Overview
Charity secretaries play a vital role in ensuring strong governance, legal compliance, and effective board operation. Yet the role can feel complex - whether you're new to the position or an experienced professional navigating evolving regulatory expectations. This practical, expert‑led course provides the skills, clarity, and confidence needed to perform the role effectively and support good governance across your organisation.
What you'll learn
This course is designed to equip governance professionals in the charitable sector with the essential knowledge, frameworks, and practical skills required to confidently carry out their duties as a charity secretary.
Delegates will explore the full scope of the role, including key responsibilities, effective relationship management, and the legal and regulatory frameworks that shape charity governance.
Through practical guidance, real‑world examples, and interactive learning, attendees will develop the capability to support board operations, organise effective meetings, facilitate informed decision‑making, and advise trustees on compliance and best practice.
Who is it for?
This course is suitable for those working in the charity sector, including:
- Charity secretaries
- Governance officers/managers
- Board support staff
- Compliance and administrative leads involved in governance
How much does it cost?
Course costs (ex VAT)
Non-member - £755
Professional subscriber - £680
Member - £605
A discount is available for registered charities, please email [email protected].
For any related enquiries please contact us at [email protected], or call us at +44 (0)20 7580 4741
Download the course brochure
To get your own copy of the full course brochure, enter your details below. Once submitted, scroll back down to this section of the page to see the download link:
Participant Profile
- Are you looking to understand the legal and regulatory framework that charities operate within?
- Do you want to learn about the core duties and responsibilities of a Charity Secretary?
- Are you interested in discovering how to facilitate Trustees and Boards in meeting their statutory responsibilities as a Charity Secretary?
- Would you like to explore practical tools to support effective governance practices?
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, participants will have:
- The confidence to undertake the core duties of the charity secretary.
- Insight into the relationship with trustees, regulators, and beneficiaries.
- A concise overview of the Charities Acts 2011 and 2016, the Companies Act 2006 and the legal requirements of public benefit.
- Advice on practical skills in areas like managing meetings and decision making.
You will also receive:
- A delegate pack containing comprehensive course notes and presentation slides
- A certificate to show you have attended the course
- 6 hours credit towards your Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
- 6 months complimentary professional subscription of The Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland. This includes a subscription to G+C Magazine as well as access to briefings, discounts and our knowledge base.
Testimonials
"A lot of very useful content covered."
"Claire facilitated the training and did this very well. The training was very informative and engaging. We had breakout rooms during the online training which gave us a chance to interact with the other learners. I have certainly left the training with more knowledge about charity governance which I can apply to my role as an Executive Assistant.""
"Good course and acheived my objectives.Tutor very knowledgeable and break out groups very useful for networking and gaining experience from others performing similar roles."
"Claire was great at delivering this session and would highly recommend."
People who take this course often go on to book:
Useful CGI Resources:
A wealth of further information and guidance on Charity governance practices can be found on our website.
Competency framework
This course aligns to CGI’s competency framework: Entry/Emerging
Use the competency framework to identify your strengths and areas for improvement in governance.
Programme
- What is a charity; charitable purposes and public benefit
- Charities Act 2006
- Different legal forms
- Different roles in a charity; beneficiaries; members; trustees and staff
- Subsidiaries and branches
- What is it, and what does it contain?
- Importance of complying with the constitution
- Amending the constitution
- Understanding and approaching the role
- Annual timetable
- Ongoing work and reviews
- Reporting lines
- Understanding the legal framework
- Oversight of obligations
- Land and property
- Contracts
- Seals
- The Charity Commission – role and powers
- Charities that operate in Scotland and Northern Ireland
- Other regulators (e.g. Companies House)
- Annual returns, reporting and accounts, and event driven filing
- Records, registers and document retention
- Names and stationery
- Recruitment and selection
- Duties and liabilities
- Benefits and payments; conflicts of interest
- General meetings
- Board meetings
- Delegation; monitoring and control
- Committee meetings
- Alternatives to meetings