Charity Concepts (January 2026)

A brand new course for 2026 and delivered by Robin Osterley from Training People, Charity Concepts is a course specifically designed for people who are new to the charity sector, or who want to consolidate their knowledge of the sector into a clear and coherent whole. They could be paid staff, volunteers, or trustees.

Charity Concepts works well as an introduction to how charities work, a refresher on governance and the basics of charities, and a taster course to see what you need to delve into further. We will explore charity governance, the relationship between trustee boards and staff, charitable finances, and lots more, including the role and importance of volunteers.

About the speaker

An engaging and charismatic speaker, Robin Osterley is Chief Executive of the Charity Retail Association, and has been involved in the third sector for over thirty years, during which time he has run a charity, a co-operative and a company limited by guarantee, as well having been a trustee of several other organisations. As he inexorably approaches retirement he is keen to pass on what he has learnt to the next generation of charity leaders and share examples of best practice to the benefit of charities and individuals. Training People is his vehicle for this, and has been successfully running courses of this nature for some time now.

You must hold individual ILM membership to benefit from the reduced member rate of £135. To find out more about joining ILM, click here.

Charity Concepts will cover the following topics (you can also view and download the full agenda here):

Governance and ownership

Board/staff relationships

Charitable finances

Income generation – non-legacy options

Marketing and communications overview

Volunteering and employment law