Trustees are the people in charge of a charity. They play a vital role, volunteering their time and working together to make important decisions about the charity's work. Trustees' Week is an annual event to showcase the great work that trustees do and highlight opportunities for people from all walks of life to get involved and make a difference.

Trustee Facts:

• There are over 1,000,000 trustee positions in England and Wales;
• Estimates suggest that almost half of charities have at least one vacancy on their board;
• Just 0.5% of trustees in England and Wales are aged between 18 and 24, (compared with 12% of the population as a whole);
• The average age of trustees in England and Wales is 57, two thirds are aged 50 and over.

What’s involved in becoming a Trustee?

Trustees have overall control of a charity and are responsible for making sure it’s doing what it was set up to do. Being a trustee for the North East Autism Society means making decisions that will impact on the lives of families living with autism. Trustees use their skills and experience to support their charities, helping them achieve their aims.

Are you eligible?

You must be at least 18 years old to be a trustee for the North East Autism Society. You must be properly appointed following the procedures and any restrictions in the North East Autism Society’s governing document.

You must not act as a trustee if you are disqualified under the Charities Act, including if you:

• have an unspent conviction for an offence involving dishonesty or deception (such as fraud).
• are bankrupt or have entered into a formal arrangement (eg an individual voluntary arrangement) with a creditor.
• have been removed as a company director or charity trustee because of wrongdoing.

A Trustees’ 6 main duties:

1. Ensure your charity is carrying out its purposes for the public benefit.
2. Comply with your charity’s governing document and the law.
3. Act in your charity’s best interests.
4. Manage your charity’s resources responsibly.
5. Act with reasonable care and skill.
6. Ensure your charity is accountable.

To find out more information about what is involved in becoming a trustee for a charity please go to www.gov.uk website.

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If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a Trustee for NEAS please contact:

Lisa Murphy, Governance Support Manager / Company Secretary on 0191 492 4388 or e-mail [email protected]