The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is the membership organisation for Scotland's charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. Charity registered in Scotland SC003558. Registered office Caledonian Exchange, 19A Canning Street, Edinburgh EH3 8EG.
21st Century governance: trustees' week conference
On 4 November we brought together over 100 trustees plus charity and governance expert speakers to celebrate Trustees' Week 2025 at a conference in Glasgow. Hosted by SCVO, we celebrated the work trustees do and shared inspiration, experience and knowledge. With interactive sessions and lots of opportunities for networking and learning, it was an opportunity to reflect and develop knowledge and understanding of good governance.
On this page you'll find details on:
Event hosts and partners
We're grateful to CCLA and Foundation Scotland whose support made this conference possible.
Conference agenda and resources
The SCVO Trustees' Week conference brought together trustees interested in good governance and future proofing their organisations to share their experience and learn from each other.
We heard from experts on:
- how modernising governance can ensure sustainability and success
- important legal changes and sector trends
- strategic planning and future proofing
- how to get board dynamics right.
We celebrated all that trustees do and created a space for connection, learning and networking.
Please see a full agenda of what was discussed below and you will be able to access the slides for all the presentations here.
| Title | Description |
Session one: Modernising governance: what needs to change, and why, to ensure sustainability and success | In our opening session, we took a brief look at the history of governance, all the way back to Elizabethan times. Our panel looked forward to reimagine what good governance could look like in the 21st century, what needs to change and why. We looked for bold, practical, ideas for the future of trusteeship and some of the topics we discussed included: How we can make governance more inclusive and diverse The legal challenges of 'family-friendly governance' Whether paying trustees would help with recruitment What we can do to make governance more accessible and support trustees with lived experience and learning disabilities The pros and cons of AI in good governance Our panel included: Steff Bell, Foundation Scotland Sean Duffy, Wise Group John Fitzgerald, SCVO Kenneth Pinkerton, Brodies Aman Uppal, The Young Trustee Movement |
| Session two: Trustee update | In this session we heard from both OSCR and a charity law expert on legal changes and sector themes and trends. Find out more about the Charities (Regulation and Administration) (Scotland) Act 2023 which has introduced important changes, including a new register of charity trustees, publication of charity accounts, and extensions to automatic disqualification of trustees and those undertaking a senior management role. We heard about the trends and challenges faced by charities and voluntary organisations that both the Regulator and the legal profession are noticing. With Steve Kent, Scottish Charity Regulator and Rhona Delaney, Anderson Strathern. |
| Session three: Strategic planning and future proofing: developing sustainability and resilience for the future | We know how hard it can be for organisations to plan for the future. How do you predict how much money you’ll have? Will you need to recruit staff or volunteers? How will you keep the ones you’ve got? What opportunities are out there, and where are the risks and pitfalls? Our sector is constantly changing with increased challenges, from a changing funding landscape to increasing demands on service delivery. The role of trustees in managing these additional pressures means it’s vital to understand the external factors that might impact on your organisation in 2026 and beyond. This session, led by SCVO’s Strategic Director of Development David McNeill used Shifting Sands, SCVO’s guide to planning to help think about the political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental issues to consider. Philippa Bonella shared her experience of helping organisations with their strategic planning, showing how to ensure decisions align with organisational values, mission and purpose. There was an opportunity to learn from peers in table discussions facilitated by experts. We used this document as the basis for the table discussions. |
| Session four: Board dynamics | Effective governance is built on more than good structures, its foundational success rests on the quality of relationships at board level. Of course, the Chair and CEO partnership plays a central role, but the wider dynamics of the whole board are just as vital in shaping how decisions are made, and how challenges are navigated. When these relationships work well, they build trust, enable strong decision-making, and hold organisational purpose. When they begin to breakdown, they risk conflict, blur boundaries, and ultimately often end in poor governance. This session explored how to strengthen board relationships and nurture positive board dynamics. Drawing on the Third Sector Governance Code, we looked at practical ways to build effective relationships across the board. We discussed how to manage conflict constructively, and foster collaboration between trustees, the Chair, and CEO, with the aim of developing a high-performing, collaborative, and purpose-led board. Our panel included: Brian Cavanagh Florence Garabedian Graham Boyack Chair: Ann Pike |
| Closing thoughts, reflection and wrap up | Sum up the day, reflecting on learning and highlights and looking to next steps. Any further questions from the audience. |
We had free copies of the Third Sector Governance Code at the Conference. If you’d like assess what you’re doing well and get a plan for areas to improve on your board, check out SCVO’s Good Governance Checkup which is based on the Code.
Meet the speakers
Aman Uppal
Aman Uppal is a qualified lawyer and Trustee of The Young Women's Movement, a role she has held since November 2022, and represents the Young Trustee Movement in Scotland. She currently works in television production, providing legal advice across editorial and operational matters.
Ann Pike
Ann Pike joined her first Board 14 years ago and since then has been in various roles and on a number of Boards some easier than others. In recent years she has been a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and leads on a number of sub-committees.
She has a long association with the Third Sector Governance Code since its introduction and has experience of using it along with helping others to get the benefit from it when looking to develop strong governance.
Before retiring Ann was Head of Business Development helping Private, Public and Third sector organisations deliver organisational excellence. She provided expertise in all aspects of organisational management including developing and delivering business strategy; preparing and delivering business activity plans; benchmarking; research; improvement planning and implementation; budget management; relationship management and event organisation. Before that she spent 34 years in Financial Services. She is currently an ACOSVO mentor and is the Unpaid Carer representative on West Lothian IJB & COSLA Health & Social Care Board.
Brian Cavanagh
Brian Cavanagh leads a coaching and mentoring consultancy that specialises in board governance and leadership development for the board, their CEOs and chairs. He has extensive experience working across all sectors in both Scotland and Ireland. In addition to mentoring board leaders, Brian has over 30 years of board experience, as Chair of the Social Committee in Edinburgh from 1992-1997, Chair of NHS Lothian from 1997-2006, and Chair of Synaptik from 2019 -2023. He also served on the Board of Foscadh Housing Association from 2020-2024.
He is the author of Governing with Purpose: How to Build a Brilliant Board, published in 2022, and The Art of Chairing -How to Survive and Thrive as a first-time Board Chair, to be published in October 2025. Brian lives in the Cooley Peninsula, Ireland.
Celia Waring
Celia is a Client Investment Director at CCLA who exist to harness the power of investment markets to help our clients maximise their impact on society. A previous career in charity fundraising and experience as a state school governor has given Celia helpful insight into the pressures and challenges facing the third sector. She has regular strategic discussions with trustees about the role investments can play in building financial resilience and how charities can optimise returns.
David McNeill
David provides strategic leadership for SCVO to support and promote Scotland’s vibrant voluntary sector. He leads the teams responsible for building organisational confidence and capability as well as digital, communications and membership services. This includes work to tackle digital exclusion and build digital skills.
Before joining SCVO David was Depute Chief Executive at youth charity Young Scot. David is currently a Trustee of the Digital Xtra Fund and Recharge, an East Lothian youth work charity.
Graham Boyack
Graham has been Director of the Scottish Mediation since August 2012. During that period, he has contributed to policy as a member of the Scottish Government Administrative Justice review, the Digital Justice Working Group and more recently on a working group on Marches and Parades in Scotland. He is a mediator with the Edinburgh Sheriff Court Mediation Service.
Graham has worked extensively in the third and public sector and brings senior leadership experience, having worked in Student Unions, The Festival City Theatres Trust and the Scottish Ambulance Service. He has strong skills in partnership working, governance, policy development, has an MBA and is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.
Florence Garabedian OBE
Florence is a former leader in the voluntary sector, co-founder of Self Directed Support Scotland (SDSS) and has many years of experience in executive roles at international, UK and Scottish levels. She now enjoys working with people and their organisations, using her recognised leadership experience and other skills to support and enable them to navigate change, transition and challenges, and to develop new paths to successful outcomes.
John Fitzgerald
John Fitzgerald leads SCVO’s digital evolution programme. He and his team have helped thousands of charities to make strategic use of digital to serve their communities and further their aims.
Alongside bespoke one-to-one help and advice, they also provide in-depth guides such as their new guide to using AI responsibly. Prior to working on SCVO’s digital team, John spent 10 years as a fundraiser working across trusts and foundations, individual giving and online engagement.
John has spent much of the past 18 months talking to voluntary sector groups about AI, ranging from funders to CEOs, to fundraisers, librarians and international development professionals. Since September 2024 he has chaired the Scottish AI Alliance’s Community Advisory Group.
Kenneth Pinkerton
Kenneth Pinkerton, Partner and Head of Brodies Charities & Third Sector Team, specialises in charity law and governance, providing advice and guidance to charities and third sector organisations. Kenneth's clients have included philanthropists, Royal Charter bodies, large umbrella membership bodies, family foundations, culture bodies and sports organisations. He has also worked on several high-profile governance cases involving the Scottish Charity Regulator. He is a member of the Charity Law Association.
Philippa Bonella
Based in Edinburgh, Philippa has worked as an independent third sector consultant since 2016, following 20 years working in the sector at Scottish, UK and international levels. Philippa works independently with charities and faith-based organisations, supporting groups to collaboratively improve their strategic planning, culture and governance. Philippa has been delivering SCVO’s governance training offer since 2023, online and in-house for trustees and staff. Outside the day job, she is a board member of Consultants for Good CIC and a volunteer mentor of charity chief executives for ACOSVO among other voluntary roles.
Rhona Delaney
Rhona is a Director in the Public and Third Sector team at law firm, Anderson Strathern LLP. Rhona specialises in providing corporate, commercial, governance and charity law advice to charity and third sector clients. Rhona advises on the incorporation of charities, legal structures, constitutions and governance. In recent years, Rhona has advised on a number of large-scale charity mergers, cross-border registrations and changes in legal forms.
Rhona has been involved in providing advice to members of SCVO through SCVO’s free legal advice service for almost a decade now and brings a passion and desire to help clients in the sector meet their objectives.
Sean Duffy
Sean Duffy is a strategic CEO and non-executive leader with a career spanning multiple sectors . As Chief Executive of The Wise Group, he has led nationally recognised programmes tackling poverty, unemployment, energy vulnerability, and justice reform and rehabilitation. He also serves as Chair of The Donaldson Trust and Trustee of St Andrews Links Trust, bringing strong governance and oversight to some of Scotland’s most valued institutions.
Drawing on senior leadership experience across private, public, and third sectors, Sean brings a unique perspective on how commercial rigour, public value, and cultural productivity can combine to deliver lasting change. He speaks regularly on leadership, governance, and the role of social enterprise in public service reform.
Steff Bell
Steff has worked for over 25 years in the charity sector in England, Wales, and for the last 17 years, Scotland. She currently works for Scottish funder, Foundation Scotland, specifically on the Revitalising Trusts Project, which is run in collaboration with OSCR. This project works exclusively with charity trustees to address dormant and inactive charitable trusts, helping to revitalise charitable assets for Scottish communities. Prior to this role, she spent 12 years working for the Edinburgh TSI, with a remit to support trustees with their governance and charity regulatory compliance.
Covering all aspects of governance, from set up to closure, financial administration to fallouts, Steff was also a national trainer for the TSI network on Scottish charity legislation and regulation, focusing on the role of the charity trustee. A strong advocate for the charity sector and for the trustee role, Steff is the chair of an Edinburgh-based youth work project and a terrible football coach.
Steve Kent
Steve Kent is a Policy Manager at OSCR with a lead role in providing policy input to Scottish Government during the development and passing of the 2023 charity legislation and subsequent regulations. He is also responsible for Parliamentary and local government correspondence and manages OSCR’s Revitalising Trusts Project. Prior to joining OSCR, Steve had a lengthy career in the charity sector in Scotland, Wales and England with a focus on charity governance and trustee skills development. He has been a trustee of a number of charities.
Get in touch
Got questions, feedback or just want to get in touch about the conference? We'd love to hear from you!