YHA strategic priority is to ensure access, inclusion and diversity across all of our work. To ensure that our charitable resources are for all.

To be certain that access for all means all — that those who stay with us, benefit from our provision and support, our employees and volunteers, reflect the demographics of England and Wales.

Key Performance Indicator from YHA Strategy 10 Year Strategy; Adventure for the first time and for a lifetime

And this indicator for success includes our trustee board. Trustees set the strategic direction for a charity and are responsible for the organisation’s assets. Recruiting new trustees is an important part of charity success and ensuring that trustees have both a rounded skill set and diverse lived experiences are repeatedly evidenced as factors in charity effectiveness. Diversity, access, inclusion and equity are not just morally right they are business critical.

The concept of the 15 minute city predated Coronavirus but – as in many things- the pandemic has brought this thinking to the fore. What does this mean for individuals, for charities and communities?

We are now just over a month into the lockdown and two months since the Coronavirus started to dominate every aspect of our lives.

I have written here about the what this means for YHA strategy in this piece on Strategy in an Unknown Future and on the charity’s increasing relevance in helping recovery as families are clear on the importance of the outdoors and holidays to their well-being.

But ahead of longer term planning I want to take some time to reflect on YHA’s work over recent weeks. Because – I say with clear bias – it has been an astounding effort true to both our charity values but also our position as a successful and strong social enterprise.

Job titles are tricky sometimes. I am Executive Director of Strategy and Engagement at YHA. Kind of long, little bit poncey and nobody understands it. It needs work.

It is – I have discovered over the years in various roles – particularly challenging to describe the strategy bit. For some it’s combining the vision of the ideal with the art of the possible. For others it’s the dark arts.

When our third child is weeping with anxiety, clinging to the banisters and begging us to not to send him to school today our hearts break. For him and his pain. For his siblings now late. For the school that he loves and is doing such a good job helping him manage his panic attacks. But also, the thought that goes through our heads is less generous but just as vital – panic as we start to rearrange our day where one or both of us will be either late or off work.

As students worldwide once again take to the streets on a school day to demand action to tackle climate change, Anita debates the role of schools in tackling climate change with Geographer Alex Standish (Page 22 – 23)

Mixed-income streams and long-term strategy underpin models of sustainability when keeping a charity afloat

Resilience is currently a bit of a toxic word currently. The idea that we need to build young people’s resilience to ‘survive’ some of society’s contemporary challenges has hints of ‘victim’ blaming. Living in poverty – toughen up. Experienced trauma – develop grit. Mental illness – not strong enough. This is not where Every Child Should is coming from.

Following the launch of Hinds’ character education consultation in this blog Anita provides 10 points to consider about character, including a historic look at a similar debate – for all you fine gentlemen!

With the debate on the purpose of education very much alive Anita presents, in this blog, an alternative view based on the skills future generations will need to overcome global challenges facing humanity.

Blog: School Exclusion – the story so far
As the DfE announce a review of school exclusions Anita Kerwin-Nye reflects on the evidence and prevailing thoughts surrounding the issue of informal exclusions. This blog provides a good leap off point for anyone wanting to get an overview.

Anita Kerwin-Nye’s blog outlines why access to arts subjects and museum learning matters for all learners, but especially for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

Anita Kerwin-Nye’s article in School Travel Organiser (go to page 60) offering advice for teachers planning school trips with mental health and wellbeing in mind.

Teachwire – February 2018
Anita Kerwin-Nye asks ‘was the Children’s Commissioner’s report on vulnerable children the most important of 2017?’ in her teachwire article: Vulnerable Children – Who are They, and How do we Best Offer Support with Scarce Resources?

Anita Kerwin-Nye is quoted in School Travel Organiser (go to pages 23-24) is quoted in an article in response to the Prime Minister’s pledge to increase the number of environment linked school trips.

As part of our work on Every Child Should we have been talking to young people and those that work with them and reviewing many reports on what children and young people should have achieved and experienced by the time they leave school.

The strength of consortiums in affecting change is a core principle of Every Child Should. As is the belief that all children should be included in all aspects of education. In her recent piece for Schools Week Anita Kerwin-Nye talks about the change affected by Whole School SEND in the battle for inclusion.

Enrichment or Entitlement? How can museums work with schools to ensure that all children benefit form the transformative nature of museum learning?
The Journal of Education in Museums (JEM) is published annually. The current issue is only available to members of GEM.

“Anyone else watching #childreninneed & wondering why people have to fundraise for things that our most vulnerable children should get from the state?”
Turns out from this throwaway Friday night tweet that – yes – quite a lot of people.

Anita Kerwin-Nye discusses five things that education networks and groups of schools can do to enable effective evidence-based teaching.

Anita’s paper, on why and how the charity sector should communicate, looks back on ICAN’s initiative to establish greater collaboration in the field of communication disability. This paper led to the DCSF funding the establishment of The Communication Trust – a not for profit coalition of over 40 traditionally competing charities – which Anita founded and led as Director until 2012. The Trust was recognised by the Cabinet Office and Third Sector as an example of best practice in effective collaborative working.