity of gender, age, disability, race, and geography. Members sit on the Board for a term of up to three years, with yearly extensions possible for up to five years, following agreement of the rest of the Board.