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About us

Find out about our services, the way we operate and how we champion voluntary action

Who we are

We’re the membership community for charities, voluntary organisations and community groups in England

Our services

Find out how we can support you, from support for small charities and training to consultancy and corporate relations

Training

We offer a range of training courses designed to help you do what you do best

eLearning: Roles and duties of trustees

This flexible, interactive course will help you understand your duties as a trustee and support you to run your charity effectively so you can make a bigger difference

Leading on purpose

A practical four-month programme for emerging charity leaders who are on their way to leading organisations

Our vision for charity leaders

Learn about the mindset, knowledge and connections that emerging leaders need to guide the sector into the 2030s

Support for small charities and voluntary organisations

We know small charities make a big impact with limited resource - that's why we're here to help

Climate campaign: Putting the environment at the centre of decision-making this Trustees' Week

We launched a new campaign in the summer of 2023 to help trustees and charity leaders consider the environmental impact of their charities’ investments

  • Campaigning

Practical support bulletin: November 2023

Resources, events, support and information on the big issues affecting small charities

  • Funding and income
  • Governance
  • Cost of living

Celebrating Trustees’ Week 2023

Our chief executive Sarah Vibert celebrates the start of Trustees' Week and shares our plans

  • Governance

King’s Speech 2023: Takeaways for the voluntary sector

Our policy and public affairs manager, Chris Walker, summarises the announcements from the King's Speech likely to impact our sector

  • Government and politics

The importance of diversity in your trustee board

Explore why diversity is a key area of reflection for your trustee board and what needs to happen to make a board truly diverse

  • Equity, diversity and inclusion
  • Governance

Open letter to the chancellor on vital funding for public services delivered by charities

Read our open letter calling on the chancellor to ensure charities can continue providing essential services for communities

  • Funding and income
  • Cost of living

What is the true cost of giving support to public services?

Why the government must act to cover the true cost of charities delivering public services

  • Cost of living
  • Funding and income

The inside track: November 2023

An update on what's happening in Westminster. Find out what the King’s Speech and government reshuffle means for charities

  • Government and politics

Volunteering round-up: November 2023

The latest volunteering news, resources and dates for your diary

  • Involving volunteers

Governance round-up: November 2023

Lessons from Trustees’ Week 2023 and upcoming dates for your diary

  • Governance

Helping your board meet their responsibilities

Learn more about the key areas boards and trustees are responsible for

  • Governance

Introduction to trustee responsibilities

All trustees must take responsibility for decisions that benefit their charity

  • Governance

Equity, diversity and inclusion at board level

All trustees are responsible for shaping the culture of their board and charity

  • Governance

Finance

Trustees must make sure their charity’s money is safe and used properly

  • Governance

Funding and fundraising

Trustees should think carefully about how to secure income for their charity

  • Governance

How to manage risk

Seven steps to help trustees manage risk in their charity

  • Governance
  • Risk

Managing people

Trustees need to make sure their charity follows employment law and has clear volunteer management processes

  • Governance

Reporting

Guidance on Charity Commission, Companies House and serious incident reporting

  • Governance

Strategy

Trustees should help oversee and develop their charity’s strategy

  • Governance

Recruiting and inducting trustees

Guidance on how to find and welcome new charity trustees

  • Governance

Developing a Fundraising Strategy (0.5 day)

Learn how to develop your first fundraising strategy. This course is aimed at small to medium-sized charities looking to grow their fundraising offer.

Successful funding applications (0.5 day)

Learn Practical tips to ensure you are successful in your funding bid applications.

Webinar: charity trading essentials

Explore charity trading and when to consider a trading subsidiary.

Tools and methods for measuring outcomes (1 day)

Get an introduction to data collection methods and practical guidance for evaluating your work

Recruiting volunteers (0.5 day)

This course will develop your skills and help you use a marketing approach to recruit volunteers

Supporting good governance (4 x 0.5 days)

This course will help you implement structures and processes to support trustees, and ensure systems are aligned with your organisation’s purpose and objectives

Authentic leadership (1 day)

This practical one-day course for aspiring and existing charity leaders will strengthen your understanding of authentic leadership, so you can lead with integrity and impact

Charity trustee induction and refresher (2 x 0.5 days)

This course will give trustees an overview and understanding of charity governance, regulation and best practice

Safeguarding essentials for trustees (0.5 day)

This introductory course explains the key trustee responsibilities for safeguarding, following guidance from the Charity Commission

Mentoring and coaching skills (0.5 days)

This course provides an introduction to the key differences between mentoring and coaching. You’ll learn how to use both skills effectively to develop and support staff, volunteers and clients