Good Governance
Good governance is essential for running a charity or community group, no matter its size. It helps ensure your organisation is well-managed, accountable, and compliant with legal requirements. Our Communities Team can support you with strengthening your governance, and there are plenty of helpful resources available to guide you too—so you’re never on your own.
How and when to register as a charity. If your group/charity income is over £5000 per year, you should start the process of registering with the Charity Commission.
Released on 3 November 2025, the updated Charity Governance Code marks the most substantial revision in eight years, introducing a refined framework built around eight key principles—from foundational governance and leadership to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
These five minute guides created by The Charity Commision cover the essential information every trustee should know.
As a trustee, you are required to manage your charity in accordance with its governing document and the law. This means ensuring that the charity’s purposes are properly carried out. All trustees share this responsibility. Even if specific duties are delegated to individual trustees, staff, or volunteers, every trustee remains accountable for the charity’s overall compliance and performance.
As a trustee, you need to make sure your charity’s money is safe, well managed, and used for the right purposes set out in its governing documents. All trustees share this responsibility. Even if someone else looks after the finances, you’re still accountable for how the charity’s money is used. If something goes wrong, it’s up to the trustees to spot the issue and put it right.
All charities and community groups have a duty to protect anyone who comes into contact with them from harm. Those that work with children or vulnerable adults have extra responsibilities. As a trustee or committee member, it’s your role to make sure the organisation meets this duty. Even if you delegate safeguarding tasks to a lead or team, you remain ultimately responsible.