Tag: Charity Commission

Charity Commission announces next Chief Executive

Stuart Mitchell

David Holdsworth has been appointed as the next Chief Executive of the Charity Commission for England and Wales.   David, who has been CEO of the Animal and Plant Health Agency since 2022, will take up the role on 1 July 2024, replacing Helen Stephenson, whose term comes to an end this summer after seven years in the role.   David was previously Deputy Chief Executive of the Intellectual Property Office, and prior to that served at the Charity Commission as Deputy Chief Executive and Registrar. In that role David led a…

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UK charity regulators urge banks to remove ‘avoidable frustrations’ for charities

Stuart Mitchell

The bosses of the UK’s charity regulators have written to the UK’s largest banks to request “urgent action” to stop charities being given poor service or denied accounts. The letter, from Helen Stephenson (Charity Commission for England and Wales), Maureen Mallon (Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator) and Frances McCandless (Charity Commission for Northern Ireland), says that charities are “on the frontline of the current cost-of-living crisis”, and that the challenges they face are being “heightened by avoidable frustrations” created by banks. The three chief executives say there is “little…

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Charity Commission CEO to conclude term of office in 2024

Stuart Mitchell

Charity Commission Chief Executive, Helen Stephenson, has announced her decision to step down at the end of her term in 2024, after seven years at the top of the organisation. Dr Stephenson, who will be the Commission’s longest serving Chief Executive, took up post in July 2017, following an extensive career in senior roles across the public and voluntary sector. Helen has led the organisation – and wider sector – through a series of challenges, from ensuring meaningful change following safeguarding and other scandals in 2015-18, which drove public trust…

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Regulator publishes new guidance on charities’ social media use

Stuart Mitchell

Published recently, new guidance by the Charity Commission makes clear that social media can be a highly effective way for a charity to engage its audiences and communicate about its work but that there are risks involved, which trustees should plan for. The new guidance is clear that charities using social media should have a social media policy in place and should ensure the policy is followed. This is standard practice in many charities and across other sectors and industries, and can help an organisation avoid problems and address issues…

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Guidance on investments refreshed to help improve clarity and boost trustee confidence

Stuart Mitchell

The Charity Commission has published renewed guidance on charities and investments, bringing it up to date for the modern era. Published on 1st August 2023, the guidance (known as CC14) has been redesigned to offer greater clarity and to give trustees confidence to make investment decisions that are right for their charity. The language used in the guidance is clearer and the structure has been updated so that it is shorter and easier to use, and trustees can find the information they need more quickly. As discussion continues within the…

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