Eastside People Festival of Trusteeship returns for second year this November
9–13 November 2026 | Online | Free and open to trustees and charity leaders
Eastside People is delighted to announce that the Festival of Trusteeship will return for a second year under its management following the huge success of their inaugural 2025 event which was attended by over 1,600 trustees, charity leaders and sector experts.
The UK’s largest gathering for trustees is now confirmed to take place from 9th to 13th November 2026 in conjunction with Trustees Week. The 2026 programme will once again provide a week-long series of low cost and free online events, workshops and discussions. Building on last year’s themes, the event will offer practical, accessible learning for trustees and aspiring trustees across all levels of experience.
Supporting better governance and wider participation
Focused on strengthening charity governance, supporting current trustees and encouraging more people to take on board roles, sessions will cover a wide range of topics ranging from understanding and managing trustee responsibilities, the future of charity governance, working with operational management teams and tips for building inclusivity and diversity.
Working with a range of sponsors and partners enables Festival tickets to be offered at the lowest possible cost (with free sessions for aspiring trustees). The 2026 Festival sees the return of The Institute of Leadership as headline sponsor, along with partners Stone King LLP, a leading charity and public benefit law firm.
Partnership Contribution
The Institute of Leadership is proud to renew its core partnership with the Festival of Trusteeship for 2026. The involvement of this global professional body with its community of over 50,000 leaders and managers dedicated to inspiring great leadership will bring insights and trends from a cross-sector perspective to the Festival, enabling further tailoring of the agenda to help Trustees feel more confident leading in increasingly complex and challenging environments.
“Effective trusteeship depends on strong, thoughtful leadership. We’re delighted to continue our partnership with the Festival of Trusteeship, supporting leaders across the charity sector to build the confidence, capability and connection they need to lead with purpose and make a lasting difference.” commented John Mark Williams, CEO, The Institute of Leadership.
Stone King, a specialist law firm working extensively with charities, social enterprises and education bodies, brings deep expertise in charity law, governance, constitutional matters, safeguarding and regulatory compliance. Stone King will particularly support sessions addressing trustees’ legal responsibilities and the practical realities of good governance.
Hannah Kubie, Head of Charity and Social Enterprise, at Stone King said: “At Stone King, we are committed to using our expertise to support and strengthen charities and trustees delivering positive social impact. We are therefore pleased to be involved once again in the Festival of Trusteeship and to sponsor an event that plays such a vital role in equipping trustees with the knowledge and confidence they need to fulfil their responsibilities. Having previously supported the Festival, we have seen the value of this collaborative initiative in bringing together trustees, sector leaders and experts to share practical insight and support strong, effective governance across the sector.”
Richard Litchfield Chief Executive at Eastside People, said “The over whelming response to the first Festival of Trusteeship showed a real appetite for open, practical conversations about what trusteeship looks like today. We are delighted to be bringing the Festival back for a second year, with Penny Wilson still in charge and supported by partners who genuinely understand the challenges and responsibilities trustees face.”
Penny Wilson, continuing as Director of the 2026 Festival of Trusteeship added “I’m absolutely delighted to be returning as Director of the Festival of Trusteeship. The Festival was created to demystify trusteeship, open the doors to people who don’t always see themselves around the board table, and support trustees to be thoughtful, confident and effective in their roles. Bringing people together for honest, practical conversations about governance feels more important than ever, and I’m proud to continue shaping a space where trustees can learn from each other, ask difficult questions and leave feeling better equipped for the realities of board life.”
Keep up-to-date with the latest Festival of Trusteeship news
Further programme details and speaker announcements will be released in the coming months. Sign up here to receive the latest information and updates about the 2026 Festival of Trusteeship.
ENDS
* The Festival of Trusteeship was initially created by the charity Getting on Board to address growing concerns about trustee recruitment, retention, diversity and confidence. When Getting on Board announced its closure due to funding and resourcing pressures in October 2024, the Festival had to be cancelled. In 2025, Eastside People became the new home of the Festival of Trusteeship, reviving the event and re‑establishing it as a central part of Trustees’ Week, which ran from 3–7 November 2025.
About Eastside People
We are an award-winning consultancy and recruitment specialist working exclusively with charities and not-for-profit organisations – and we do things differently.
Eastside People is proud to have:
- Delivered more than 3,000 projects driving meaningful change
- Supported 1,271 charities and not for profits with advice and expertise
- Completed over 50 mergers strengthening 129 charities and representing almost £300m in combined value
- Successfully delivered over 580 recruitment projects
- Achieved an outstanding 9.2 out of 10 rating for skills and know how.
Our community of brilliant, experienced professionals and consultants from diverse industries and backgrounds share a single focus: enabling the charity and wider not-for-profit sector through consultancy and recruitment services. We help industry leaders build capacity, strengthen sustainability and increase the impact of their organisations to bring about lasting social change.
https://eastsidepeople.org
About the Institute of Leadership
The Institute of Leadership is a global professional body dedicated to inspiring great leadership. We support leaders at every stage of their journey through practical development, professional recognition and a connected community.
Our mission is to inspire and develop leaders who can build resilient organisations, foster inclusive cultures and create meaningful impact in a rapidly changing world.
https://leadership.global/
About Stone King
Widely recognised as a leading UK law firm for charity law and consistently ranked highly in independent legal directories, Stone King provides trusted, expert legal advice to charity leaders operating within an increasingly complex and regulated environment. Our lawyers advise a diverse range of not-for-profit organisations, from national and international charities to social enterprises and grassroots campaigns. In addition to day-to-day matters, we regularly advise on novel and untested issues affecting the third sector. Many of our lawyers are also trustees and volunteers, enabling us to work closely with the sector on governance, social value, campaigning and political activity.
https://www.stoneking.co.uk/
