Resource
Handbook for Trustees of Quaker meetings
This handbook focuses on trusteeship in a Quaker context, primarily Quaker meetings.
Published May 2024.
[QUOTE-START]
Trustees must be well-grounded in the life and concerns of the meeting for which they act. […] Just as they care for the life of the meeting, the meeting should support and uphold them and their work.
- Quaker faith & practice 15.07
[QUOTE-END]
Networks
Clerks to area meeting trustees
There is a role-holder network for trustees of Quaker area meeting charities, or those charities which are part of the formal structure of Britain Yearly Meeting, which includes area, regional and general meetings. Some Quaker charities are re-thinking their shape and size and as these changed come into effect those new charities will be included in this network. The network includes two strands:
E-group
An email-based group connecting all clerks to trustees offering peer support. It avoids the need for individuals to hold and manage a list of email contacts.
If you would like to e-group please get in touch using the contact details at the bottom of the page.
Online discussion network
An online discussion network is held for clerks to area meeting trustees three or four times a year. A small planning group works to put together a programme of discussions on topics that are relevant to trustees or are timely in the life of Quakers in Britain.
Details of the discussion network are sent via the e-group. You can contact supportmeetings@quaker.org.uk to ask to be subscribed to the e-group.
Events and Activities
Trustee and treasurer conferences
12 July 2025
The trustee and treasurer conference had a varied programme in 2025. It had a general theme looking at our changing charity structures. There are two films from the conference.
A film of YM Treasurer Paul Whitehouse updating on BYM finances. Paul also talks about trustee and treasurer responsibilities for:
- Property
- Investments
- Myths
- Reserves
- Charities working together
A film of QL Team Leader Ollie Waterhouse plenary session talking through:
- The data BYM gathers on the health of governance of BYM charities
- Diversifying our trustee bodies
- Changes in the yearly meeting since the previous conference in 2023
- Imperfection and failing!
Quaker trustee courses from Woodbrooke
Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre offers courses for trustees. Find out what is currently being offered by Woodbrooke on the website, www.woodbrooke.org.uk/roles.
Meeting House Matters events
Quakers in Britain holds Meeting House Matters events throughout the year. They are held online and in Quaker meeting houses. They are for wardens and other Quaker workers, and Friends such as area meeting trustees and members of premises committees who look after Quaker employment or property. Notes have been taken each time and are circulated in the property advice e-group.
Accompaniment / assistance
Development Workers
A first point of call for all questions is the development worker who is responsible for your area meeting. Their role is to help support them self or to signpost to where support is available.
If you are not sure who your area meeting's development worker is, you can find a list of area meetings and how to get in touch with them, www.quaker.org.uk/local-development.
Other help from Quakers in Britain staff
There is help from Quakers in Britain staff on a variety of governance related topics. If you have a question that can't be answered by your development worker you can contact directly to ask for help, supportmeetings@quaker.org.uk.
Safeguarding
Quaker charity trustees are responsible for safeguarding in local meetings, and at area meeting events. It is essential to have a lead trustee for safeguarding (otherwise this defaults to the clerk of trustees), and an annual report to trustees about safeguarding.
Support and resources are available on the safeguarding coordinator page, and the Safeguarding page which contains model documents. Each area meeting is strongly encouraged to take out membership of Thirtyone:eight which provides Quaker meetings with expert advice and resources.
Resources
Quaker spirituality in governance
- Qf&p chapter 14, Stewardship of our material resources, https://qfp.quaker.org.uk/chapter/14.
- Qf&p chapter 15, Trusteeship, https://qfp.quaker.org.uk/chapter/15.
- Advices and queries on Quaker stewardship (pdf) to help local Friends reflect on how well they work together, to share responsibility and leadership.
Governance Update
Keep up-to-date with advice and information for trustees (and treasurers) by reading Governance Update. This is emailed to clerks of area meeting trustees on publication. It is free for anyone can subscribe to and past editions are available on the role holder updates page.
Quaker charities Memorandum of Understanding
Quaker charity trustees from across Britain, together with QiB staff, have written a memorandum of understanding which helps to set out our governance obligations to each other. This document was endorsed by Meeting for Sufferings in October 2023. It was sent to Quaker charity trustees to minute their agreement to entering into it or ask for further conversation if this is not possible. This final version of the memorandum of understanding will be updated as necessary.
Charity registration and trustees
Area meetings must register with the Charity Commission when their income rises above £100k a year (unless their income is over £100k for one year only due to exceptional circumstances).
- Charity registration can be done online at www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-register-your-charity-cc21b
- Guidance notes on registering a Quaker charity
- Standard charity template governing document agreed with the Charity Commission (England & Wales) in keeping with the guidance and principles laid down in Quaker faith & practice. Your area meeting will already have a governing document. If you have made any changes to this template you will need to list these and the reasons why you made them.
- If you are thinking of becoming a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) or a company – this document covers issues to consider.
- Template CIO governing document (Word) agreed with the Charity Commission (England & Wales).
Charity Commission Schemes
When and area meeting first registers as a charity, it should also set up a scheme to combine the area meeting with its various trusts, including property trusts ("specie" land). This means that the accounts from these trusts can be included in the area meeting's accounts as restricted funds. It is also an opportunity to update some aspects of old trusts. Read this guidance on creating a charity scheme and contact
If an area meeting is considering selling some property, then it should check whether the property is specie as the Charity Commission needs to be consulted. If an area meeting is planning to change the use of some property it should check whether the deeds allow this. Contact Quaker Life (details at the bottom of this page) to arrange for someone to check property deeds held by Friends Trusts Ltd. If the use of the property laid down by the deeds is no longer practicable then the Charity Commission is usually very helpful.
- Guidance on assessing the status of a property (PDF)
- Creating a scheme: guidance for meetings (Word) covering applying for a scheme and the scheme document to be completed
Trustee nomination and appointment
Nominations committee's should work with trustees to establish the needs of the trustees body and ensure there is a robust nominations and appointment process for the recruitment of trustees.
- NCVO guidance on recruiting and inducting trustees
- Trustee Declaration of Eligibility (link to the Government website)
Preparing a Trustees Annual Report and Accounts (TARA)
All area meetings and certain other bodies within Britain Yearly Meeting should send their annual report and accounts to Quaker Life, supportmeetings@quaker.org.uk.
The following documents are available to help Quaker trustees produce their reports:
- Support from BYM and what to report (2022) – a document for all trustees and treasurers with advice on who to contact and what to send to BYM annually.
- Checklist for reports and accounts – a checklist so trustees and treasurers can check whether their annual report and accounts are complete. England & Wales checklist (Word) and Scotland checklist (Word). These documents are revised annually.
- Public benefit guidance notes – Public benefit reporting guidance (PDF)
- Giving to non-Quaker organisations – advice and reporting requirements on giving to non-Quaker organisations (pdf)
Advice on protest and protest groups
- Advice to Quaker Trustees on relationships with non-violent direct action protest groups
- Legal advice on support and provision of resources to groups that engage in civil disobedience and non-violent law breaking ('higher-risk groups')
- Information for Quakers on the proscription of the group Palestine Action
Employment
All model policies form part of the Employers' resource and template documents, on the employment and volunteering page.
Policies for area meetings – models and examples
These model policy templates and advice on their development and use are available for Quakers to use and adapt in their meetings.
Room-hire policy template
This room hire template policy includes a set of hire principles, a template booking form and a comprehensive set of terms and conditions of hire. It has been developed to be used locally and 'owned' by trustees at AM level. It is a single document but can be used as individual section if that is required.
Quakers in Britain's lawyers have looked over the documents and made suggestions, including giving a lot of guidance on the terms of hire.
Investment
- See Quakers in Britain's ethical investment policy on the BYM Trustees' page. This could be adapted for an area meeting.
Reserves
- Advice on drawing up an area meeting reserves policy (PDF).
Data Protection
- Model Data Protection Policy and a Privacy Policy is on the Data Protection page.
Safeguarding
- Model safeguarding documents are on the Safeguarding page.
Complaints
- Model complaints policy and procedure (Word).
- Notes on establishing a complaints policy and procedure for area Quaker meetings (PDF).
Risk
Header image © Richard Oliver 2014