Trustees are the lifeblood of your organisation. An experienced and effective board is able to make informed decisions in order to develop strategy and plans that will provide good leadership to the organisation.
However, many organisations don’t invest in training and development for new and existing trustees. For whatever reason, trustees sometimes feel that investment in their development could take away for the organisation’s resources when in fact it is the opposite!
Firstly, you need to identify the existing skills you have within your board. Your trustees may have untapped skills and experience from previous trusteeships, work or voluntary activity and can help you build a picture of this.
Once you have a clear picture of your trustee board’s existing skills and attributes, think about what’s missing and how you can fill these gaps.
Option to consider:
- build on the skills of your existing trustees
- train your existing trustees
- share expertise with other charities
- recruit new trustees to meet specific skills gaps
VODA’s Core Services Manager, Keith Hardy, has been supporting charities and organisations, working with their boards to develop their skills and knowledge around the role of trustees and good governance.
As well as continuing this service, Keith is now able to offer a formal half day training course open to any trustees, or those thinking about becoming a trustee. Keith comments:
“Whether you are new to the role of a trustee or an experienced trustee looking for refresher training this free half day course will provide a good introduction. It is ideal as part of a trustees induction programme.”
To find out how Keith can work with your board, please contact 0191 6432626 or email keith.hardy@voda.org.uk
