Lincolnshire chartered accountancy firm Nicholsons, in partnership with Outstand, is offering charities in the area the chance to pick up some advice on best practice concerning the role of trustees at a free seminar taking place this month.

Having been selected to run a workshop on the subject for a national charity this March, the joint team from Nicholsons and Outstand will be offering the same information to local good causes at the event on Wednesday, 19 January.

Among the topics up for discussion will be the roles and responsibilities of trustees, the differences between paid staff and trustees, delegation, risk management and how trustees can analyse a charity's performance.

The aim is to give trustees a greater ability to distinguish between governance and operational matters and allow them to play a greater role in overseeing a charity's activities, spotting potential problems and opportunities at an early stage.

Nicholsons charities partner Emma Murray said: "Being chosen to run this workshop for a national charity is a great honour for us, and I'm delighted that we've been able to use that to offer the same advice to local organisations.

"Trustees play a very important role for charities and while the individuals concerned will be giving up their time free of charge, there are still certain rules they have to follow to protect themselves and the charities they oversee.

"We hope the information we provide will be useful and we would also welcome any feedback from those who attend to help us 'fine tune' our presentation for March."

The seminar will take place at Nicholsons' offices in Weaver Road, Lincoln. Although the event is free of charge, places are limited and should be booked by contacting Jeannine Peta Thornley at Nicholsons on 0845 2766555.