Leadership with Humanity: What Trusteeship Means in 2025

By Dr Narinder Gosall, Chair of Trustees at Maundy Relief

When I first became involved with Maundy Relief, it was as a supporter, drawn to the quiet but extraordinary compassion that defines this organisation. Over time, that connection deepened, and I was invited to join the Board of Trustees. Today, I have the privilege of serving as Chair.

Trusteeship in 2025 is no longer defined by procedure or policy alone; it is defined by proximity to people, to purpose, and to the moral realities that shape our communities.

Maundy Relief is a place of dignity, care, and belonging, where people are met as individuals and without judgement. Over the years, I have witnessed the charity respond to some of the most testing periods in recent history: the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, the continuing cost-of-living crisis, and the widening inequalities that affect families across Hyndburn.

Through each period of uncertainty from food insecurity and homelessness to social-care reform and digital exclusion, Maundy Relief has remained steadfast. Our team continues to meet people’s immediate needs while addressing the deeper causes of hardship. Whether supporting families through fuel poverty, guiding guests through complex benefits systems, or adapting to tightening local-authority budgets, the charity has stayed true to its founding purpose: to offer help without delay or judgement.

Trusteeship in a Time of Challenge

Across the voluntary sector, trusteeship in 2025 demands more than administrative oversight; it requires moral imagination, accountability, and courage. Charities are operating in what the NCVO calls a perfect storm – rising demand, reduced funding, and increasing social complexity.

In Hyndburn, these pressures are visible every day. Over 39 per cent of children now live in low-income households, and nearly one in five families faces fuel poverty. Homelessness and temporary accommodation have risen sharply, and many statutory services remain stretched. Behind every statistic is a story of endurance, recovery, and hope.

For trustees, the task is not simply to preserve stability but to lead with integrity and empathy. Financial stewardship and moral responsibility must coexist; governance only has meaning when it remains close to the lives of those it seeks to serve.

Leadership with Humanity

Effective trusteeship today requires leadership with humanity; a balance of evidence and empathy, strategy and service. This principle, reflected in the Charity Governance Code (2025), lies at the heart of Maundy Relief’s approach.

We make decisions collaboratively, engage directly with staff and volunteers, and learn continuously from lived experience. A defining strength of Maundy Relief’s Board is that the majority of trustees have also been volunteers or long-standing supporters of the charity. This creates a culture of governance grounded in understanding, authenticity, and continuity. Collectively, the Board brings a wealth of experience from across sectors, united by a shared belief in dignity, equality, and compassion.

Leadership with humanity is not a sentimental ideal; it is an evidence-based form of governance that recognises emotional intelligence as a strategic asset. The best boards, research now shows, blend technical competence with relational depth; qualities that enable agility in complex, uncertain environments.

Connecting Governance and Community

The social-care landscape continues to evolve. National reforms aimed at integration and partnership, from the Health and Care Act to the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance,  have redefined what effective leadership requires.

For Maundy Relief, this means maintaining strong local partnerships across food networks, housing, mental-health, and education. Trusteeship here is not only stewardship; it is advocacy, ensuring that those most affected by inequality are not voiceless in the policies that shape their futures. In doing so, we translate governance from theory into action, keeping compassion at the centre of public life.

The Local Imperative

Accrington’s strength lies in its people. Despite economic and political uncertainty, there remains a deep current of compassion, solidarity, and civic pride. Charities such as Maundy Relief are not merely service providers; they are part of the moral infrastructure that sustains community life.

The Review of Maundy Relief 2025 describes the organisation as “the beating heart of the community” still here, still responding to need, and still evolving with stability and compassion. The board mirrors that continuity. Most trustees first encountered Maundy Relief through service or volunteering; together we bring both lived and professional insight, creating a leadership team that is informed, diverse, and authentically grounded.

A Deeper Commitment

Earlier this year, I began volunteering in Maundy Relief’s Advice Services Team, a humbling reminder of what governance truly represents. Working alongside staff and volunteers, I have seen the complexities of hardship, resilience, and recovery at first hand. That experience continues to shape my understanding of leadership: it is not exercised from a distance but through shared endeavour and human connection. 

Looking Ahead

The years ahead will test every charity’s capacity for creativity, integrity, and moral clarity. Trustees will need to think boldly, act transparently, and lead with compassion.

For Maundy Relief, our commitment is to remain open, agile, and deeply human in how we lead. Leadership with humanity means having the courage to listen, the humility to learn, and the resolve to act when others cannot.

In 2025, trusteeship is not defined by titles or procedures, but by trust, by the ability to hold space for people in crisis, to build systems that restore dignity, and to ensure that the heart of our governance beats in rhythm with the community we serve.

As Chair, I am profoundly grateful to work alongside trustees, staff, and volunteers who embody these values every day. Together, we lead not only with oversight but with understanding, because at Maundy Relief, leadership with humanity is not simply a concept.

It is our practice. It is who we are.