Charities and Social Enterprise
Charities are changing more quickly than ever before as they respond to new challenges and new opportunities.
The regulation of the Third Sector is changing too. The Charities Act 2006 introduced many new provisions, some of which have still to be implemented, including:
- The first modern definition of "charity"
- The Charities Tribunal
- The regulation of many previously exempt charities
- The Charitable Incorporated Organisation
- The payment of trustees for services to a charity
- The register of mergers
- The regulation of public charitable collections
- New powers to deal with capital
There is no sign that the pace of change is slowing. Successive Finance Acts have changed the rules relating to charitable reliefs, the Equality Act 2010 will affect charities and the Companies Act 2006 has affected all charities established as limited companies. Regulators have been set up for charities in Scotland and Northern Ireland. New guidance is issued regularly by the Charity Commission.
The Government White Paper Open Services makes clear the Government's intention to open up the delivery of public services to the Third Sector. The opportunities will not be restricted to charities and there will be scope for the innovative use of all types of social enterprise.
It is more important than ever to get the best advice, to ensure compliance with the law and regulatory requirements and to make the most of new opportunities. We have a team of experienced lawyers who combine specialist expertise in charity law with a real empathy with the sector.
Our team works closely with specialists in other areas of law to provide a comprehensive service for the charities and the wider Third Sector.
LA produce a newsletter - Charity News, please see below for the latest edition. If you would like to view previous editions please click here or see Join our newsletter to receive the updates via post.
