This section contains advice and guidance for trustees, committee members and anyone involved in the governance of a voluntary or community organisation.
Below you’ll find our Information Sheets, links to useful external guidance, and our Sector News section, which features the latest updates relevant to charity trustees.
Contact us for more in-depth support.
Trustee Training: Roles & Responsibilities
We run a quarterly, free training session on Trustee Roles & Responsibilities, designed to help both new and experienced trustees feel confident in their governance role. You can view and book upcoming sessions in our training calendar.
This friendly, informal 2‑hour session covers:
- The key roles and legal responsibilities of charity trustees
- Principles of good governance
- How to run an effective board
- Managing risk, conflicts of interest and compliance
- Practical examples, discussion and problem‑solving activities
The session includes interactive exercises, real‑world scenarios, and plenty of opportunity to ask questions and share experiences.
Training takes place at VODA’s office in Wallsend and is suitable for individuals considering their first trusteeship, as well as full boards who want to upskill together.
Free Online Training for Trustees
Trustees can also access free introductory online training through VODA’s Elements Portal. These short courses are ideal for new trustees, people considering being a trustee, or anyone wanting to build confidence in their governance role.
Courses include:
- Introduction to the Roles of Chair, Secretary and Treasurer
- Introduction to Setting up a Charity
- Getting to Grips with Your Charity Governing Document
- Good Fundraising: Success with Grant Applications
- Good Governance
Additional topics include safeguarding, inclusive volunteering, climate change, cyber security and volunteers and the law, with more courses added regularly. You can access all of these courses via the Elements Training Portal.
VODA Advice Guides
Useful Resources
- Getting Onboard: How to diversify your Charity’s board
- Young Trustees Movement: Getting young people onto your Trustee board
- The essential trustee: what you need to know, what you need to do
- Getting Onboard: How to become a Charity Trustee
- Charity governance, finance and resilience: 15 questions trustees should ask
- Infographic: 15 questions trustees should ask
- Making digital work: 12 questions for trustees to consider
- Get help for your inactive or ineffective charity
- Charity Commission ‘CC’ guidance publications
- Guide to managing your charity’s reputational risk
- How do chairs encourage discussion and share power effectively?
Useful Online Videos
5-Minute Guides for Charity Trustees
Explore the Charity Commission’s ‘5-minute guides’ for charity trustees featuring short guidance on the basics all trustees need to know:
Sector News
With local elections approaching in May, now is a good time for charities to review what they can and can’t do when it comes to political campaigning. The Charity Commission has published clear guidance to help trustees and staff navigate this area confidently, ensuring that all campaigning activity stays within the law and in line […]
The Charity Commission has updated its guidance on reporting serious incidents to reflect changes under the Charities Act 2022. This updated advice is essential reading for trustees and charity leaders to ensure compliance and maintain transparency. The duty to report The Charity Commission requires charities to report serious incidents promptly, fully and honestly. If such […]
The voluntary and community sector is at the heart of healthier, more connected communities. In this new blog, Birju Bartoli, Chief Executive of Northumbria NHS Foundation Trust, shares how local charities and groups are helping tackle inequalities, inspire young people, and support local jobs. These partnerships show the power of working together to create lasting […]
As the new year gets underway, our latest Governance Blog focuses on an important but sometimes overlooked aspect of good governance: giving new trustees a genuinely warm and supportive welcome. Why does this matter? Trustees who feel valued and well supported from the outset are far more likely to stay engaged and contribute effectively. Putting […]
The latest research from the Third Sector Trends report show a clear challenge for the voluntary and community sector. Small charities are seeing the biggest drops in trustee and volunteer numbers. Organisations working with very limited budgets now face real risks to governance, service delivery and long-term stability. While larger charities may be seeing some recovery, […]
