The NCS Trust, the new organisation which is to manage the National Citizen Service programme, has promoted its director of strategy, and the Prime Minister’s former Big Society adviser, Michael Lynas, to chief executive.

Lynas joined the organisation a year ago as director of strategy, shortly after it was set up to take over the management of the National Citizen Service programme from the government.

Before joining the NCS Trust, Lynas was a senior civil servant in the No 10 policy unit where he was involved in establishing the National Citizen Service programme, a youth volunteering scheme. 

Stephen Greene, chair of NCS Trust, said that the appointment comes “after a comprehensive national search” by the organisation and that: “Michael is exceptionally talented and his commitment to NCS is well documented. We look forward to working with him throughout 2014 and beyond to continue to develop and build on the success of NCS.”

He was one of four executive directors who were appointed last year. A spokeswoman told civilsociety.co.uk that the organisation will not appoint a new director of strategy.

NCS National Youth Board

The organisation also announced the creation of a National Youth Board to represent the views of young people.

Lynas said: “My priority as the new chief executive of NCS Trust, is to build a movement of young people dedicated to making our country a better place, community by community. This means putting young people at the heart of everything we do.”

The youth board consists of 20 NCS graduates representing each of the 20 regions in England and Northern Ireland where NCS operates.

They were selected from young people who attended the NCS Leaders Programme in 2013/14 and were invited to apply to join the board.