The new Charity Governance Code: What trustees and charities need to know
On 3 November 2025, a new version of the Charity Governance Code was published. It is not a statutory code, and there is no legal requirement for charities to comply with it, but it is a practical tool designed to help charity trustees develop high standards of governance and is endorsed by the Charity Commission.
The new code puts more emphasis on board behaviours and culture. It highlights how ethics, decision making and inclusion support strong governance and sets out eight key principles of governance, each of which describes what you would expect to see where charity governance is working well. These eight principles are:
- The foundation principle
- Organisational purpose
- Leadership
- Ethics and culture
- Decision making
- Managing resources and risks
- Equity, diversity and inclusion
- Board effectiveness
We are currently provided training to boards of trustees on the new code and how it sits alongside a trustee’s existing legal duties and liabilities.
Next steps
Please contact Sarah Furness to discuss the training which we can provide.
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