Welcome to BEST Training Online.  Shirley David (pictured above) has been designing and delivering training to the voluntary sector since 1998.  She has considerable experience of setting up, managing and supporting charities, as well as volunteering and acting as a grant assessor.  


BEST Training Online is designed to enable you to learn in an interactive way.  This includes practical exercises and quizzes so you can check your understanding as you go through the sessions.  At certain points in your training you may have opportunities to interact with the course tutor via an online tutorial or by submitting questions.  

You can do the course at your own pace.  When you finish the course you will receive a certificate of completion.  Have fun!

    Available courses

    Understanding charity accounts

    This course is designed to help you read charity accounts and understand them.  

    It is suitable for anyone working, or volunteering, in a charity.  It will be especially useful for Trustees, who are held legally responsible for the accuracy of the accounts for their charity.  The course will also be of interest to anyone involved in assessing accounts e.g. grant assessors.

    You will learn about accounting terminology, the requirements of the Charity Commission (for England and Wales) and what grant providers look for when assessing accounts for funding bids.

    The course includes practical information, handouts, useful links and quizzes to check your understanding.

    This course is now available  (1st August 2020 onwards) £75.00 per person.  

    Group rates £60 per person for 5 - 10 people or £56 per person for 11 or more (must be named individuals all enrolled at the same time)

    To enrol please contact sdavid@bestuk.org.uk to receive your enrolment ID and password.

    Voluntary Sector Finance Policies

    This course is currently being developed.  Please register your interest by emailing sdavid@bestuk.org.uk 

    This course focuses on the main financial policies that charities and voluntary sector organisations need to have in place to protect funds, ensure the ongoing delivery of services, secure funding from grant providers and empower staff to work effectively

    The course will cover:

    1. What makes a policy different from a procedure?
    2. The role of trustees in relation to policy writing and reviewing
    3. The key policies needed by voluntary sector organisations (with particular emphasis on what the Charity Commission and grant providers expect)
    4. Good practice when writing an effective and robust policy
    5. Using example key policies to help you build your own policies