Farrer & Co gives pro bono training to young museum trustees with Kids in Museums

Farrer & Co's pro bono volunteers have given training to young people aged 18-30 who are interested in becoming museum trustees. The training, part of a programme organised by Kids in Museums, was led by our Charity & Community and Safeguarding teams and focused on spotting key legal issues that trustees may encounter. Participants included representatives from Amersham Museum, The Burton at Bideford, Cromwell Museum, Land of Iron, Towner Eastbourne and Silk Museum Macclesfield.

This is the second year that Kids in Museums has run the programme to encourage more young people to become museum trustees. Executive Director, Alison Bowyer, discussed the aim behind the initiative:

“At Kids in Museums we hear regularly from young people that they want to spend more time in museums and start careers in the sector. However, they don’t always feel museums meet their needs  and are relevant to their interests. By addressing the huge underrepresentation of young people on museum boards, we are giving them a direct voice in decision making and the opportunity to improve museums for their peers. Diverse boards bring many benefits and we are committed to ensuring more museums involve young people in their governance.”

Delivering this training supports two of the four themes that underpin Farrer & Co's pro bono work as part of our commitment to being a responsible business: strengthening the rights of children and young people, and culture and heritage. Based on key legal obligations of trustees, the training also links to a key purpose of our pro bono work and strategy – promoting robust corporate governance. Laetitia Ransley, Partner in our Charity & Community team, commented:

"Providing this training was an excellent opportunity for our solicitors who specialise in giving advice to the museum and cultural heritage sector to be able to use their skills in a pro bono context. By working pro bono, we were able to support Kids in Museums and smaller heritage organisations which may not otherwise have access to this type of specialist, tailored training. We wish all of the young participants every success in their future roles as museum trustees."

Thank you to our volunteers: safeguarding expertise was provided by Iman Kouchouk and Veryan Exelby, while charity law guidance was given by Tom Chapman and Laetitia Ransley. For more information on our pro bono work, please contact Rhian Lewis.

Photo credit: Olivia Conlon

© Farrer & Co LLP, January 2026