Good governance is at the heart of every strong and effective charity. Whether you are new to being a trustee or have years of experience, The Essential Trustee is the Charity Commission’s main guide to the legal duties and responsibilities of charity trustees in England and Wales.
This practical guide helps trustees learn what they need to know and do to keep their charity running smoothly, financially healthy, and focused on its purpose. It covers important topics such as trustee responsibilities, decision-making, managing money, protecting assets, following charity law, and always acting in the charity’s best interests.
At Salford CVS, we suggest that all trustees, board members, and senior leaders in the VCSE sector look at this guidance regularly as part of good governance. It is especially useful for trustee induction, board development, governance reviews, and helping trustees understand their own and shared responsibilities.
If your board learns and uses the principles in The Essential Trustee, you can make decisions with confidence, manage risks effectively, and build trust in your organisation.
Why has this guidance been updated?
The 2026 edition of The Essential Trustee has updates on charity regulation and governance, making it easier for trustees to manage today’s complex environment. The new guidance puts more focus on good decision-making, handling conflicts of interest, understanding and managing risk, and showing how trustees act in the charity’s best interests. It also highlights the need for trustee eligibility, transparency, safeguarding, financial stability, and careful use f digital technology and data. Trustees and boards should review the new guidance to keep their policies and practices up to date.
You can find the guidance here: The Essential Trustee: what you need to know, what you need to do,
