David Ruffley MP, who is David Cameron's Shadow Minister for Welfare Reform with responsibilities for the voluntary sector, will be presenting certificates to five trustees from Bury St Edmunds Volunteer Centre to mark their becoming Open College Network (OCN) accredited trustees on Friday 2 March at 12.05pm.

Bury St Edmunds Volunteer Centre is the first charity in the Country to have OCN accredited trustees.

The five trustees from the Centre underwent a four day course accredited by the OCN and submitted work on being effective trustees.

Bury St Edmunds Volunteer Centre have been working on raising standards for charities in West Suffolk and have been involved with the Governance Hub to promote and recruit trustees in the area, as part of the 'Get on Board' national campaign.

The presentation ceremony will take place at the St Edmundsbury Borough Council Offices on Angel Hill.

David said:

'This is a fantastic achievement for Bury St Edmunds Volunteer Centre.

'It shows the dedication of the trustees to drive up standards in charities. The role of a trustee is one of great responsibility- they need to comply with twenty six Acts of Parliament and with the right training they can make sure they are performing their duties in the correct way.

'I look forward to meeting with the trustees and presenting them with their certificates on Friday.'