Trustees
Our Trustees are responsible for ensuring the operational team remains in line with vision and mission of the Charity. Utilising their skill set to support the team in their duties.The Trustees act collectively and have no individual power to make decisions unless this has been delegated to them.
People are invited to join the Trustee board based on their skills and experience. Trustees serve 3 year terms which can be renewed twice (a maximum of 9 years). They are not paid for their role, but can claim reasonable expenses. You can contact any of the Trustees at our office address.
Our Trustee Board
Lloyd Martin
Chair
David Cashmore
Vice-Chair
Charles Wallace
Treasurer
Moira Froggatt
HR
John Pick
Fundraising
Richard Allinson
IT
Sandra Church
Safeguarding
Judith Middleton
Data Analysis
The Charity Commission sets out the Trustees 6 main duties:
Ensure Volunteer Action carries out its purposes for public benefit
Trustees:
- understand our purpose as set out in our governing document and how it benefits the public we serve.
- plan what we will do, and how to achieve it.
- can explain how all of our activities are intended to develop or support our purpose.
Comply with our governing document and the law
Including:
- making sure we comply with our governing document.
- complying with charity law requirements and other laws.
Act in Volunteer Action’s best interests
Trustees:
- do what the trustee body decides will best enable Volunteer Action to carry out our purposes.
- make balanced and adequately informed decisions, thinking about the long term as well as the short term.
- avoid putting themselves in a position where their duty to our charity conflicts with their personal interests or loyalty to any other person or body.
- not receive any benefit from the charity unless it’s properly authorised and is clearly in the charity’s interests.
Act with reasonable care and skill
Trustees:
- must make use of their skills and experience and take appropriate advice when necessary.
- should give enough time, thought and energy to their role, for example by preparing for, attending and actively participating in all trustees’ meetings.
Ensure your charity is accountable
Trustees:
- be able to demonstrate that Volunteer Action is complying with the law, well run and effective.
- must comply with statutory accounting and reporting requirements.
- ensure accountability within the charity, particularly where responsibility for particular tasks or decisions to staff or volunteers are delegated.
The responsibilities of the Trustee board broadly comprise:
Financial responsibility
- planning and budgeting
- internal controls
- reporting
- strategic thinking about funding and securing a diverse and secure funding base
Strategy and impact
- vision and mission
- values
- impact
- strategy
Managing people
- our Trustees ensure that we have policies and procedures in place for the recruitment of staff so that applicants are treated fairly and in accordance with equal opportunities practice at all stages of advertising, shortlisting and interviewing.
- Our Trustees establish policies for staff appraisal, development and supervision, probationary periods and remuneration.
Safeguarding
The ultimate responsibility for safeguarding lies with the Trustee board and they can always be contacted with any concerns or questions. That said, everyone in the organisation has a role to play in safeguarding.
Creating a safe and welcoming environment, where everyone is respected and valued, is at the heart of safeguarding. We want to run Volunteer Action in a way that actively prevents harm, harassment, bullying, abuse and neglect. Safeguarding is also about being ready to respond safely and effectively if there is a problem. Every organisation that delivers charitable activities has a duty to safeguard volunteers, staff members, participants and donors.
Reasons to do Safeguarding effectively:
- Abuse, harassment and harm can happen to anyone – people we work with, staff or volunteers. It’s not always visible and often not spoken about
- Abuse, harm and neglect are wrong. We all have a duty to do something about it.
- An organisation that does safeguarding effectively is an organisation that is trusted.