Incorporating under the Charitable Trusts Act 1957

A board is a body corporate of the same nature as a company or an incorporated society.  These are created by an Act of Parliament (the Charitable Trusts Act 1957, the Companies Act 1993 and the Incorporated Societies Act 1908) to give a group of people a single identity for legal purposes.

A body corporate can hold property, sue and be sued and with the exception of companies, will have a common seal that is affixed to serious contracts as evidence of its agreement to honour its commitments.

A body corporate will continue to exist until brought to an end as the relevant Act provides.  So it makes sense for trustees of a charitable trust that can continue indefinitely to apply to incorporate as a board.  In that way, a body corporate that never dies can administer a trust that might never end.