Trustees’ Week 2026: Supporting Trustees to Lead with Confidence
Trustees’ Week (9th – 13th November) is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the thousands of people who give their time, skills and experience to help charities and community organisations thrive.
At Stirlingshire Voluntary Enterprise (SVE), we work with trustees throughout the year. We know that being a trustee can be incredibly rewarding, but it also comes with important responsibilities. Good governance is not simply about having the right policies in place. It is about trustees understanding their organisation, asking the right questions, making informed decisions and providing confident leadership.
Our governance support covers areas including organisational start-up, choosing the right legal structure, establishing a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation, developing governing documents and policies, and accessing guidance and training. Trustees’ Week may last for a week, but supporting good governance is something we do all year round.
SVE would like to thank the thousands of trustees across Stirling, and our own trustees, for all the time, commitment and dedication they give to supporting charities and making a real difference in our communities.
Supporting trustees beyond Trustees’ Week
Every organisation is different, and sometimes trustees simply need someone to talk through an issue with.
SVE can provide practical governance support to charities, community groups and other third sector organisations in the Stirling area. This can include support with:
- setting up a new organisation and considering the most appropriate legal structure
- reviewing and developing constitutions and other governing documents
- understanding the roles and responsibilities of trustees
- developing policies and governance procedures
- trustee recruitment and board development
- navigating organisational change
- understanding charity regulation and governance requirements
- identifying relevant training, resources and specialist support where required
This is practical support designed to help boards understand their responsibilities and make informed decisions. For example, SVE has supported organisations with reviewing governing documents and has worked with organisations going through processes such as conversion to a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) and Reorganisation Schemes.
Events and learning opportunities this November
We also have a number of upcoming events that complement our governance work and give trustees, board members and staff an opportunity to develop their knowledge and confidence.
Social Impact Forum: Practical Support with Measuring and Demonstrating Your Social Impact
Wednesday 11 November | 1pm to 2pm In person at Stirlingshire Voluntary Enterprise, Cameron House, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
Facilitated by Ilaria Pina, this informal and practical forum will help organisations think about how they collect evidence and demonstrate the difference their work makes.
It is an opportunity to bring real questions and challenges, discuss them with others and explore practical approaches to impact measurement and evaluation.
Spaces are limited. To register your interest, contact leestevenson@sventerprise.org.uk.
Knowing Your Charity’s Finances: What Every Trustee Should Know
Thursday 12 November | 6pm to 8.30pm Golden Lion Hotel, King Street, Stirling FK8 1DQ
For Trustees’ Week, the Stirling and Clackmannanshire Third Sector Finance Forum is getting back to the fundamentals of good financial governance. Trustees do not have to be accountants, but they do need to understand how their organisation’s money is being managed.
This practical and interactive session will look beyond the figures in the annual accounts and explore the systems, controls and information that help trustees understand whether their organisation's finances are being managed properly.
The session will consider practical questions such as who can authorise payments, how expenses are approved, what financial information the board receives and what should happen when something does not look right. No finance background is required.
Register for the Finance Forum.
Safeguarding Responsibilities & Processes: Essential Training for Trustees
Tuesday 17 November | 12 noon to 1pm Online via Microsoft Teams
Safeguarding is not simply a policy sitting in a folder. Trustees have an important role in making sure their organisation creates a safe environment, understands risk and has appropriate systems in place.
Led by safeguarding specialist Rachel Keenan, this lunchtime session will look at what safeguarding means, the responsibilities of trustees, policies and procedures, safer recruitment, Protecting Vulnerable Groups checks, staff training and how organisations can develop a culture of accountability and safety.
The session is suitable for trustees, board members, senior leaders and anyone with responsibility for safeguarding or governance.
Register for the safeguarding workshop.
Building Confidence in Evaluation: Practical Tools for Impact
Thursday 26 November | 10am to 1pm Online via Microsoft Teams
Being able to demonstrate impact is increasingly important for trustees and organisations making decisions about services, funding and future priorities.
Delivered by Ilaria Pina, founder of Empirica Research & Consulting Ltd, this practical three-hour session will help organisations develop simple approaches to collecting, understanding and using information about their impact, without making evaluation unnecessarily complicated.
The workshop will explore impact, data collection, surveys, focus groups and participatory approaches, as well as making information meaningful, inclusive, accessible and ethical. It will also introduce straightforward approaches to analysing information and communicating findings to funders, communities and partners.
Register for Building Confidence in Evaluation.
Good governance is a journey
Trustees do not need to know everything. Strong boards are willing to keep learning, ask questions when something is unclear and seek support when they need it.
Whether you are a new trustee finding your feet, an experienced board member dealing with a particular challenge, or an organisation looking to strengthen the way your board works, SVE is here to support you.
Our aim is to help trustees feel informed, supported and confident so they can concentrate on what matters most: providing good leadership and helping their organisations make a positive difference in their communities.
If your organisation would like governance support, training or simply an initial conversation about an issue your board is facing, get in touch with SVE.
Membership of Stirlingshire Voluntary Enterprise is free and provides access to support, information, networking opportunities, training and regular updates.
To register your organisation or as an individual please use this link.
