Charities

Experience in your sector

Charities are governed by a raft of legislation including the Charities Act 2011, the Trustee Acts 1925 and 2000, and are regulated by the Charity Commission. Additionally, charitable companies (those incorporated as a company limited by guarantee) must also comply with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006.

The Charity Commission now has the power to automatically disqualify someone from serving as a charity trustee. Those who have been disqualified will not be allowed to occupy a senior management position in a charity or be actively involved in managing a corporate charity.

The Commission’s enhanced regulatory powers include the power to issue an official warning to charities. Consequently, it is important that charities comply with applicable legislation and are run in accordance with the principles of good governance.

We also advise charities on their obligations in light of legal and governance developments that have taken place in recent years to ensure they are compliant.

In addition, we can help charities improve their governance arrangements by helping them to comply with the Charity Governance Code.

Our charity company secretarial services include:

• Compliance services – in conjunction with the board of trustees, ensuring compliance with applicable legislation such as data protection, health & safety and employment laws
• Drawing up procedures to ensure good governance and ensuring these are followed
• Filing of confirmation statements (formerly annual returns)
• Safeguarding all company legal documents and maintaining statutory registers listing charity members, directors, directors’ interests and company policies, among others
• AGM support – Convening an AGM, if required by the articles of association, ensuring the required notice period is given and minutes taken
• Meeting management – Arranging meetings and maintaining a record of the minutes
• Submitting required information to Companies House such as registered office details and any changes to the composition of the board
• Keeping statutory registers up-to-date

We can act as your charity’s secretary for a fixed number of hours per month.

For more information on company secretarial services and governance support for the charity sector, talk to us about how we can help.