Community Impact Bucks is the independent charity which provides comprehensive support services to other charities, community groups, social enterprises and rural organisations throughout Buckinghamshire. It is also the Volunteer Centre for Buckinghamshire, helping members of the public to get involved in community activity. How can we help you today?

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Governance & Legal

The following national website have a wealth of information that can help you: www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/governanceandleadership

Trustee Event 4th November 2011
Trustee responsibilities, risks and rewards
Examples of governance documents
Legal
Checklists
Other Templates
Trustee recruitment

Trustee Event 4th November 2011

78 trustees from 56 organisations joined our event to mark the second ever national trustee week which focussed on Trusteeship for the Future.

Click for copies of presentations made by the keynote speakers:

Cllr Martin Philips, Bucks County Council Portfolio Holder for Communities spoke on Trusteeship for the Future - vision for communities in Buckinghamshire.

Diane Gill, solicitor from BP Collins spoke on the legal aspects to consider as we move into the future.

Stephen Townsend from the Swan Community Hub gave some tips on how to remove barriers to volunteering by paying out of pocket expenses while at the same time increasing income for your charity.

Trustee responsibilities, risks and rewards

Have a look at this presentation, given at the Bucks VCS conference on 29th March 2011, which sets the scene and gives some food for thought.

The charity commission has some useful documents for download setting out the responsibilities of trustees:

The first is called an easy read guide to Being a Trustee. It really is an easy read in that it is written in order to demystify things for people with learning difficulties who become trustees - and as such it is a nice simple starting point for anyone!

http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/library/guidance/cc3_easy.pdf

The second is the more meaty version, called The Essential Trustee, and will probably answer more of your questions

http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/Library/guidance/cc3text.pdf

Examples of governance documents

Our own trustee board have developed governance documents drawn from nationally recognised good practice and adapted for our own organisation.

Please feel free to use of adapt for your own organisation.

Legal

BP Collins, a local law firm working in partnership with Community Impact Bucks, are providing voluntary groups access too their legal resources website which includes topics such as employment law,  premises law, data protection and IT, health and safety and other legal resources.

Checklists

  • Board effectiveness quiz - a one page sheet you could give to all your trustees to fill in and use to discuss your own governance and where you might want to make changes
  • Board performance self assessment - a more comprehensive self assessment tool to enable you to improve your governance

Other Templates

Trustee recruitment

If you need new trustees then please liaise with our volunteering development manager as we can help you with this.