Safeguarding our vision, mission, values and reputation

Our Board

The Board of Trustees as a whole is collectively responsible for delivering the long term success of the charity.

They do this by setting and safeguarding the vision, mission, values and reputation of the charity, providing oversight of the running of the organisation and ensuring that the organisation understands and complies with its legal and regulatory obligations.

The charity’s governance framework is in alignment with the principles of the 'Charity Governance Code’, the UK’s voluntary governance code for charities. The Code was first published in 2017 and substantially refreshed in 2025, and provides a comprehensive framework setting out principles and outcomes to guide good governance. The charity is committed to maintaining the highest standards of governance and uses the code as a practical point of reference to drive a process of continual improvement built upon the code’s principles, rationales and key outcomes.

The Code’s principles cover foundational aspects, organisational purpose; leadership; ethics and culture; decision making; managing resources and risks; equity, diversity and inclusion; and Board effectiveness.

The Board has a schedule of specific matters reserved to it for decision and it delegates specific duties to Committees of the Board

They meet four times a year and additional meetings are convened as and when required

The Board agrees an annual schedule of matters it wishes to consider at each of its meetings and those of its committees. The schedule ensures that all relevant matters are considered and receive appropriate attention. At Board meetings consideration is given to:

operational updates,
finance,
progress against strategic objectives,
client voice and impact,
risk and internal controls, and
various other reporting matters and items for approval that arise throughout the year.

Trustees

Trustee Directors are appointed for an initial 3 year term. They are eligible to stand for a maximum of three terms (nine years in total).

On appointment, each Director is given an induction which provides them with information regarding:

the history of the charity,
their responsibilities as trustees and directors,
the regulatory environment,
the terms of reference and membership of Board and its committees,
information about the Company’s corporate governance practices and procedures, and
the latest financial information about the charity.

New trustees meet with other members of the Board and the Executive Team and are encouraged to visit the charity’s nationwide offices.

Trustees receive regular updates throughout the year about the charity’s performance and the regulatory environment in which they operate.

Board Committees

Audit, Risk & Compliance Committee

Membership: Nick Caplan (Chair), Mike Ashley, Janet Pope, Lisa Mellor and Sean Lynskey.

The Committee’s purpose is to provide assurance to the Board that the charity has an effective system of internal controls, risk management, and financial reporting, including oversight of internal and external audit processes and outputs.

The Committee has four scheduled meetings each year and additional meetings are convened as and when required.

Nomination & Remuneration Committee

Membership: Helen Dean (Chair), Sue Acton, Liz Harding, Lesley Titcomb, Ramon Kaur, and Chris Wood.

The Committee’s purpose is to provide oversight on behalf of the Board of:

selection and appointment processes for trustee, and key senior management appointments, including Board composition and diversity; skills, knowledge and experience; succession planning; and recruitment and performance; and
remuneration and organisational culture arrangements, which support the strategic aims, purpose and values of the charity, while complying with good practice and regulatory requirements and maintaining stakeholder expectations.

The Committee has three scheduled meetings each year and additional meetings are convened as and when required.