An online week of inspiring discussions, practical tools and bold ideas to reimagine trusteeship.

A week of bold ideas & better boards. This pass gives full access to all 18 events at the Festival of Trusteeship.

Welcome to the Festival of Trusteeship 2026

📅 9th– 13th November 2026

🎉 Part of Trustees' Week

🧭 Sponsored by the Institute of Leadership and Ecclesiastical.

✅ 18 sessions over 5 days. One Festival pass. Sessions run at scheduled times from Monday to Friday. Attend as many or as few as you like.

Eastside People are proud to bring you the 2026 Festival of Trusteeship; a week-long celebration exploring the future of trusteeship and the people shaping it.

The headline sponsors for this year’s Festival are the Institute of Leadership and Ecclesiastical, with support for our exciting strands from our partners Stone King, the Chartered Governance Institute and Evelyn Partners. The Festival is also kindly supported by Civil Society Media.

The Festival is super-powered by our collaboration of sector partners: Fair Collective, the Centre for Charity Effectiveness at Bayes Business School, Board Racial Diversity UK, ACEVO, the Young Trustees Movement, ICAEW and the Association of Chairs.

Join us for five days of inspiring talks, panel discussions and engaging activities – all designed to reimagine trusteeship and strengthen the boards of tomorrow.

Whether you're a seasoned trustee, new to governance, or simply curious, this is your chance to gain fresh insights, build your network, and leave inspired.

A weekly pass is the best value way to participate in the Festival. The pass gives you access to live attendance and recordings of all 18 events (which are sent the week after the event). Included in your pass are the keynote from the Charity Commission, the "Aspiring Trustee" strand events (which are relevant to serving trustees too) and 12 other sessions.

Please note: Eventbrite displays the Festival as one continuous event from Monday to Friday. In reality, it consists of individual online sessions spread across the week (see below for timings). Attend whichever sessions you'd like - your ticket gives you access to the whole Festival.

What to expect:

✔ Daily sessions with expert speakers and real trustees

✔ Live Q&As, real-world case studies, and practical tools for trustees

✔ Trustee topics covering diversity, toxic behaviours, AI, leadership, board dynamics, legal and more

✔ A supportive space to ask questions, challenge thinking and share trustee experiences

✔ Opportunities to connect with fellow trustees and changemakers

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to expand your horizons and network with other trustees.

Let’s reimagine trusteeship together: braver boards, bolder decisions, better futures!

The programme:

Monday 9th November 2026

• Festival Launch with Dame Julia Unwin, Chair of the Charity Commission for England and Wales (11.00-12.00)
• Building board chemistry: What makes boards click? (12.30-14.00)
• The Joy of Trusteeship (18.00-19.00)

Tuesday 10th November 2026

• Boards, Bots and Big Questions: How trustees are navigating AI (11.00-12.00)
• Not a numbers person? 10 questions every trustee should ask (12.30-13.30)
• The Great Merger Debate (16.30-17.30)
• What is a trustee and how do I become one (18.00-19.00)

Wednesday 11th November 2026

• Raising it, reporting it: a guide to the new rules (11.00-12.00)
• Trusteeship Today: Turning research into better boards (12.30-13.30)
• There may be trouble ahead: What should trustees really worry about? (16.30-17.30)
• Trustees Like Us: Where are all of the working class trustees? (18.00-19.30)

Thursday 12th November 2026

• Barking up the wrong tree? What trustees get wrong about fundraising (11.00-12.00)
• When boards turn toxic (12.30-14.00)
• Brave boards in an age of hostility (16.30-17.30)
• Trusteeship Transformed: Who gets a seat at the table? (18.00-19.00)

Friday 13th November 2026

• Show me the money: a trustee’s guide to fundraising (11.00-12.00)
• Goldilocks Governance: Big, small or just right (12.30-14.00)
• Festival Close: Well, this is awkward… (16.30-17.30)