Campaign to help trustees be ‘certain in uncertain times’
WCVA is supporting the Charity Commission’s current campaign to raise awareness amongst charity trustees of their core responsibilities, and to encourage greater use of resources that are available online.
The Charity Commission is promoting the use of its 5-minute guides, which together make up an introduction to the ‘core syllabus’ that all charity trustees should be familiar with. Aimed at new trustees and longer-standing trustees who wish to refresh their knowledge, the guides provide simple, easy to understand information on all the governance basics trustees need to know.
New to the campaign this year are a suite of animated videos, which bring the Commission’s 5-minute guides to life. The campaign also includes new materials on safeguarding, the topic of a new 5-minute guide introduced last year.
The campaign is part of a wider initiative to make the Commission’s online guidance clearer and easier to access, and to encourage more trustees to make use of it – in support of the objective in its 5-year strategy to ‘give charities the understanding and tools they need to succeed.’
The first phase of the campaign was launched last March and was consciously framed to help trustees respond to the uncertainty created by the pandemic. The Commission says the operating environment for many charities remains uncertain, including in light of the war in Ukraine.
INSPIRING
Paul Latham, Director of Communications and Policy at the Charity Commission, said:
‘We know that trustees want to get it right, and are motivated by a passion for their charity’s cause. Problems often occur, however, because they have misunderstood or overlooked the basics of the law or good governance, or indeed are over-confident about what they know.
Our campaign encourages all trustees to ask themselves whether they would know how to respond to common situations. We hope to inspire trustees to acquire new knowledge, and refresh their existing expertise, in the best interest of their charity and society as a whole.’
WCVA recognises that trustees across Wales are busy undertaking demanding roles in challenging times. Ensuring that these trustees are knowledgeable about their governance responsibilities is a crucial part of building a resilient organisation, giving trustees confidence in their decision-making and creating the greatest impact for beneficiaries.
WCVA recommends that charities incorporate the Charity Commission guides into induction information for new trustees, and take time on a regular basis to review the skills and experience of their Board to ensure trustees have the support they need to carry out their duties.
For additional free information and advice, register on the Knowledge Hub where you can find a range of resources and support for voluntary organisations.
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