What exactly is a trustee?

• Trustees are a team of volunteers who see the big picture, make decisions, and work together to help Scouts run smoothly.
• Trustees play a key part in Scouts, and keep an eye on our vision. They make sure young people have the best experience at Scouts, and check things are being done safely and legally.
• Trustees support leaders to deliver a fantastic programme, while having a laugh, making new friends, and learning new skills themselves.

The make-up of a Trustee Board

• Trustees are either ex-officio (automatically given a place due to their role), appointed or co-opted. The Trustees will be appointed by the Scout Council at the Annual General Meeting (AGM).
• There is no hierarchy of members, and all are treated equally.

Chair
The Chair leads the Trustee Board and the recruitment for new trustees. They objectively chair the Trustee Board meetings and the Annual General Meeting, set the meeting agenda and plan its schedule. They’ll make sure that all Trustees are properly trained and understand their own responsibilities. Additional information – see allocated tasks.

Treasurer
The Treasurer looks after finances and makes sure the financial documentation (such as budgets and accounts) is kept. They make sure the Annual Statement of Accounts gets done in time for the Annual General Meeting and keep track of the independent examination process. They also share details about income and spend with other trustees and draw up policies on finance and investment. Additional information – see allocated tasks

Ex-officio Trustees
Ex-officio Trustees are people who are on the Trustee Board automatically as a result of their role in Scouts. At group level, this is the Group Lead Volunteer.

Other Trustees
Appointments to the Trustee Board can be made in two other ways, if you are not an ex-officio trustee:
• You may stand be appointed at the AGM.
• You can be co-opted onto the Trustee Board between Annual General Meetings if a Trustee Board needs new members with a particular skill set, or to do a particular task.

How much time?

Being a trustee is flexible, and the amount of time you’ll need to give will depend on what you’re helping out with.

It’s usual for trustees to meet 5-7 times a year, as well as a few additional hours a month when needed. It’s a team effort, so you’ll be working with other friendly trustees to get things done.

Getting started in becoming a volunteer trustee

If you’re joining as a Scouts volunteer for the first time, we will help you complete the following steps:

• Create an account at scouts.org.uk
• Complete a criminal record check (DBS in England /PVG in Scotland/Access NI in Northern Ireland),
• Sign the trustee declaration
• Support you with your learning for the role

When you become a Trustee you are signing up to the responsibilities of a charity trustee. There are a number of reasons why a person may not legally be allowed to be a trustee and by signing the declaration, you are agreeing that none of these reasons apply to you and that you are wiling to act as a trustee.

You must have a full appointment as a Trustee (this could be a Lead Volunteer or Youth Lead role) before you can vote at, or influence discussion at, a Trustee Board meeting. You can be invited and attend Trustee Board meetings while you have a provisional appointment but may not influence decision making or take part in any voting. This includes ex-officio Trustees.

The role of the Trustee Board

The Trustee Board is a team of volunteers who work together to make sure Scouts is run safely and legally.

Together, Trustees make sure the charity is well managed, risks are assessed and mitigated, buildings and equipment are in good working order, and everyone follows legal requirements and Policy, Organisation and Rules (POR). Their support helps other volunteers run a fantastic programme that gives young people skills for life (and experiences they’ll remember forever).

Read the Trustee Boards role description to find out more about the role and tasks for Trustee Boards.

Acting as a trustee

Everyone on the Trustee Board takes on the responsibilities of a charity trustee; they act collectively and in the interests of the members of Scouts locally.

Here are some things to remember about being a trustee:

1. Maintain confidentiality.
2. Use personal skills and experience to help inform discussions.
3. Act honestly and reasonably, in the interests of Scouting locally.
4. Let people know, if at any point, your involvement might cause a conflict of interest.
5. Get external professional, specialist advice when needed.
6. Only use the charity’s money for the purpose of Scouting locally.

Learning for your role

You’re encouraged to complete Growing Roots learning within 180 days from joining.

It’s a good idea to get started as soon as you can, as this will help with your understanding of Scouts, our values and key policies, and your role as a trustee.

More information: