A post from Hélder Costa, International Newcastle Board Member
This has been an unusual week. In between supporting young people participating in the Government’s Kickstart Scheme, and changing nappies while juggling work in the new normality that it is working-from-home, I got invited to give a guest talk at Sunderland University on my career and the progress that I made since graduating.
For those who only met the “British Hélder,” you might be inclined to believe that I come from the usual middle-class European family and that I always knew that I could travel or conquer whatever I wanted. Well, that is not the case. In reality, I come from a more challenging background where drug use and violence were a part of my childhood day-to-day. It is this background that allows me to be so effective on a Board and allows me to contribute differently from the most “traditional Trustees”.
Today, I contribute as a Non-Executive Director at International Newcastle and as an Advisory Youth Board Member at The Common Room, to the community that allowed me to overcome those challenges.
Entitled Youth to the Top – How can Boards Improve Your Career Prospects, I could not miss the opportunity of shouting about how amazing Boards can be for young people, how much Boards can gain from having Young Trustees, and above all, how much young people can contribute to the community and change the world from within.
During this talk, I discussed how your background, even the most challenging one, can offer you a unique perspective of social issues, and how your age and “lack of professional experience” is not a weakness… it’s a strength. We are all unique, and that uniqueness allows us to contribute more fully to Boards. It’s the variety of perspectives that makes Boards soo effective. There are plenty of “Johns and Daves” out there, and there are plenty of Marketing or Finance experts, but there are very few of “you”.
In this talk, I discuss how my less traditional upbringing allows me to better understand why the single mother of 3 doesn’t care about climate change – she needs to care about putting food on the table, or why the young person about to quit school doesn’t care about their future – they need to focus on the present.
I also talk about my experience on Boards and the value I can bring and what it means for me as a person and for my own professional and career development.
At International Newcastle, I have the opportunity of supporting the organization in delivering real value to the region – and, I’ll be bold to say – the country. I sit alongside some inspirational professionals and help International Newcastle in supporting young people across the region accessing opportunities to make them confident global citizens.
Over the past few months, I had the chance of supporting International Newcastle with the Express Yourself: North East Festival of Languages, represent the organization at the British Council Internationalism Alliance, and contributed my story to the “How Languages Changed My Life” series alongside some incredible people. It has been, undoubtedly, one of the most rewarding experiences of my professional life.
- The full talk and discussion with Sunderland University students is on Youtube following this link
- Click here to download the presentation slides
- Click here for International Newcastle’s Board
Information and support for young trustees, applying to be a trustee and vacancies
- Click here for the Young Trustee Movement’s guidance and support for young people (under 30 becoming trustees) joining Boards – training sessions, events, digital hub of young trustees supporting each other, recruitment checklist for Boards and trustee vacancies across the UK
- Click here for a video about applying to be a trustee and how to present your experiences: Colette Harrison, Community Foundation Development Officer speaking on the Young Trustees Movement webinar and contact Colette here
- Click here for Trustee/Director vacancies in Newcastle and Gateshead using the search term ‘trustee’ (Connected Voice)
- Click here for Trustee/Director vacancies in the North East of England (Voluntary Organisations Network North East – VONNE)