Trustees Week 2021: a celebration of those who lead
Trustees Week 2021: a celebration of those who lead
By Nicole Lappin, Chief Charity Commissioner
I have often heard of volunteers, staff and service users described as the lifeblood of a charity, and indeed it is a fitting description. However, there is another role which I feel is equally as vital and, perhaps, is overlooked at times. This role is one which brings with it a great deal of responsibility and leadership, much of the work is behind the scenes and yet, without them, there may be no charity at all. I am, of course, talking about a charity’s trustees.
Usually an unpaid role, charity trustees are the people who serve on the governing body of a charity. They decide how the charity is run, are responsible for ensuring the charity is doing what it was set up to do and is operating within its charitable purposes for the public benefit. To coin a phrase, it’s with the charity’s trustees that the buck stops.
While not always an easy position, being a trustee can be extremely rewarding and enjoyable, providing individuals with an opportunity to make a real difference to the organisation and to society. They are the ones at the forefront, from supporting volunteers and staff to guiding the charity to achieve its charitable objectives, whatever they may be.
Given the commitment trustees gift to the public through their involvement in charities, I am delighted to see that Trustees Week – a celebration of the great work of trustees – is once again being held this year, from 1 to 5 November 2021. In fact, this year will mark the event’s eleventh year, surely a testament to its success.
As well as a celebration, I also welcome the resources and support which Trustees Week looks to provide to all trustees by sharing individual’s stories, their lived experiences as well as promoting ongoing learning and development. To that end, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the Commission’s own Running your charity guidance, which aims to support charity trustees on key aspects of running a charity effectively. Being a charity trustee is not something which should be taken lightly, and our guidance aims to provide a general introduction and overview of key governance matters for charities, as well as highlighting areas where charity trustees may need to seek further advice.
Trustees come from all walks of life, bringing with them their own essential knowledge, skills and experiences to help direct their charities. A guiding hand is always needed but none more so than during the COVID-19 health emergency when difficult decisions had to be made, and unprecedented challenges overcome. And as we emerge from the pandemic, I would like to once again applaud the work and dedication of trustees, and their charities.
That work and oversight is also why I support the Commission’s ongoing involvement in the Boardroom Apprentice Scheme, a unique 12-month Board learning and development programme that encourages new people to come forward to give their time and share their skills to our third and public-sector boards. Since 2007, 163 individuals have embarked on their Boardroom Apprentice journey, each one taking a step forward in a journey which may ultimately see them become the next generation of trustees. With our 2021-22 Boardroom Apprentice, Maria Curry, the Commission is participating for a fifth year in a row in the Board Apprentice Scheme, demonstrating our own commitment to increasing the diversity of candidates for public and charity appointments in Northern Ireland.