RSPCA’s members have voted in favour of changing its rules about who can become a trustee, as recommended by a recent governance review, to enable the charity to co-opt trustees onto its board.
Previously all the charity’s trustees were elected by its members, but a recent governance review carried out by Crowe Clarke Whitehall warned that “the vagaries of a fully election-driven system cannot always be relied on to deliver the right mix of skills and experience”.
The charity has faced ongoing criticism about its governance arrangements and last year was told by the Charity Commission to carry out a review, which led to over 40 recommendations to improve its structure.
Following the sudden resignation of the RSPCA's chief executive earlier this month, the regulator warned that the RSPCA could face “further regulatory action” if it does not sort out its governance.
At the RSPCA AGM at the weekend, members voted for seven proposed rule changes which will enable the charity to co-opt people with particular skills to its trustee board.
Other proposed rule changes, which were agreed at the AGM, include clarifying that the 25-strong council is a maximum, not a requirement and amending the tenure of honorary officers (the chair, vice-chair, treasurer and deputy treasurer) from one year to two years.
Daphne Harris, chair of the trustees, told the AGM, that: “The council fully supports the rule changes the review recommends.
“We will be working hard to make sure our governance is as good as it can be. We have been given an instruction to get on with it and that is what we will do.”
Future plans
Harris also revealed plans for the future including recruiting more inspectors and opening new animal centres.
She added: “The RSPCA is in good shape. Financially we are stable after a difficult few years. The stability plan we introduced in 2014 is now giving us the platform to do even more for animals in the future, and we have exciting plans in the pipeline such as new centres and more inspectors.
“We have set some challenging goals in our strategy. We want to reduce cruelty by 25 per cent, double the number of animals under RSPCA Assured to 80 million and get statutory powers for our inspectors to help them rescue animals. All by 2021.
“These are, as they should be, stretching targets. But if we all pull together - trustees, members, staff, volunteers and supporters - they are within our grasp.”
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