Responding to calls for move diverse trustee representation, the Charity Commission has overhauled the Finding and Appointing New Trustees (CC30) guidance on how to recruit trustees.

The majority of trustees are appointed through personal contacts rather than via open, competitive job advertising and recruitment channels, creating too many personal contacts on charity boards and threatening independence and governance.

The decision to revise the guidance follows research by think tank Pro Bono Economics for the regulator, which found that just 6% of trustees applied for their job via an advert.