CTN's work for trustees recognised in the Commons

Tom Levitt, Labour MP for High Peak, and chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Voluntary and Community Sector, instigated a debate in the Commons this week highlighting the importance of trustees and the need to attract good quality people into trusteeship.

He went on to "commend to the Minister the work of the Charity Trustee Networks - an organisation that does what it says on the can.  Its trusteefinder website is excellent, a great facility for putting the right potential trustee in touch with the right charity". However, he did note that more support is needed to enable CTN to promote its service more widely so that more organisations from the regions and not just London and the south-east use it.

Also concerned with training opportunities for trustees, he went on to say "I looked on the Charity Trustee Networks website again to search for trustee training.  Of the nine courses available from different providers in the first week of December alone, eight were in London. In the category "north of England" which appears to include both Manchester and Middlesborough, there were just six courses spread over the next six months.  Typically, they cost £200 or more to attend, which is a lot of money if someone is considering becoming a trustee on a small community board.  There are courses avaialable from councils for voluntary services at considerable lower cost, but I ask my right hon. Friend to make sure that training for trustees and would-be trustees is available online throughout the country and at a realistic price so that those from low-income backgrounds can benefit from it".  Angela Smith, Minister for the Third Sector, acknowledged that more needs to be done to promote trusteeship.

Rodney Buse, chair of Charity Trustee Networks, said, "We are encouraged by minister's response, which recognises that trusteeship is an important part of volunteering and should be reflected in future initiatives".

It is encouraging that the debate recognised the importance of the need to support, recruit and retain trustees, " keepers of a charity's soul" and we look forward to be right at the heart of the activity.

For the a transcript of the full debate please see the attachment below.