Trustees’ Week 2025

Every organisation that falls under a regulatory regime knows this: governance is not optional. Boards are increasingly subject to scrutiny, rapid change, and heightened accountability. As we mark Trustees' Week 2025 – the UK-wide week of celebration, training, and reflection for trustees across the charitable and not-for-profit sector - we also recognise the broader lessons that apply to all regulated entities. Whether you serve on a charity board or work in a regulated service provider with governance responsibilities, this week is an invitation to pause, assess and renew your governance framework. 

In this blog, Anna Nova Galeon will define what we mean by "trustee", outline why this week matters, explore the key themes of governance in highly regulated organisations, and explain how you can translate insight into action.

What is Trustees' Week?

Trustees' Week is an annual campaign running from Monday, 3 November to Friday, 7 November 2025, organised by the charity sector to shine a spotlight on the essential work of trustees across the UK. The week brings together resources, events, networking and toolkits, all aimed at supporting trustees in recruitment, induction, development and board effectiveness.

Why is this important? According to recent sources:

• Nearly one million trustees volunteer their time across UK charities 

• The theme for 2025 emphasises good governance in the context of an imminent refresh of the Charity Governance Code and evolving sector expectations

• The campaign is not merely celebratory: it encourages trustees (and their boards) to reflect on clarity of purpose, board composition, risk appetite, accountability, and change readiness.

For regulated organisations – not just charities – the same underlying governance dynamics apply: oversight, values, accountability, risk management and regulatory compliance. Trustees' Week provides a valuable opportunity for such organisations to reflect on board governance frameworks, whether or not they use the formal title “trustee".

Defining key terms

Before we dive deeper, let's clarify some key terms that will help anchor our discussion:

• Trustee – In the charity context, a trustee is a person who sits on the governing body (board) of a charity and is legally responsible for the overall governance, direction and stewardship of the organisation

• Governance – The system by which an organisation is directed and controlled. It covers how decisions are made, how risk is managed, how accountability is secured, and how values and purpose are upheld

• Highly regulated organisation – An entity operating in a sector subject to specific statutory regulations, oversight bodies, compliance obligations (for example, health & social care, financial services, education, charitable sector)

• Board or trustee body – The collective group (board of directors, trustees, governors) responsible for oversight of the organisation

• Risk & compliance framework – The structure, processes and culture by which an organisation identifies, assesses, manages and monitors risks (including regulatory, reputational, financial, operational) and ensures adherence to regulatory obligations.

With these definitions in mind, let's explore the link between Trustees' Week and the practical implications for regulated organisations.

Why this matters for regulated organisations

Trustees’ Week offers valuable lessons for all boards. For regulated organisations, it’s a reminder that strong governance underpins resilience, compliance, and accountability. Here are five key takeaways to reflect on this week:

1. Governance strengthens resilience

In regulated sectors, change is constant: regulatory updates, inspection regimes, evolving standards, technology disruption, and shifting public expectations. A board or trustee body that embraces good governance becomes a stabilising force. The recent government commentary emphasises the “architecture of trust” - where trustees design the foundations, adapt to changing environments and ensure the organisation remains future-ready.
For regulated bodies, this means board oversight must cover not just compliance with today's rules but anticipation of tomorrow’s challenges (e.g., digital risk, data protection, ESG, safeguarding). The fact that Trustees' Week 2025 is emphasising good governance underlines that this isn’t optional, even (or especially) in complex regulatory landscapes.

2. Strategic direction + compliance oversight go hand in hand

Trustees and boards are responsible for setting organisational purpose and strategy. But they must also ensure that the strategy is aligned with regulatory obligations, risk appetite, and governance frameworks. For charities in Trustees’ Week, that means reviewing whether the governing document, role clarity, board composition and oversight mechanisms are fit for purpose. For regulated organisations, the parallel is ensuring that governance aligns with regulatory demands (for example: for data breaches, safeguarding, financial crime, audit, or registration obligations). The “purpose → strategy → governance” chain must be robust.

3. Accountability and transparency matter

In the charity context, good governance increasingly emphasises behaviour, culture, diversity and inclusion (as per the upcoming Governance Code update) rather than only formal compliance. For regulated organisations, the implication is clear: regulators are watching not just boxes, but also how boards behave, how decisions are made, and how oversight is enacted. Trustees’ Week is a good opportunity to ask: Does the board discuss ethics, culture, values, as well as financial and operational risk? Are trustees engaged, informed and proactive?

4. Skill, recruitment and succession planning

Many boards struggle with recruitment, induction and ensuring fresh voices. Trustees’ Week encourages trusteeship to be more accessible, diverse and inclusive. In regulated organisations, this translates to board skills audits: Do you have the necessary expertise (legal/regulatory, digital, audit, safeguarding, diversity)? Is there a pipeline for new board members? Are trustees/board members given training and development?

5. Practical risk & control oversight

The week highlights the importance of boards understanding and managing risk: financial, regulatory, and operational. For boards of charities, this may mean reviewing internal controls, economic resilience and compliance frameworks. In regulated organisations, boards must ask more acute questions: How effective is our compliance programme? How resilient are our systems (cyber, data, safeguarding)? Do we have evidence of board challenge on these matters? Trustees' Week encourages reflection, and that reflection is equally valuable in regulated settings.

Practical Implications - What your board should ask this week

In the spirit of Trustees’ Week and reflecting a regulated-organisation lens, below are the five practical questions your board/trustees might ask this week:

1. Purpose & clarity

• Is the organisation’s purpose clearly articulated, communicated and aligned with the governing document or legal remit?

• Do all trustees/board members understand how their role connects to strategic objectives, regulatory obligations and stakeholder trust?

• Are decisions and actions aligned with that purpose?

2. Board composition, skills and dynamics

• Do we have the right mix of skills (regulatory/compliance, audit, digital, safeguarding, sector-specific)?

• Is the board diverse in terms of background, perspective, and experience?

• Is there a proper induction and training process for trustees/board members?

• Is there a succession plan and a pipeline of new trustee or board candidates?

3. Risk, controls & accountability

• Has the board reviewed the risk register and controls recently? Are regulatory risks explicitly represented?

• How robust is our internal assurance framework? Do we have timely reporting to the board on compliance matters (e.g., regulatory breaches, audit findings, data incidents, safeguarding issues)?

• Do trustees ask challenging questions, or is oversight largely passive?

4. Culture, behaviour & governance process

• Does the board reflect on its own effectiveness regularly? Are there board evaluations and follow-up actions?

• Do we have a culture of transparency, accountability and ethical decision-making?

• Are board meetings well-run, papers concise and accessible, and is there adequate challenge (not micro-management) of executive proposals? (One adviser put it in only seven rules for trustees: "Read the papers! Visit the projects! don’t micro-manage!”

• Are mechanisms in place for whistleblowing, complaints, conflicts of interest, safeguarding and regulatory escalation?

5. Future readiness and innovation

• Are we aware of emerging regulatory or sector changes (technology, AI, ESG, data protection)? The event calendar for Trustees' Week includes sessions on AI and board culture

• Is the board agile enough to respond to change, or are we stuck in reactive mode?

• Are we investing in trustee/board training and development, so the board keeps pace with evolving risk and regulatory landscapes?

Case in Point – Translation into Highly Regulated Organisations

Imagine a regulated health and social care provider whose board uses Trustees’ Week as a prompt. They might:

• Commission a board‐skills audit and identify gaps in digital and safeguarding expertise

• Review their risk register to ensure emerging technology risk (e.g., AI in care planning) and data regulatory risk (GDPR) are included

• Challenge the executive on whether board papers are sufficiently streamlined and allow time for strategic discussion, not just compliance updates

• Update onboarding/training materials for new governors/trustees so that they cover regulatory obligations, inspection readiness and scheme of delegation

• Schedule a workshop during or after Trustees’ Week with external governance advisors to review board culture, diversity and behaviour.

By doing that, the board aligns with the spirit of Trustees’ Week (celebration, reflection, development) and meets its responsibilities in a complex regulatory environment.

Key Takeaways

As Trustees’ Week 2025 draws to a close, it’s worth distilling the core messages it offers to leaders and boards across all sectors. Beyond celebration, the week calls for reflection, action, and continuous improvement in governance.

Here are the key points to remember:

• Trustees' Week 2025 is not just a feel-good campaign: it prompts boards and trustees to reflect on governance at a deeper level

• For regulated organisations, the parallels are strong: oversight, compliance, strategic direction, risk management and culture matter as much as they do in the charity sector

• Your board/trustees should use this week as a trigger: ask the right questions, challenge assumptions, invest in training, and make sure governance is truly fit for purpose in a changing world

• Good governance is not a one-off task: it’s an ongoing programme of review, challenge and improvement. Trustees’ Week gives you the moment, but the work lies beyond.

Strengthen Governance with ComplyPlus™

As we mark Trustees’ Week 2025, it’s an ideal time to reflect on how your organisation approaches governance, compliance, and accountability. Whether you operate in the charity sector or within a highly regulated industry, effective trusteeship and strong board oversight remain central to organisational success.

At The Mandatory Training Group, our ComplyPlus™ ecosystem supports organisations in building sustainable compliance cultures, strengthening governance frameworks, and promoting continuous learning and development.

Use this Trustees’ Week 2025 to start meaningful conversations within your teams, review your governance practices, and explore how digital learning and compliance tools like ComplyPlus™ can help drive lasting improvement.