We receive a lot of enquiries expressing confusion about the roles and responsibilities of different types of trustee. This is the second in our series of articles defining and explaining them. In this article we’ll be looking at Sole Trustees. It’s going to be complicated, so you might want to make a cup of tea or coffee before reading further!
There are many community-based projects that have sprung up to help vulnerable people across Norfolk during the COVID pandemic. Others were already well-established and have proved their worth before and during these difficult times. CAN has been working with many such groups, and we are pleased to be working with FABB.
Here at CAN we work with a wide variety of VCSE organisations, and during the COVID-19 pandemic have been busy gathering sector data on the impact on capacity to deliver. You can read more about that here.
Many charities, keen to resume their activities and functions as effectively as possible, are planning ahead for cautious resumption of service delivery as the Coronavirus lockdown eases. Here at CAN we are receiving a steady stream of enquiries from trustees for whom the situation has prompted some uncertainty about their precise roles as trustees. ‘Trustee’ is often seen as a generic word – but It’s not.
Many charities across Norfolk have recently received donations in response to the pandemic. We have received several enquiries from trustees asking if they can make donations to help community support groups and local charities which are helping vulnerable local people through the Coronavirus crisis.
One of the strengths of the voluntary sector is the way it adapts and transforms to stay relevant and engaging. Keeping your service users or clients informed and engaged is crucial, and never more so than in a time of change. For all VCSE organisations whose main activity is direct delivery to service users a major concern is maintaining contact with, and support to, their vulnerable clients.
This week (Monday 1st to Sunday 7th June) is Volunteers’ Week (link). celebrating the time, skills, experience and goodwill given by people up and down the UK.
At CAN we’ve seen the spectrum of community groups forming in response to the Coronavirus pandemic, seeking to help their vulnerable and isolated residents. We have, and are, helping many of them with safeguarding, insurance and legal advice and volunteer management, under the auspices of our existing Good Neighbour scheme network.
There are some inspiring examples of communities coming together during the Coronavirus pandemic, and one south Norfolk town has shown how it can be done.