Trustees – Custodians of the Charity

The Charity has the authority to recruit up to eight Trustees who together make up the Board of Trustees. They are unpaid volunteers who set the strategy for the Charity and make sure it is implemented. Trustees elect a Chairman from amongst their number who chairs the meetings of the Board of Trustees and takes a more active role in supporting the Charity Chief Executive in the management of the Charity.

Trustees are appointed under arrangements made by the Secretary of State for Health under Section 51 of the NHS Act 2006. Vacancies are advertised and all potential Trustees must be interviewed and recommended by a panel consisting of two members of the Charity and one external assessor. Candidates must show knowledge of, and an interest in, the hospital and the community it serves and be willing to give the time necessary. Trustees are also selected to give the Charity a good mix of relevant professional skills, such as finance, investment and fundraising.

Trustees serve a fixed term of no more than four years (renewable to a usual maximum of ten years in total). New Trustees receive an induction pack consisting of the governing documents, previous Trustee reports and accounts, relevant Charity Commission guidance, and policies and procedures of the Charity. They are also given a tour of the Trust. Appropriate training is provided in areas including Charity law and administration, investment management and charity finance. The Charity’s professional advisors provide helpful guidance, and membership of NHS Charities Together gives the Trustees access to regular conferences and training events.

The Charity has a Corporate Trustee: The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust. The members of the NHS Trust Board who served during the financial year were as shown in below;