West Norfolk Voluntary and Community Action

Trustees

Charity trustees are the people legally responsible for the overall management and decision making in a charity. They are responsible for the direction and performance of a charity. If the charity has few or no staff, trustees may be directly involved in the day to day running of the charity and trustees will be responsible for monitoring and controlling their activities.

What is expected of a charity trustee?

Trustees to act only in the best interests of the charity
To be involved in major decisions
To take decisions jointly with other trustees

Why be a Trustee?

There are many different reasons why people become trustees. First, charities need them! Trustees move on, the charity’s need change, and even in an established charity it is good to have the new ideas, new energies, new perspective that new trustees can bring. You should also find it personally highly rewarding and stimulating. You are putting your skills and enthusiasm to good use in a new environment.

Who can be a trustee?

No one under the age of 18 can be appointed as a trustee, and some people are disqualified by law from acting as charity trustees.

This includes:

Anyone who has been convicted of an offence involving deception or dishonesty, unless the conviction is spent
Anyone who is an undischarged bankruptanyone who has previously been removed from trusteeship or a charity by the court or the Charity Commissioners
Anyone who is under a disqualification order under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986.