Recognition for effective governance and management in voluntary organisations

Gateshead Carers has achieved the Trusted Charity Mark award recognising the excellent work it does as a voluntary organisation in Gateshead.

“This award is in recognition of the hard work achieved by all of the team; our staff, trustees and volunteers and is testament to the faith placed in us by unpaid adult carers in Gateshead and Gateshead Council who have entrusted us with the contract for the next five years,” said Steve Cowen, CEO, Gateshead Carers.

Trusted Charity is part of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) and is the only UK quality standard designed to help third sector organisations operate more effectively and efficiently.  Gateshead Carers was assessed against the 11 standards of effective practice in Trusted Charity, including in governance, leadership and management, managing staff and volunteers and managing money, and proved to meet all standards. 

Gateshead Carers Association has worked alongside unpaid adult carers in Gateshead for over 24 years providing confidential wellbeing services for both individuals and professionals including short breaks and peer support groups.  The charity supports all adult carers who provide unpaid care for a friend or family member who due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction could not cope without their support.

Carers come from all walks of life, all cultures and can be of any age. Many feel they are just doing what anyone else would do in the same situation; looking after their mother, son or best friend and just getting on with it, but without the right support carers may find their own health and wellbeing suffers in the process. At Gateshead Carers the focus is on empowering carers to be stronger and more confident, especially in controlling their life, claiming their rights, realising their potential, achieving their goals, staying healthy mentally, physically and financially. The focus is very much on the strengths and talents of carers and how these can help carers achieve their goals and the life they want.

Nick Snow, Trusted Charity Programme Manager, NCVO said “We are delighted for the trustees, staff and volunteers of Gateshead Carers that they have achieved the Trusted Charity Mark. We know that organisations using the Trusted Charity standard benefit by having better governance, better systems and procedures and better quality of services for their users and it is great that the community of Trusted Charity users in England is growing”.

For further information about the NCVO Trusted Charity programme please visit www.ncvo.org.uk/trustedcharity