Why is Governance important?

But why is governance important? Governance is the general term used to describe the legal, managerial and moral responsibilities arising from trusteeship. This website aims to assist existing trustees, and those who are thinking of volunteering for such a role, to better understand and discharge their governance obligations. It provides both quick reference and more in depth guidance, as well as information on a host of useful resources including the facility to exchange information with fellow trustees and identify trustee volunteering opportunities.

The profile of the voluntary sector has grown as it becomes increasingly responsible for delivering essential public services. This, combined with the greater discretion being afforded charity trustees by the Charity Commission, and greater responsibility being taken on by trustees generally, means voluntary organisations are looking at ways to develop a more ‘professional’ approach to governance. The various sections of this website are designed to help trustees achieve this goal through:

• News - all the latest sector and WCVA news, as well as access to the WCVA Trustee news archive.
• Guidance - the portal to our governance guidance presented in a vareirty of categories and formats.
• Training and events - information on useful governance training and events provided by WCVA and others.
• Opportunities – a facility to advertise trustee vacancies or find volunteering opportunities in your area.
• Trustee forum - the chance to engage with fellow trustees on a wide variety of issues, share best practice and seek help with governance problems.
• Website FAQs - answers to questions that will help you get the most out of this site.