1-5 November
Since 2013, Scotland’s Third Sector Governance Forum has been proud to host a conference for trustees and governance geeks every Trustees’ Week.
The work of trustees has never been more important than during the pandemic.
Board members had to first of all make decisions around whether or not their organisation should continue as the country locked down, and if so how that would work for staff and the people they supported. Guiding organisations through unprecedented uncertainty became normal for trustees, as did making decisions around how to rebuild as things reopened. This all happened while boards were unable to meet in person, having to get to grips with meeting by Zoom to make the key decisions.
And their efforts will be celebrated in a packed calendar of events next month.
Trustees Week is an annual celebration of the role trustees play in governing our charities and voluntary organisations. Hosted by Scotland’s Third Sector Governance Forum, there’s a packed programme of online events planned between 1-5 November from organisations across Scotland.
The events are all taking place online, so anyone is welcome to sign up to get support with learning and development.
| Date & host | Event sign up | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Monday 1 November 9.30am -10.15am SCVO | Rise and Shine: Meet the Scottish Charity Awards 2021 Trustee of the Year finalists | Join us to hear our Trustee of the Year finalists talk about their experience of governance during the last year. Hear about their highs and their lows and how they led their organisation through a pandemic. |
| Monday 1 November 10am -12pm GCVS | Interpreting Financial Statements | Good financial management is one of the central responsibilities of all trustees, not just the responsibility of the chair and the treasurer. This GCVS workshop will cover reading financial statements and how to understand the most essential aspects of charity finance. |
| Monday 1 November 1pm-2pm SCVO | Trustee Recruitment Cycle: getting the right mix of trustees | Strong boards need trustees with a mix of skills and experience. But how do you find the right people and get them on board? Join SCVO and Janet Thorne, chief executive of Reach Volunteering, to find out more about the Trustee Recruitment Cycle, and how you can advertise your trustee vacancy for free in Goodmoves, reaching over 80,000 people actively looking to get involved in the sector. |
| Monday 1 November 2.30pm -3.30pm STSGF | Governance and the Lockdowns: the long view | Anna Fowlie (chief executive of SCVO) will chair this webinar on behalf of Scotland’s Third Sector Governance Forum to discuss how the pandemic and lockdown has, and will, change governance in the sector. Lousia McDonnell (chief exec of DTAS) and Ian Bruce (chief exec of GCVS) will talk about what they are seeing in the sector. |
| Monday 1 November 3pm-4pm ACOSVO | Not if but when: Lessons learned and protecting your organisation from cyber attacks | This ACOSVO event will look at the preventative measures to avoid a cyber attack and what to do if an attack happens. Hear from Alison Stone, from the Scottish Business Resilience Centre, and Anthony Morris, of the Scottish Government’s Cyber Resilience Unit. |
| Tuesday 2 November 10am-11am ACOSVO | Managing Chair and Chief Officer relationships | For an organisation to thrive there should be a good working relationship between the chair and the chief officer. Clarity of role and responsibility, trust and mutual respect are essential. Join ACOSVO to explore this topic and hear real life examples of managing difficult situations. |
| Tuesday 2 November 10am-12pm GCVS | Developing Your Fundraising Plan | Take a fresh look at fundraising. Working through the stages of a basic fundraising audit, we will emphasise the importance of strategic planning to promote future financial sustainability and include ideas to generate more unrestricted income, planning well into the future. |
| Tuesday 2 November 10am CVS Inverclyde | Roles and responsibilities of a trustee | This webinar will cover the important role of a trustee and their responsibilities as a board member, along with where you can find support. |
| Tuesday 2 November 10am-1pm CIOF | What trustees need to know about fundraising | This three-hour course will outline the role of the trustee in supporting fundraising and its importance for your organisation. We will look at the regulations, and hints and tips on how fundraising works. |
| Tuesday 2 November 1pm-2pm SCVO | Launch of SCVO’s Digital Good Governance Checkup | Join SCVO to hear about the new online Good Governance Checkup which can be used in conjunction with the Scottish Governance Code for the Third Sector to help trustees regularly review and improve their governance. The checkup is supported by templates and resources and on completion will provide a report that can be discussed and actioned at board meetings. |
| Tuesday 2 November 1pm-1.30pm EVOC | Edinburgh Trustee Network Launch | Join us to hear about a new Trustee Network for trustees of charities working in Edinburgh. We’ll tell you about the purpose of the network, some topics we plan to focus on, and you can tell us what you need from it too. |
| Tuesday 2 November 2pm-3.30pm ACVO | Celebrating Trustees | Join Aberdeen Council of Voluntary Organisations to get an overview of the main responsibilities and duties of charity trustees, feedback on current work and plans for the future, and find out about the support ACVO and Third Sector Interfaces can provide. |
| Tuesday 2 November 6.30pm -8pm Perth & Kinross Association of Voluntary Service | Let’s talk…board diversity | This session is the starting point in your journey to diversifying your board and ensuring you are striving for equality. It will look at what board diversity means, why it is essential to good governance, and the planning process before you recruit. |
| Wednesday 3 November 10am-12pm GCVS | The Board as Employer | Whether you are new to employing staff or a long-standing employer, it’s important to understand what responsibilities your organisation has so you can ensure your employees have fair, lawful and safe working conditions. This session will cover everything from legal obligations to the different types of contracts and employment relationships. |
| Wednesday 3 November 10am-11am STSGF | Embracing hybrid working | Where do we go from here? Martin Tyson, head of regulation and improvement at OSCR will chair this webinar with Stephanie Fraser, chief executive of Cerebral Palsy Scotland and John Fitzgerald, trustee of the Joseph Rowntree Trust. Join us to talk about the new ways of working many of us are embracing following the pandemic. What have we learned? What does hybrid working mean for trustees, employees and organisations? What are the new possibilities, and what are the risks? |
| Wednesday 3 November 11am-12pm and Friday 5 November 6pm-7pm Stirlingshire Voluntary Enterprise | Calling all trustees! A conversation with Steve Carroll, HMRC | Join Alan Clevett, SVE trustee, in conversation with Steve Carroll, to talk about Gift Aid and charity tax. Questions can be submitted in advance to: leestevenson@sventerprise.org.uk |
| Wednesday 3 November 12pm-1pm STSGF | Do board dynamics matter? | How can healthy board dynamics increase the effectiveness of your board? Kenneth Pinkerton, (director of charities and third sector at Brodies LLP) discusses this interesting concept with Shona Sinclair (chair of Social Enterprise Scotland), Andrew Burns (chair of SCVO), and Jude Turbyne (chief exec of Children in Scotland). Questions in advance to: kenneth.pinkerton@brodies.com |
| Wednesday 3 November 1pm-2.30pm OSCR | Collective Responsibility | Collective responsibility is a key principle of charity governance. Learn more by working through real life scenarios with OSCR staff. How do you make good decisions as a board and then stick by them? OSCR staff will discuss real life scenarios highlighting challenges faced by charity trustees, and key learning for the sector. |
| Wednesday 3 November 5pm-6pm SCVO | Good Governance Webinar: Lived Experience on Boards | Boards need a variety of attitudes, skills and experience to avoid group think and ensure good governance. Join SCVO to explore the benefits and barriers of having trustees on your board with experience of the issues your charity works on. You will hear from organisations who have trustees with lived experience and the new perspectives and informed voices they bring to ensure better decision making. |
| Thursday 4 November 9.30am -11.30am Perth & Kinross Association of Voluntary Service | Youth Volunteering Training | Board diversity is essential for good governance and by recruiting young people to your board, this will help to future proof your organisation. Young people can offer creativity, skills and experience, which is essential for good governance. This session will look at how to recruit young trustees to your board and how to retain new trustees. |
| Thursday 4 November 10am -10.45am SCVO | How digital tools can make your board more inclusive | Join SCVO’s digital team for some hints and tips on how to use digital tools to help your board become more diverse and inclusive. With real life examples from organisations already doing great work in this area. |
| Thursday 4 November 12pm-12.45pm EVOC | Your local charities need you! | Curious about becoming a trustee? Join us to find out what the role means, what you’ll contribute, how you find opportunities, and what free training and support is available. Bring all the questions you ever wanted to ask and leave feeling ready to join a board. |
| Thursday 4 November 12.30pm-2.30pm GCVS | Better Governance and Accountability | It’s more important than ever to invest in good governance and regular training to ensure you are aware of, and up to date with, your responsibilities. This session will provide a review of governance, regulation and best practice and is suitable for both community groups that are forming, or already established. |
| Thursday 4 November 2.30pm-3.30pm SCVO | How trustees can champion board diversity | Having a diverse and inclusive board is crucial to the success and sustainability of your organisation. Join Penny Wilson from Getting on Board, Malcom John from Action for Trustee Racial Diversity, and Manish Joshi SCVO trustee to hear about practical ways trustees can diversify their boards and make change from the inside out. |
| Friday 5 November 10am-11am STSGF | Thriving not surviving: board sustainability and wellbeing | The pressures and expectations of being a voluntary board member have seen a sharp rise during the pandemic. Creating spaces for open discussions that are healthy and productive has never been more important. Join Shirley Otto, Consultants for Good Scotland Governance Specialist and Carolyn Sawers, acting chief executive, Corra Foundation, to explore how to avoid ‘board burnout’, discuss good governance stories and how to help your board thrive |