The Charity Commission has opened a consultation about new guidance to help charities manage their relationships with connected non-charitable organisations.

The new guidance is closely based on the core trustee duties as explained in the regulator’s existing guidance, and sets out principles for trustees to follow.

The Commission stresses that it is common for charities to have close connections with non-charities, for example trading subsidiaries or charities established by commercial businesses, and that this is not a concern in principle.

However, it says that trustees must manage these relationships properly in order to fulfil their legal duties and maintain public trust and confidence. It is vital that the public can easily distinguish between the charity and the connected non-charitable organisation, particularly where, for example, they share a very similar name.

The regulator says that serious problems can arise when charities’ relationships are not managed appropriately, and that a number of its case reports in recent years involve concerns about trustees’ handling of these matters.

It says it is keen to hear charities’ views on the guidance, especially those of charities that are closely connected to non-charitable organisations. It is also interested in feedback from other interested parties, such as charity legal advisers. It is organising round-tables to facilitate discussions about the guidance.

Sarah Atkinson, Director of Policy, Planning and Communications at the Charity Commission, says:

This guidance is designed to help charities benefit from appropriate connections with non-charitable organisations, while preserving and protecting what is special and unique about charity. We want to help trustees make decisions that promote their charity’s best interests, and that encourage public trust in charity more widely.

We know that charities want this guidance: currently advice is spread across several different Commission publications and this document pulls it all together in one place. We have also designed some practical aids to help trustees put the guidance into practice.

The guidance is in draft form, and we are keen to hear from as wide a range of charities and advisers as possible, to ensure the final guidance is as clear and helpful as possible.

The draft guidance stresses that trustees must, among other things:

• actively manage the relationship in compliance with their legal duties and the law

• preserve the charity’s separation and independence from the non-charitable organisation

• manage the risks arising from the charity’s association and/or work with the non-charitable organisation

• make decisions in accordance with their legal duties

• identify and avoid conflicts of interests and loyalty in respect of the non-charitable organisation when making decisions

• be accountable about the relationship, for example by complying with all relevant accounting and reporting requirements

The consultation about the draft guidance will close at 5pm on the 15 May 2018.

Ends

Notes to editors

1. The Charity Commission is the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales. To find out more about our work, see the about us page on GOV.UK.

On 20 October 2016, the government announced plans to modernise community pharmacies, improve service quality and relieve pressure on other parts of the NHS.

The government continues to recognise and value the importance of the services that community pharmacies provide.

The Department of Health and Social Care has encouraged greater use of community pharmacy by working to integrate pharmaceutical services with the rest of the NHS. The Stay Well This Winter campaign continues to advocate ‘pharmacy first’, and the Healthy Living Pharmacy framework supports community pharmacies to provide a range of services to help people stay healthy in the community.

Funding of £2.69 billion in 2016 to 2017 and £2.59 billion in 2017 to 2018 was announced in 2016. This represents a 4% reduction in funding in 2016 to 2017 and a further 3.4% in 2017 to 2018, which makes an important contribution to the sum of £22 billion of NHS efficiency savings set out in NHS England’s Five Year Forward View.

The reforms also introduced the following benefits:

• Protected access for patients through the introduction of the Pharmacy Access Scheme in areas where there are fewer pharmacies and higher health needs. Pharmacies in the scheme have been protected from the full effect of the funding reductions so that patients can continue to access the services they need.
• A simplified and more modern payment structure, phasing out the existing establishment payment, which is a fixed payment just for being there, and in doing so allowing more efficient allocation of NHS resources.
• Steps to integrate community pharmacy into urgent care pathways, including for those who need urgent repeat prescriptions and treatment for minor ailments. Patients needing urgent repeat prescription medicines are referred from NHS 111 to community pharmacies, rather than to the GP out-of-hours service. Community pharmacy has also again been commissioned to provide seasonal flu vaccinations.

There are over 11,600 community pharmacies dispensing NHS prescriptions in England. This is 1,500 more than there were 10 years ago. 88% of the population are within a 20-minute walk of a community pharmacy.

Pharmacies will continue to be trusted partners in a world-class NHS.

On 12 February 2018, at Guildford Magistrates court, Lee Grant, 38, of Eton Road, Southsea, and James Black, 29, of Heathyfields Road, Farnham were each fined £660 for fishing without a fishing licence, with costs of £127 and a victim surcharge of £66 imposed after a prosecution by the Environment Agency. The total penalty was £853 each.

Magistrates heard that on 23 September 2017, an Environment Agency enforcement officer found Lee and James fishing at Badshot Lea Ponds, Badshot Lea. A valid fishing licence is required to fish all waters in England. Neither were able to produce a valid fishing licence and were reported for that offence. James and Lee were each convicted in their absence.

David Brain, of the Environment Agency said

The majority of anglers fish legally and purchase a fishing licence. We invest the money from fishing licences back into fisheries improvements, fish stocks and fishing, this is essential for the future of the sport.

The minority of anglers that fail to buy a fishing licence are cheating their fellow anglers and the future of the sport. In addition fishing licence cheats risk a criminal conviction, a significant fine and could lose their fishing equipment.

During 2015-16 the Environment Agency checked more than 62,000 fishing licences and prosecuted more than 1,900 anglers for rod and line offences resulting in fines and costs in excess of £500,000.

Anyone witnessing illegal fishing incidents in progress can report it directly to the Environment Agency hotline, 0800 80 70 60. Information on illegal fishing and environmental crime can also be reported anonymously to Crime stoppers on 0800 555 111.

You need a valid Environment Agency Fishing Licence if you are aged 12 or over and fish for salmon, trout, freshwater fish, smelt or eel in England.

Junior fishing licences (aged 12-16) are now free, but you must still get a fishing licence online at www.gov.uk/get-a-fishing-licence.

Notes:

Try fishing. There are lots of events for spring and summer 2018 listed at www.getfishing.org.uk.

All media enquiries: 0800 141 2743. Please ask for the duty press officer.

Follow us on Twitter @EnvAgencySE

Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister of State, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, will visit Cardiff to meet young people from the charity Children in Wales, including some representing Wales at the Commonwealth Summit, as well as people from Commonwealth diaspora groups.

He will also visit the home of elite sport in Wales where he will go behind the scenes to see how Team Wales athletes are training to deliver medal-winning performances at the Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast in April. The Minister will be hosted by Brian Davies OBE, Director of Elite Performance at Sport Wales, on a tour of the National Sports Centre in Sophia Gardens, and meet the athletes, sports science and medical staff looking to propel Team Wales to podium positions.

The UK is set to host the annual Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in April with leaders travelling in from around the globe to take part in a week-long programme of activities focusing on the Summit’s theme ‘Towards a Common Future’.

Lord Ahmad said:

The Commonwealth is a unique family of nations. Its members account for two and a half billion people. The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in April will focus on young people as we strive to meet the aspirations of the one billion people in Commonwealth countries under the age of 25.

From Cardiff to Canberra, from Bangor to Bangalore, if the future relevance of the Commonwealth is to be assured, it is vital that young people are involved in shaping decisions that affect their future, and that includes the young people of Wales.

I am incredibly hopeful for the future of our Commonwealth and the role Wales has to play in it.

Lord Ahmad will also meet the First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones and Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport Dafydd Elis-Thomas to discuss how the Welsh Government will play a key role in plans for the Commonwealth Summit.

A team work together on computers around a desk.