Today is the start of Trustees’ Week – a time to highlight the great work that trustees do and to encourage people from all walks of life to get involved and make a difference.

Trustees play a crucial, often unseen, role in leading, guiding and shaping voluntary sector organisations.  The essential role these trustees provide enables these groups to deliver vital services.

As Trustee Week begins, here’s three ways you can get involved:

1. Interested in volunteering as a trustee?

A number of voluntary groups and charities in West Lancashire are looking for special volunteers to help lead their organisations, so if you’re interested in volunteering as a trustee get in touch today!

West Lancs CVS Volunteer Centre currently has 12 opportunities to become a trustee for a diverse range of local charities.

Trustees undertake a number of different roles in running a charity including:

• Treasurer – financial and fundraising skills
• Secretary – organisational and administration skills
• Chairperson – managing meetings and providing leadership

In addition, some Boards like to specify wider roles such as:

• fundraising
• line management
• mentoring
• HR advice

To find out local opportunities to volunteer as a trustee, contact Jan at the Volunteer Centre on 07598 552945 or email: janice@wlcvs.org

2. Already got a trustee board?

Online learning

NCVO has lots of useful resources and guidance to help inform and upskill your existing trustee board, including:

• Online training courses
• E-learning
• Trustee Week webinars

Governance resources

NCVO has lots of good governance resources available for free including:

• Running a charity:  Guidance and tools to help you run your charity or voluntary organisation
• Governance:  Practical steps to effectively achieve and maintain good governance in your charity

Governance App

The Governance App is a free and easy way for your board of trustees to review and improve its governance, together:

• Gather responses from your whole board
• Get a performance score out of ten in seven different areas
• Highlight where board members have different views on performance
• Have targeted discussions about what’s going well and where to focus on improving

Get started here

3. Already a trustee or thinking of becoming one?

It’s important to have a range of skills on a Trustee Board.

If you’re already a trustee or thinking of becoming one, then why not find out what skills you bring by taking the Trustee Personality Quiz?

This Trustees’ Week, we join with the many voluntary and community groups across the Borough to thank Trustees who have given their support and guidance as volunteers this year.