The Aplastic Anaemia Trust is looking for young people with experience of aplastic anaemia to join our youth board.

This is a voluntary opportunity to gain insider knowledge of how a small charity works, add something impressive to your CV, and champion the needs of young people affected by aplastic anaemia within our organisation – so we can be better at supporting our community.

As a member of the Youth Board you will:

• Attend one meeting a month to discuss issues with your fellow board members (online)
• Advise members of staff at the Aplastic Anaemia Trust on programmes and campaigns
• Provide a voice for young people affected by aplastic anaemia within our organisation
• Have real control over how we spend budget allocated to reaching and supporting young people
• Act as an ambassador for the charity, for example by providing written quotes for campaigns or being interviewed for press opportunities.

The Youth Board is a brand new project for The Aplastic Anaemia Trust. We will work in collaboration with you to grow the board into an influential voice for people affected by AA, and an exciting development opportunity for its members. You will have input into our charity’s priorities and strategic decisions, and work with us to make the world a brighter place for all young people facing an aplastic anaemia diagnosis.

Could you be a member of the Youth Board?

To apply you will need to:

• Be aged 16-25
• Have lived experience of aplastic anaemia. We welcome a variety of experiences: you may be going through aplastic anaemia treatment, be on a watch and wait pathway, or have received treatment when you were younger. Or you may have supported a sibling or a parent when they were diagnosed.
• Be available to attend one meeting a month (online) and respond to occasional communications from fellow board members and members of the AAT team. (This commitment will of course be completely flexible around your aplastic anaemia treatment. You will also be able to take breaks whenever you don’t feel up to being involved.)
• Have an interest in advocacy, improving healthcare and/or supporting people affected by a rare disease to live healthy and happy lives.

You do not need any prior experience to be on our Youth Board, professional or otherwise!
We welcome applications from people who are already involved with our charity and from those who have never contacted us before. 

What we’ll offer you

• You’ll gain professional charity experience, working closely with senior team members who are experts in comms, campaigning, programme management, and patient support.
• You’ll make new friendships and build a network of interesting, passionate people who want to improve the world for people affected by rare disease.
• We’ll seek ways to give you opportunities to get involved in any area of our work that you find a particular passion for.
• Real influence. We’re creating The Youth Board because we want to hear your ideas and opinions, and use them to improve our work.
• Fun! We want being on the AAT Youth Board to be a life-affirming experience for everyone involved. As it becomes safer to meet up, we’d love to plan meet ups and away days for board members to socialise and support each other.

How to apply

Fill in this application form before midnight on 31 July 2021:

Apply now

We will be in touch in the first week of August to let you know if you have been successful. The first meeting of the Youth Board will take place on 12 August so please keep this date free if possible.

Got questions?

Whatever your question, big or small, we would love to have a chat with you about this exciting new opportunity. Get in touch with:

Ellie Dawes (Comms Manager) [email protected] 07956237939

or Leena O'Hara (Programme Manager) [email protected] 07949144476