Eastside People Festival of Trusteeship 9-13 Nov 2026

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, discussions and debates, thought leadership, best practices, learned experience, educational topics and breakout sessions (new for 2026).

Building on last year’s themes, the event will offer practical, accessible learning for trustees, aspiring trustees and charity leaders across all levels of experience.

The Eastside People Festival of Trusteeship’s week-long online series of events, is full of exciting options for:

• Anyone who wants to become a trustee
• Current trustees who want to keep learning and developing
• Charity leaders who want to understand best practice in trustee relationships, governance, recruitment and diversity.

Early Bird Weekly Pass and Bring your Board tickets now available!

Festival of Trusteeship Ticket Types:

The 2026 Eastside People Festival of Trusteeship Programme.

Festival of Trusteeship 2026: Monday 9th November – Friday 13^th November 2026

Monday 9th November:

11:00 – 12:00: Keynote
Festival Launch: How will tomorrow’s boards be different?

Charity Commission Keynote with Dame Julia Unwin, Chair of the Charity Commission for England and Wales.

12:30 – 14:00: Thought Leadership (supported by the Chartered Governance Institute)
Building board chemistry: What makes boards click?

What’s the secret formula for a brilliant board? The best boards aren’t made up of brilliant individuals – they’re made up of people who work brilliantly together. Our panel will explore what we can learn from high-performing boards: the behaviours that help, how different personalities and perspectives can make a board stronger, where ego gets in the way, the role a good chair can play and how to create the right chemistry without getting so cosy that everyone stops asking difficult questions.

18:00 – 19:00: FREE Aspiring trustees strand
The joy of trusteeship

Why do so many trustees love what they do? In this lively, audience-led session, people interested in trusteeship can put their questions directly to trustees and hear about the moments that have challenged, surprised and inspired them.

Tuesday 10th November:

11:00 – 12:00: Thought leadership (Supported by the Chartered Governance Institute)
Boards, bots and big questions: How trustees are navigating AI

AI is already changing the way charities work. What does that mean for trustees? Where is it genuinely useful, where should boards be cautious and how on earth are trustees supposed to keep up?

12:30 – 13:30: Money Matters (supported by Evelyn Partners)
Not a numbers person? 10 questions every trustee should ask

You don’t need to be a finance whizz to make a useful contribution to financial discussions – but you do need to know what to ask. Discover ten simple questions that will help you understand your charity’s finances, spot trouble early and contribute with confidence around the board table. No finance or fundraising background required. With optional breakout session.

16:30 – 17:30: Good governance (supported by Stone King)
The great merger debate

Should far more charities be merging, or is merger too often touted as the answer to problems it can’t solve?

18:00 – 19:00: FREE Aspiring trustees strand
What is a trustee and how do I become one? 

In this friendly and informative session, we’ll cover what trustees are and what they do, how to find a trustee role that’s right for you and what to expect if you join a board.

Wednesday 11th November:

11:00 – 12:00: Money Matters (supported by Evelyn Partners)
Raising it, reporting it: a guide to the new rules

The rules around charity finance, accounting and fundraising have changed. So what’s changed, and which bits do trustees actually need to know about? From new financial reporting requirements and the Charity SORP to changes in fundraising rules and reporting, we’ll help you get to grips with what’s new and what your board needs to do differently. No finance or fundraising background required.

12:30 – 13:30: Thought leadership (Supported by the Chartered Governance Institute)
Trusteeship Today: Turning research into better boards

What does the latest research tell us about charity trustees? Hear from leading researchers as they share fresh evidence on how boards are changing, what’s helping trustees succeed and where the biggest challenges lie.

16:30 – 17:30: Good governance (supported by Stone King)
There may be trouble ahead: What should trustees really worry about?

What really leads to a charity’s downfall? What should keep trustees awake at night and what are we wasting our time worrying about?

18:00 – 19:00: FREE Aspiring trustees strand
Trustees Like Us: Where are all of the working class trustees?

Charity boards often talk about diversity, but what about class? Why are working class people still so under-represented around our board tables? Join our panel to explore what gets in the way, what we’re missing as a result and what charities can do differently.

Thursday 12th November:

11:00 – 12:00: Money Matters (supported by Evelyn Partners)
Barking up the wrong tree? What trustees get wrong about fundraising

Trustees can be one of a charity’s greatest fundraising assets, but we can also, with the best of intentions, get it spectacularly wrong. Join our panel for a look at common fundraising howlers, myths and missteps, what fundraisers and funders wish boards understood, and how brilliant trustees can help bring in the money. No fundraising experience required.

12:30 – 14:00: Good governance (supported by Stone King)
When boards turn toxic

Most boards experience disagreement and conflict from time to time. But what happens when relationships between trustees, or between the board and staff, break down? With optional breakout session.

16:30 – 17:30: Thought leadership (Supported by the Chartered Governance Institute)
Brave boards in an age of hostility

It can feel harder than ever to lead a charity. What happens when your cause attracts public criticism, political pressure or outright hostility? And when should a board speak up rather than keep its head down?

18:00 – 19:00: FREE Aspiring trustees strand
Trusteeship Transformed: Who gets a seat at the table?

Could one bold idea transform trusteeship? Hear a series of short, thought-provoking pitches on how we can attract and include a wider range of trustees, then vote for your favourite.

Friday 13th November:

11:00 – 12:00: Money Matters (supported by Evelyn Partners)
Show me the money: a trustee’s guide to fundraising

Where does charity income actually come from, and what’s working in 2026? From grants and donations to trading and major gifts, get to grips with how charities can bring in money and hear expert insights on the latest fundraising trends and what trustees need to know. No fundraising background required.

12:30 – 14:00: Good governance (supported by Stone King)
Goldilocks Governance: Big, small or just right?

Can a charity be too big? Too small? Or just right? Is bigger really better, are small charities more nimble, and what happens to governance as organisations grow or shrink? When it comes to charity size, are there a few fairy tales that need rewriting?

16:30 – 17:30: 
Festival Close: Well, this is awkward…

A series of tricky governance scenarios where you decide what happens next. The CEO has just resigned. Two trustees aren’t speaking. The charity is taking a battering in the press. Someone’s eaten the last biscuit. What now? Vote in live polls, compare your thinking with other trustees in breakout rooms and explore the different ways a board might respond.

Full programme details are available on the Festival of Trusteeship Eventbrite page.

2026 event partners and sponsors

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. 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.

Our other co-headline sponsor is Ecclesiastical, who we are delighted to have return as a sponsor following their years of support for the Festival of Trusteeship. Ecclesiastical offers specialist insurance built to protect your charity, your people, and the vital services you provide. They are part of the Benefact Group.

Civil Society Media a new partner for 2026, is the UK’s only independent media company dedicated solely to supporting the charity sector. They deliver essential information, expert analysis and thought leadership through high-quality printed and digital publications plus online charity training courses covering a breadth of governance, finance and legal topics.

The Chartered Governance Institute will sponsor our Thought Leadership strand, bringing the latest thinking on charity governance. The Institute is the only globally recognised chartered professional body for governance professionals.

Evelyn Partners will sponsor the Festival’s new Money Matters strand, focusing on what trustees need to know about finance and fundraising. Evelyn Partners’ experienced investment managers help trustees and charity executives make informed, mission-driven decisions that strengthen your charity’s future

Stone King LLP, 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 the Good Governance stream that has sessions addressing trustees’ legal responsibilities and the practical realities of good governance.

In addition, we’d like to say thank you to our sector partners. These organisations support trustees (and people who work with trustees) all year-round: ACEVO, the Association of Chairs. Board Racial Diversity UK, the Centre for Charity Effectiveness at Bayes Business School, Fair Collective, the ICAEW and the Young Trustees Movement. 

Visit our Trustee Hub, the one-stop shop for resources, events, blogs & top tips for charity & not-for-profit trustees plus info about the Festival of Trusteeship:

Acknowledgements

Proud to be part of #TrusteesWeek 2026.