Over the last few years, more and more charities have become alive to the value of having trustees on their board with lived experience of their cause. But equally, many have grappled with the challenge of how to make the most of this vital expertise. Until recently, there was very little guidance available and what existed was scattered across various websites and written material. There was no one source of best practice guidance. This gap became the catalyst for us at the Centre for Charity Effectiveness to research and build an accessible online resource on the topic that could be regularly updated with new material as this important area evolves. This launched in November 2020.

Lived experience lies at the intersection of three better explored and documented areas of focus for the charity sector: great governance; diversity, equity and inclusion; and amplifying the service-user voice. While we can get insights from each of these about having trustees with lived experience on boards, charities would benefit from more specific guidance.