As we begin this year’s Trustees Week, it is helpful to take stock on some of the key issues facing the governance of the sector. On the positive side, there are nearly 1 million people across the UK who serve as trustees! This is quite extraordinary and it demonstrates how voluntary service is baked in to the DNA of our society. I hope that during this week you will take a moment to reflect on the wonderful contribution of our trustees.
But there are challenges. The implications of last week’s budget are beginning to sink in. The increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions could cost the UK voluntary sector £800m a year, which will inevitably result in staff layoffs. Furthermore, the increase in the National Living Wage whilst on the one hand is a positive development for those in receipt of it, the knock on effect will be charities cutting their cloth to fit the new fiscal environment, which in turn will lead to less staff and even the closure of services.
And so now more than ever, there is a need for charities to attract high quality trustees who can steer their organisations through these choppy waters. Trustees Unlimited has supported NCVO with the publication, launched today, of the Trustee Recruitment and Retention Report. And the findings do not make pretty reading. 4 out 5 respondents have a least one vacant board position and 85% of respondents said they either found it somewhat difficult or very difficult to fill vacancies on their board. Given that over a third (35%) of respondents have had at least one vacancy for more than a year, there is much work to be done to support charities find trustees.
For 15 years Trustees Unlimited has been at the vanguard of disrupting trustee recruitment and attempting to make it less painful for large and small charities alike. With the development of our tech solution SNAP, our relentless focus on high quality search and selection, and our delivery of the Step on Board programme, we are helping hundreds of charities each year to recruit trustees.
Happy Trustees Week!
Ian Joseph
Managing Director
