Celebrating Cheltenham’s trustees

The event also marks the end of Trustees Week 2016. 

There are at least 250 voluntary and community organisations in Cheltenham and all have been invited to nominate two of their trustees to attend.

On the night, mayor Chris Ryder will say a public thank you to Cheltenham’s trustees for their work. Information about support services and training available for trustees will be shared by Gloucestershire Rural Community Council; along with information about Volunteering Gloucestershire and Cheltenham Partnership. The introductions will be followed by tea and cakes, along with the opportunity to meet and network with other trustees from across the borough.

Cllr Flo Clucas, cabinet member for healthy lifestyles, says: “We are lucky in Cheltenham to have a wide range of voluntary and community sector organisations, and these would not exist without trustees working in a voluntary capacity to govern them.

“We would like to take Trustees Week as an opportunity to thank them and celebrate the huge contribution they make to Cheltenham and making it a great place work, live and visit.”

Angela Gilbert, from Gloucestershire Rural Community Council, continues: “Taking on a governance role is a big commitment, but one that can be hugely rewarding. Trustees are able to use their skills and knowledge to ensure that charities and voluntary organisations are working effectively for social benefit. This event is a chance to thank them for their commitment.”

The event is a Cheltenham Partnership initiative, and recognises not only trustees of registered charities but those who are responsible for other types of community organisations and serve on management committees, or who are directors of not for profit organisations.

Trustees take on a leadership role and help to steer a charity or community organisation as part of its board and help to ensure that it delivers the best possible service to the people it supports. Due to their need to be independent, trustees must be volunteers and can’t be paid for their role. 

Notes:

From National Council for Voluntary Organisations:

• There are approximately 194,000 charities in the UK (165,000 charities in England and Wales, 24,000 in Scotland, 5,000 registered in Northern Ireland).
• And just over 1 million trustees (of which some 850,000 are in England and Wales, 180,000 in Scotland and 30,000 in Northern Ireland)
• From NCVO and CCNI research, we know just under half the UK’s trustees are women
• The average trustee in England and Wales is 59 years old, and 55 in Northern Ireland.
• There are many young trustees too with some 86,000 trustee positions held by 16-34 year olds (of which 2,611 in Northern Ireland)

Trustees Week 2016: 7 to 13 November 2016 is a national celebration http://trusteesweek.org/