Board members – directors and trustees

Benefits of being a director or trustee

While occupying a place on a board is a serious undertaking, there are various positive aspects to the role that can help an individual on both a personal and professional basis, including:

• the knowledge that you are contributing to a worthwhile cause – promoting sport and physical activity and bringing its benefits to your community
• building self-confidence
• gaining experience of committee work
• acquiring new skills – personal and professional – through training and information sharing
• the enjoyment to be had from working with a group of individuals from different backgrounds who share a similar passion for sport and for the purpose and impact which your organisation can have

The role is one that can offer considerable satisfaction, challenges and experiences, but it is worth remembering that it can be quite onerous and require a significant time commitment. Careful consideration as to whether you can meet that commitment should be given before taking up a position.

Responsibilities of board members

According to the Code for Sports Governance, the board is ‘collectively responsible for the long-term success of the organisation and exclusively vested with the power to lead it’ (Principle 1).

Broadly, members of the board should provide leadership to their organisation and should contribute to its overall governance and strategic direction. They play an integral role, through their decision making, in developing the organisation’s aims, objectives and goals, in accordance with the governing document, legal obligations and regulatory guidelines.

Board members need to work in partnership with the chief executive, management team and the governance lead to ensure that their decisions are acted upon and the organisation is managed effectively. All, especially the chair, should fully understand the difference between the role the board plays in governing, developing and agreeing the strategic direction of the organisation and that of the senior management team in applying that strategy to day-to-day operations. (For more on the differences between governance, strategy and management please refer to section 1 of the knowledge base – introduction to sports governance.)

Board members should scrutinise the performance of the management in meeting agreed goals and objectives and monitor the reporting of performance in key areas. They should satisfy themselves as to the integrity of financial and other information, and that quality, robust controls and systems of risk management are in place. They are responsible for determining appropriate levels of remuneration of staff and have a prime role in appointing, and where necessary removing, senior staff, and in succession planning.

Accountability

As the board are responsible for and liable for the governance and functioning of the organisation, they are accountable in varying degrees to a variety of stakeholders, including: members (where applicable), employees, beneficiaries, customers, suppliers, funders (including Sport England and UK Sport), regulators (e.g. the Charity Commission), and registrars (e.g. Companies House). Close attention must be paid to the governing document to ascertain the type of organisational structure and to the relevant legislation. These may indicate who some of the primary stakeholders might be. However, careful consideration must be given to the range of parties which have a legitimate interest in the organisation.

There is a growing demand within the sports sector and the wider general public for organisations to be open and accountable for their actions and inactions. Principle 3 of the Code for Sports Governance requires that ‘Organisations shall be transparent and accountable, engaging effectively with stakeholders and nurturing internal democracy’. The Charity Governance Code recommends that charities are open in their work unless there is good reason not to be (Principle 7) and that organisations take seriously their responsibility for building public trust and confidence in their work. The board should lead on this.

It could be argued that this is of even greater importance for organisations wh