PJEndicott

Affordable Help for Charities and Voluntary sector organisations

Role and responsibilities of Charity Trustees
In recent years the voluntary and charitable sector has needed to adopt new ways of working, in essence to become more business-like. Many charities are now Limited Companies as well, and need to comply with an ever-growing volume of increasingly more complex legislation as well as to comply with the requirements of the Charity Commission.

Developing a vision and mission for your organisation

Directors and Trustees are responsible for taking the lead in their organisation and for providing the direction for future development. Many are unaware of their true level of responsibility and some find they have much to learn about the governance of their organisation. Whether you are looking for information on your legal obligations, help with strategic planning or guidance on a specific part of governance a half-day or evening workshop can be customised to meet your needs.

Strategic planning

It is vital for all organisations to have a plan to see them through the next few years. Without strategic planning it may be difficult to sell the vision of your organisation to potential funders, and it is all too easy to stray from the mission or purpose for which the organisation was formed. It is important to take on board the view of stakeholders, to capitalise on organisational strengths and to work on turning weaknesses and threats into golden opportunities for a successful future.

Putting together your business plan

Once the way forward has been agreed, a business or operating plan helps the organisation to show stakeholders and potential funders what they intend to achieve. A business and operating plan also allows the organisation to monitor its work and achievements against the original expectations. Incorporating a detailed budget, the business plan is perhaps one of the most vital documents and charity or community group can possess.

One-day Stress Management and Wellbeing Course
Working in the voluntary or charitable sector can be every bit as stressful as any other profession, especially when funding is tight and every penny has to count as five!

There is, of course, no 'quick fix' for Stress but developing good Stress Management techniques can make such a difference. This course is ideal for people in the voluntary sector and is suitable for all members of an organisation from Directors/Trustees, paid staff and volunteers.

The course is unique in providing a balance between theoretical information on the physiology of Stress and practical exercises that allow each delegate to:

• Assess their own current levels of Stress and to understand how this fluctuates over time.
• Learn practical relaxation skills that can be used at any time to relieve tension and ease fatigue.
• Simple yet effective, these exercises can be carried out at one's desk, in the car (preferably when stationery (!) but excellent in a traffic jam) or at home including progressive relaxation to aid total relaxation and to promote restorative sleep.
• Make small incremental stages in five key areas (no more than 5-10 minutes in each area in a week) that will create physiological balance and increase the body's ability to withstand the rigours of Stress more effectively.
• Work on achieving Life Balance to promote harmony in their lives and to focus on what matters most, quality time rather than quantity - perfect for all of us who feel pulled in all directions!

This course can be customised to meet your needs, perhaps by delivering a more leisurely paced course, changing the focus, or by introducing topics not covered above. This course can also be run in conjunction with the Time Management and Governance Modules.