Courses and Seminars
The Charity Commission place great emphasis on the
training given to trustees and administrators, and
also to the induction of new trustees.
It is important for the good management of charities
that trustees and administrators are aware of their
obligations, and that their advisors keep up to date.
Under the 2005 SORP, the trustees must disclose the
training arrangements that are in place, and many
donors are willing to make additional funds available
for training purposes.
The demanding role of trustees is increasingly focused
on matters such as governance, stewardship, accountability
and transparency. Trustees require specific training
on financial and non-financial matters to ensure trustees
clearly understand their role and responsibilities,
as well as best sector practice. This is true whether
the charity is large or small.
Through a training company, Branchword
Consulting Ltd, we provide a seminar programme,
with knowledgeable and experienced speakers.
The seminars give a clear understanding of the legal
framework in which trustees and administrators must
operate and exercise their responsibilities.
The seminars are tailored to the particular structure
and activities of the charities attending, and when
booking a seminar , details of the size of the charity,
and the nature of the activities should be given so
that the course can be tailored.
A seminar programme can be arranged for a specific
charity, and in such cases, a seminar timed to coincide
with regular trustees' meetings is often an ideal
arrangement. The session would last for about an hour
before the formal trustees’ meeting, and there
would be further sessions over a period.
Alternatively, to keep costs down, two or three
charities could band together and a half day or full
day could be allocated.
Training for trustees and administrators should be
regarded as a continuing obligation, as there are
always new developments and changing legislative requirements,
and we consider that a very small charity should plan
to have at least six hours of such courses per annum,
and a larger charity should plan on perhaps ten. It
may be that some sessions would be appropriate to
all trustees and administrators of a charity, and
others would only be relevant to those with specific
responsibilities.
Costs will vary according to circumstances, but as
a rough guide, a cost of about £100 per head
per annum should cover the annual needs of most charities.
Induction training for new trustees is provided on
a periodic basis for new trustees from several charities
meeting together for a single three hour session at
a cost per head dependent on the number of attendees.
As members of the AVN network of accountants, we
are a part of the National Campaign (http://www.thenationalcampaign.co.uk),
whereby members have committed themselves to giving
away £20 million pounds worth of professional
services to UK business and the voluntary sector,
in the form of discounted professional services. Many
services that we provide will reflect a discount representing
our contribution to the National Campaign.
As with all our services, our fees are highly competitive.
Our offices are set in a rural location, and therefore
we have low premises overheads. This means that we
are able to offer the highest quality services, very
often at the lowest price.
For further information, please email info@sorpaid.com
or complete our Enquiry
Form
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