DofE appoints two new Trustees to help the charity reach 1.6 million young people by 2026
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) has today announced the appointment of two new Trustees to support its aim of reaching 1.6 million young people across the UK – with a focus on breaking down barriers for those from marginalised backgrounds.
Polly Williams and Rob Shuter join the DofE’s Board at a record-breaking time, with more than 545,000 young people doing their DofE in 2023/24 and participants giving more than 4.7 million hours of volunteering in their communities.
Polly and Rob will join the Board in overseeing the delivery of the DofE’s five-year Youth Without Limits strategy – launched in 2021 – which aims to widen access to the DofE by removing barriers to participation for marginalised young people, such as those with additional needs and those experiencing poverty.
Although there is still work to be done to reach as many young people as possible, the DofE is making good progress. The charity has launched ambitious projects in recent years to support more schools in the UK’s most deprived areas, community organisations, prisons and young offender institutions and further education colleges to run the DofE, and to open up participation to more young people with additional needs.
In the last year, 50,277 young people living in the UK’s most deprived areas (IMD 1-3), 88,530 young people from ethnic minority backgrounds and 25,691 with additional needs started their Award.
The two new Trustees join as the DofE prepares to reach even more secondary schools and community organisations, expand its work in youth justice settings, and take more action to support organisations and young people facing financial barriers – including by offering tailored financial support to those who need it most.
Since retiring as an audit partner at KPMG, Polly has held a number of non-executive director roles across sport, financial services, engineering and technology organisations as well as being an experienced charity trustee. She is currently a director of RBC Brewin Dolphin Limited, Videndum plc and the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and likes spending her time in the outdoors and supporting England Rugby.
In response to her appointment, Polly Williams said: “I am looking forward to using my experience of the commercial and charity sectors to assisting DofE to help even more young people discover their true potential.”
Rob brings a wealth of experience gained from over 30 years in the telecommunications and financial services sectors. He has held senior executive positions for BT Group plc, Vodafone Group and in retail banking. Rob is a non-executive director of Sir Fruit Group and Drax Group plc. and is an enthusiastic athlete and explorer.
In response to his appointment, Rob Shuter said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be joining the Board of Trustees of the DofE. I have admired their work for many years and look forward to making a contribution in this next exciting chapter “
Tanni, Baroness Grey-Thompson, Chair of the DofE’s Board of Trustees, said: “I’m delighted that Polly and Rob – and the invaluable experience that comes with them – are joining the Board to help the charity give all young people the chance to do their DofE.
“This generation are engaged, compassionate and hopeful. But they’re also facing an uncertain future – which means the importance of opportunities like the DofE has never been greater. We know that many of the most marginalised young people across the UK face barriers to accessing extra-curricular activities, and through our ambitious strategy, we are determined to support as many young people as possible to build the skills they need to tackle whatever life throws at them.”
Alongside Baroness Grey-Thompson, Polly and Rob will join HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, Anna Rose Barker, Ofei Kwafo-Akoto, Roisin Currie, Mo Isap, Mel Ewell, Emma Watford, Julian Hough and Patricia Tehan on the DofE Board of Trustees.
