Charity Commission publishes its 2018 to 2019 annual report and accounts

We have today published our annual report and accounts for 2018-19. The report sets out our key activities, successes and challenges over the year, and highlights increases in demand on our core regulatory functions.

This has been the Commission’s busiest year to date – largely accounted for through a 50% increase in reports by charities of serious incidents, concerns raised by whistleblowers and auditors, and a significant increase in the use of our legal powers.

The report also sets out the ways in which our work is changing to ensure charity delivers maximum benefit to society whilst upholding the special status charity has in the eyes of the public. It presents the key aims of our business plan, from which we began working formally from 1 April 2019.

Helen Stephenson, CEO and Accounting Officer for the Charity Commission, said:

Public expectations of charity, and the role of charity in our society, are changing, and it is vital that charities change with it. As the regulator, we exist to serve the public interest, and are committed to ensuring everything we do helps charity thrive and inspire trust so that people can improve lives and strengthen society. This year we have started to deliver on our ambitious new strategy under challenging circumstances, which include the growing demand on our core functions, making this the busiest year for us. My priorities in the coming months will be to ensure we are customer-focused in all that we do and that we are giving trustees the tools they need to succeed in an ever-changing world. It is also to ensure we are properly resourced, so that our expert staff can make the significant progress outlined in our new strategy at the pace we believe is required.