Latest Charities

The Charity Commission has launched a consultation regarding changes to the annual return.   There are a number of new questions, taking the total questions from 36 to 52, although only 32 will be compulsory. The aim of the new questions is to make the annual return more comprehensive, by gaining information around charity’s income…

At Whitings LLP we have many trustee contacts that play such a vital role in the charities we act for.   Trustees play an essential role in the governance of charities. They have the skills, knowledge and experience required to contribute to the trustee board of the charity. They also have a strong personal commitment…

Recruitment, selection and induction of trustees is very important in the activities of a charity. It is important that the trustee board of a charity is varied and provides the charity with a mix of skills and experience it needs.   The responsibility for recruitment of new trustees rests with the existing trustee board, who…

Many people decide to become a trustee to be able to give back to their communities. It is an exciting opportunity to benefit society and make a difference.   Trustees give their time, skills and experience to a good cause. They can also learn new and useful skills in their role too.   Charities in…

  Charity law (the Charities Act 2011) describes charity trustees as ‘the persons having the general control and management of the administration of a charity’.   All properly appointed members of a charity are trustees in law, regardless of the title they have received. All trustees share equal responsibility for the charity and must always…

This week is Trustees’ Week, an annual event to showcase the work that is carried out by trustees and to spread the word in order to get more people involved.   2021 is the 11th year of Trustees’ Week, with over one million trustees in the UK to celebrate and show appreciation for. Another purpose…

The charity annual return service is now available for 2021 and can be found on the link below. https://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/   Charities need to submit their annual return within 10 months of the financial year end.   Dependant on the level of income, the annual return has different requirements; Income under £10,000 It is only the…

During this unforeseen prolonged period of economic downturn charities may need to re-assess their short to long term aims. Certain planned activities may need to be delayed or even cancelled while more crucial expenditure takes priority. Charities may find it necessary to make use of their reserves to cope, or even just survive, this on-going…

Due to Coronavirus, the Charity Commission had previously released guidance allowing Charities to postpone their scheduled AGMs to 30th September 2020, and allowing them to be held digitally.   This guidance has now been updated to allow postponement of AGMs to 30th December 2020.   The updated guidance can be viewed at – https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-the-charity-sector  

In recent months many charities have found themselves in financial difficulties and an uncertainty of long-term survival, often caused by factors out of their control. Most notably the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak, which has had several knock-on effects such as a reduction in donation income or decreased operating capacity during the tightened lockdown rules. Other external…