Yearly Meeting appoints trustees to act on its behalf as managing trustees of the work, assets and property held directly by Britain Yearly Meeting.
The Trustees are responsible to the Yearly Meeting for the right stewardship of its work, assets and property; as charity trustees, they are also legally defined as responsible for the general control and management of the administration of the affairs of Britain Yearly Meeting.
Although the Trustees have powers and responsibilities set out in the Britain Yearly Meeting governing document these are grounded in terms of service. Trustees have a duty to account to the outside world for the conduct of their trust. Gathered meetings, both of the Trustees and of other bodies, provide the religious discernment that guides our actions in the world. Trustees recognise and listen carefully to the discernment of Yearly Meeting, Meeting for Sufferings and their committees and ensure that it is followed, within legal and financial constraints.
Trustees undertake, on behalf of Yearly Meeting, legal compliance, monitoring and scrutiny functions. They also ensure that the centrally managed work is being properly governed and managed in accordance with the religious and charitable objects of Britain Yearly Meeting (see 8.01), set out in the governing document approved by Yearly Meeting and available on application to the Recording Clerk. They oversee the work of the Management Meeting (8.21) and are the employers of Britain Yearly Meeting staff (8.05).
In order to achieve this, the Trustees approve annually an operational plan and budget for the forthcoming year. They also approve the Trustees' annual report & accounts for the past year, which is presented for information to Meeting for Sufferings before submission to Yearly Meeting and to the charity regulators in due course.
The membership, responsibilities and duties of the Trustees are set out in detail in terms of reference to be approved and revised from time to time by Yearly Meeting. A copy is available on application to the Recording Clerk.
The Trustees are appointed by Yearly Meeting on the nomination of the Central Nominations Committee, as set out in the Trustees' terms of reference. In making nominations for service as trustees, the Central Nominations Committee (6.21.i) ensures that the Friends approached are aware of the legal responsibilities of trustees and of the legal position on eligibility (see 15.04). The clerk and assistant clerk are appointed by Yearly Meeting on the nomination of the Committee on Clerks (6.19.c).
Yearly Meeting also entrusts to the Trustees the organisation and periodic revision of the structure of the standing committees which oversee particular areas of the centrally managed work. However, it reserves to itself decisions affecting the existence and basic functions of the Trustees, and of Quaker Life Central Committee (8.10) and Quaker Peace & Social Witness Central Committee (8.11).
The Trustees must report to Yearly Meeting any changes in the structure of standing committees through which they work (7.02); in such cases, any amendments to our church government reflect decisions already taken, and it is for Yearly Meeting in session to decide whether the proposed textual changes to our book of discipline accurately describe the new structure.
Next: 8.04
To find out about new appeals, go to 