New charity trustees to receive “welcome pack” from Commission

The Charity Commission has announced that from the 30 April 2018 (yesterday), every new trustee who registers an email address as a means of contact with the Commission will be emailed a “welcome pack” focussing on the key duties of charity trusteeship.

Helpfully for existing trustees who would like to refresh their knowledge, the Commission has made the welcome pack available on their website as well.

The pack emphasises the need for a trustee to get to know their charity’s purposes, governing document and finances, as well as their fellow trustees. They should also make sure they are well-informed about any key policies on areas such as risk, safeguarding and fundraising.

It also highlights the need for trustees to:

  • ensure decisions are properly made and manage conflicts of interest well
  • get to know their key duties as a charity trustee
  • comply with their filing requirements and
  • keep themselves informed, by reading the Commission’s guidance and quarterly newsletter

In addition, the pack suggests six practical steps to take in the day-to-day role of a trustee, to help trustees to comply with their main trustee duties, and signposts the Charity Governance Code as a way of helping new trustees to understand what good practice in governance looks like.

It also acknowledges that things can sometimes go wrong, and briefly summarises what trustees are expected to do in such a situation.

The new welcome pack is an easy-to-read guide to the basics of being a charity trustee, with lots of links to further guidance and information provided by both the Commission and other sector organisations. As such, it is definitely a welcome addition to the guidance published by the Commission, and many new (and old) trustees will find it a useful resource.

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