Following Trustees Week in Autumn 2023, the Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, Helen Stephenson, has recently provided feedback on the discussions which she held with Trustees during this time.
She has said that the Charity Commission are aware that work still needs to be done to open the doors to trusteeship and that one of the common misconceptions was that trusteeship isn’t suitable for the average person. Helen recounts one trustee saying to her, ‘you can’t be, what you can’t see’.
The Charity Commission have provided useful recommendations which an organisation can consider implementing to tackle the problems of ensuring a diverse board is recruited. These include:
- Fair and open recruitment practices. Being explicit about what you’re looking for is important.
- If there is a particular skill or experience you’re missing from your board, say so, People don’t always read between the lines.
- Use language that demonstrates you’re keen to receive applications from a diverse range of people.
The Charity Commission will be reviewing their Finding New Trustees guidance in 2024. This will support charities to recruit effectively to their boards. VODA will provide further updates once this new guidance is published.
If you have any further queries, VODA can offer support, advice, and training to your VCSE group. Please contact VODA’s Core Services Team by telephone on 0191 323 2040 or by email on development@voda.org.uk.
