Trustees’ Week 2020

Before the COVID-19 pandemic and our “new normal”, the CVS Falkirk team spoke with some local trustees about what prompted them to “get on board” and become volunteer trustees, their experiences with their group or organisation, and their #TrusteesIn3 – what volunteering means to them in just 3 words.

We hope you find these videos as inspiring as we did, and that they encourage you to think about all the different ways you can get involved.

Transcripts are available on request.

• From Me To You:  Emma and Gemma

Find out more about From Me To You in Falkirk via their Facebook page, visiting their new shop in Callendar Square, or by joining their Facebook group.

You can also read more about their journey in the Falkirk Herald:  one, two, three.

• Grangemouth Older People’s Welfare:  Charlie

You can find out more about Grangemouth Older People’s Welfare and what they do via their Facebook page.

• Music and Arts for Peace, Scotland (MAPS):  Iain

Follow MAPS’ journey via their Facebook page.

• Meadowbank Cars 4U:  Anne

Find out more about Meadowbank Cars 4U by visiting their website and their Facebook page.

Trustees’ Week always sees an incredible range of events – this year, many of them are more accessible than ever before, taking place online in order to reach as many people as possible.

And if you’ve missed  out on any of these opportunities, we have included the organisers’ contact details, as they may be able to provide recordings or information on future sessions.

Scotland’s Third Sector Governance Forum events

•  WORKSHOP: LEARNING THROUGH CHANGE, Tuesday 3^rd November, 2pm – 3:30pm

Sign up for a participative learning session, facilitated by the Social Enterprise Academy. This session will create a learning space for participants to pause, reflect and share what they have learnt from their experiences during this volatile and disruptive period. The workshop will aim to draw out common lessons and establish how you can harness this learning collectively to support your organisation’s future.

To book your place, or for further information, visit the Eventbrite page.

• ALLIANCES AND MERGERS, Tuesday 3^rd November, 2pm – 3:30pm

A merger or joint working arrangement can often be the best way to support service users and use resources efficiently …”  So said Alastair Keatinge, Head of Charities at law firm Lindsays in the Scotsman in July this year.  Joining him to discuss this topic will be Kirstine Fergusson, a specialist in constitutional and governance matters, and an experienced trustee herself, she has also had personal experience of a real live merger. A Q&A will follow their discussion.

To book your place, or for further information, visit the Eventbrite page.

• THE GOVERNANCE DEBATE: “FACE FACTS, ITS THE CHIEF OFFICER WHO HAS THE LEADERSHIP POWER AND CONTROL, NOT THE TRUSTEES”, Wednesday 4^th November, 2pm – 3:30pm

Anna Fowlie, Chief Executive of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) and Chris Creegan, writer, consultant and Chair of SAMH, will debate who’s really in charge.  Come and listen to the arguments and have your say too!

To book your place, or for further information, visit the Eventbrite page.

• BOARDS, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION, Thursday 5^th November, 10am – 11:30am

Exploring the diversity and inclusion on boards are Amanda Heenan and Miles Harrison.  Amanda is an equality and inclusion practitioner, focusing on creating inclusive accessible environments, where everyone can flourish.  Miles works in leadership and governance development and is an independent meeting facilitator.  He is Chair of Birds of Paradise Theatre Company, which is disability-led and employs disabled and non-disabled actors.

To book your place, or for further information, visit the Eventbrite page.

• GOVERNANCE TRAINING AND SUPPORT – WHAT DO YOU NEED AND WHERE CAN YOU GET IT?, Thursday 5^th November, 2pm – 3pm

Scotland’s Third Sector Governance Forum, with support from The Robertson Trust, will publish a new report mapping governance training and support available across Scotland for boards of trustees. (The report features research from the TSI Network, including our team at CVS Falkirk.) Join them to discuss the how to access the governance training and support you need, and discover more about new e-learning and training opportunities available from SCVO and the TSI Network.

Speakers will be: Thea Kellock, report author and Robertson Trust Intern; Steff Bell, Development Worker, Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council (EVOC); Tracey Bird, SCVO.

To book your place, or for further information, visit the Eventbrite page.

 SCVO Event

• Digital Trustees – the need for strategic leadership, Friday 6^th November, 2pm – 3:30pm

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become clear that charities require effective leadership to adapt and thrive. Digital services have risen to the fore, but not all charities are thinking strategically about their approach. You need digital trustees with the experience and knowledge to empower your board to make the right decisions. You need a strong board who can support your charity teams, offering direction and insights.

This special DigiShift for Trustees Week 2020 will talk you through what makes an effective digital trustee, how to recruit them, how they can work alongside the full board, and why digital strategy is vital now more than ever. With speakers Chris Yiu, Executive Director of Technology and Public Policy, Institute for Global Change and John Fitzgerald SCVO’s Digital Evolution Manager and Trustee of the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust

To book your place, or for further information, visit the Eventbrite page.

OSCR Event

• Protecting Your Charity’s Reputation, Wednesday 4^th November, 12pm – 1pm

A good reputation can take years to build and seconds to destroy. A charity’s reputation is one of its key assets which needs protected and it is the collective responsibility of charity trustees to monitor and protect it. In this session we will look at some examples where charity’s have gotten it wrong, and discuss the key learning points for charity trustees.

To book your place, or for further information, visit the Eventbrite page.

Young Trustees Movement Champion Training *

• Friday 6^th November, 12pm – 1pm
• Tuesday 10^th November, 12pm – 1pm
• Tuesday 17^th November, 1pm – 2pm
• Wednesday 18^th November, 8am – 9am

• Governance & the principles of equality, equity & diversity, Wednesday 4^th November, 2pm – 3pm (tickets are £5 – £10 each)

According to research from Getting on Board:

• The average age of a trustee is 60-62 and only 0.5% of trustees are 18-24, despite making up 12% of the population. 2/3 of charity trustees are over 50. 51% of trustees are retired.

• 6% of trustees are women

• People of colour represent 8% of trustees (vs 14% of wider population). Other minority groups: disabled people and other minorities are likely to be under-represented (but no stats are available).

• 30% of trustees have a postgraduate education, 60% of trustees have professional qualification, 75% of trustees are from households above the national median for household income

In support of the many varied discussions about equality and equity in the charitable and not for profit sector, this session will look at how boards, and management committees can address equality, diversity and create an inclusive environment for the recruitment and retention of trustees.

This short online session will explore the use of language, the need for and tools for a structured approach for addressing equality on your board/ management committee, and how to avoid accusations of “tokenism” when promoting equality and diversity. The session is suitable for trustees and senior staff in organisations, and facilitated by Rita Chadha.

To book your place, or for further information, visit the Eventbrite page.

“Festival of Trusteeship” Events *

Monday 2^nd November – Friday 6^th November

To celebrate Trustees’ Week, Getting On Board have launched their first ever Festival of Trusteeship.

Getting On Board is a registered charity, based in London, which aims to help find the best possible volunteers to serve on charity boards. They support and train charities to improve their board recruitment, and help individuals and their employers to find the best possible opportunities.

The festival is for people who want to become trustees, trustees who want to keep learning and developing, and for charity leaders who want to understand best practice in trustee recruitment and diversity.

Events will include workshops, Ted-style talks, networking events, Q&A clinics, and more, covering: youth leadership, anti-racism in the boardroom, anti-ageism, charity finances, ableism, how to recruit amazing candidates, anti-sexism, how to manage volunteers, diversity and inclusion, safeguarding for trustees, how to be a strategic force for change, what charitable impact is and how to drive it forwards as a trustee.

For further information, visit the Getting on Board website.

Alternatively, to view some of the festival resources available, visit their Twitter account.

* While the majority of these events have been organised by Scottish organisations, please be aware than some organisers may be based in other parts of the UK, and that the information they provide will need to be adapted to Scottish law.  We have tried to highlight these where possible.

• OSCR’s Guidance and Good Practice for Charity Trustees

Essential reading for trustees of any name in Scotland, this guidance from the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR), explains what the law says charity trustees must do or must not do. The charity trustee duties are set out in The Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 referred to in this Guidance as the 2005 Act.

In this guidance, OSCR explores the general duties and specific duties of charity trustees in the 2005 Act, give examples of how these might work, and share good practice from their experience as Regulator (the body responsible for regulating Scottish charities and their charity trustees) and from other organisations in the charity sector.

To view or download the guidance as a pdf, visit the OSCR website.

• OSCR’s COVID-19 Guidance for Charities

As we know, the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing many charities to change how they usually operate. This guidance from OSCR brings together information charities need to know during this time and highlights other organisations who may be able to offer support.

OSCR is working closely with key partners and stakeholders across the sector to make sure they can provide clear information to support charities at this time.

This guidance is for charity trustees, people working in or with charities, and professionals who advise charities.

To view or download the guidance as a pdf, visit the OSCR website.

OSCR has also released a recorded webinar, “Charities and Coronavirus”, available to watch on their website.

• SCOPE online learning platform

SCOPE is a free online learning platform aimed at European community, voluntary and charitable organisations and social enterprises, aiming to provide relevant and engaging learning content, and allow people to gain recognition for your skills to support you in your work.

The SCOPE project is aimed at third sector staff and volunteers in need of capacity building, skills development and recognition of non-formal learning, particularly those who are socially excluded in such a way that it is difficult for them to access training opportunities. Geographical, financial, accessibility, and time restraints can make it difficult to engage in training and much needed capacity building. Communicating the skills gained through training often does not happen, so skill recognition, job mobility and employability are also affected. SCOPE aims to address these challenges.

For further information, visit the SCOPE website.

• OSCR’s “Trustee Recruitment and Succession Planning” video

OSCR’s Head of Engagement Jude Turbyne talks about the best practices when recruiting a new charity trustee, acknowledging possible difficulties and key facts to keep in mind.

The video is available to watch via the OSCR YouTube channel, along with many other videos, including The Role of the Charity Trustee and Ask OSCR: Virtual Meetings and AGMs.