About Us
Wiltshire is full of small schools, parish councils, churches, and charities that sit at the heart of their communities. They are run by dedicated people; Governors, Trustees, Clerks and Volunteers, all who give their time freely, usually without payment, often with little support, training and guidance. These organisations carry enormous responsibility, yet many operate with limited resources and increasing statutory demands.
Wiltshire Governance for Good was created to stand alongside them
We exist to strengthen the governance, administration, and safeguarding of the local institutions that keep our communities running. From rural primary schools to village halls, PCCs, and micro‑charities, we help organisations become confident, compliant, and capable so they can focus on serving those who rely on them.
Our work is practical and grounded. We provide clerkship support, governance advice, compliance checks, safeguarding reviews, and training for Governors, Trustees, and Volunteers. We help organisations understand their duties, run effective meetings, keep accurate records, and meet the standards expected of them. And we do it in a way that is accessible, affordable, and rooted in the realities of rural life.
At the heart of Wiltshire Governance for Good is a simple belief: good governance strengthens communities. When local institutions are well‑run, safe, and accountable, the communities they serve become places where people can thrive and flourish, not just live and exist.
We are here to make that possible – to become a valuable presence in Wiltshire’s civic ecosystem and to deliver tangible public benefit to our villages, towns and communities.
Our Mission Statement
Wiltshire Governance for Good exists to strengthen the schools, councils, churches, and charities that serve our communities by providing practical governance support, reliable administrative expertise, and accessible news, information, training and mentoring.
We help local organisations become confident, compliant, and capable – ensuring they can focus on delivering the greatest possible benefit to the people of Wiltshire.
Our Charitable Objectives
At Wiltshire Governance for Good we are focused on delivering ‘public benefit’ through our work and impact on the organisations that serve Wiltshire. To ensure we stay focused we have set four key objectives.
1. To advance education for the public benefit by improving the governance, leadership, administration, and safeguarding practices of schools, charities, churches, and local councils in Wiltshire.
2. To promote the efficiency and effectiveness of charities and voluntary organisations for the public benefit by providing governance support, administrative assistance, compliance guidance, and training to Trustees, Governors, Clerks, and Volunteers.
3. To advance citizenship and community development for the public benefit by strengthening the capacity, accountability, and resilience of rural and disadvantaged community organisations, including Parish Councils, PCCs, and Community Groups.
4. To promote good governance and safeguarding for the public benefit by offering audits, reviews, training, and advisory services that help organisations meet their statutory and regulatory duties.
Our Service Model
Wiltshire Governance for Good operates a mixed‑model service structure designed to ensure that our rural Schools, Parish councils, PCCs, and Small Charities can access high‑quality governance support regardless of budget. Here’s what that looks like in practice.
1. Low‑cost core services: affordable administrative, governance and clerkship support for organisations with limited financial resources.
2. Grant‑funded programmes: targeted projects (e.g., safeguarding audits, clerk training) funded through local authority, community, or lottery grants.
3. Free community support: light‑touch guidance, free tools, templates, and signposting for micro‑charities and volunteer‑run groups.
4. Training and capacity‑building: workshops, induction sessions, and governance basics delivered at low or no cost.
5. Specialist paid services: in‑depth governance reviews, compliance audits, or interim clerk cover for organisations able to contribute more.
Our Three‑Year Impact Roadmap
Year 1 : Establish, Embed, and Prove the Model
Year 2 : Scale, Strengthen, and Deepen Community Impact
Year 3 : Consolidate, Lead, and Build a Legacy
We will achieve this through:
- Sustained service
- Rural community uplift
- Strengthening essential institutions
- Improving safeguarding and compliance
- Supporting volunteers
- Enabling small organisations to thrive