The government conducted a review of (SME) R&D and RDEC relief following the 2021 Spring budget. The consultation explored the nature of private-sector R&D investment in the UK, how that is supported or otherwise impacted by the R&D relief schemes, how well they operated and how the targeting of reliefs worked to be most beneficial for the UK economy. At the 2021 ...

CCEW has published summary guidance on safeguarding for charities and trustees, setting out their responsibilities to keep everyone who comes into contact with the charity safe from harm. It includes links to more detailed guidance in areas such as identifying and managing risks, having robust safeguarding policies and handling incidents or allegations of abuse. The more detai ...

We all learn from our mistakes, but perhaps it’s better if we can learn from the mistakes of others without having to experience them ourselves first hand. Two major frauds involving charities have been in the news recently. The first involved the British Society of Echocardiography, where the charity’s finance officer stole over £200,000 of the charity’s funds to support his ...

In February CCEW published its long-awaited report into Kids Company, one of the highest profile charity collapses of recent years that attracted considerable publicity, in part due to the considerable amount of funding it had received from central and local government sources. Publication of the report was delayed due to ongoing legal action seeking to disqualify the former tr ...

No one could fail to be moved by events in Ukraine, and many trustees will be considering if the war impacts on their charity in any way and whether there is anything they can or should be doing in response. Both CCEW and OSCR have now published guidance for charity trustees on the key areas that they should be considering in response to the war, including: How best to supp ...

There have been several false dawns during the COVID-19 pandemic, but with the removal of restrictions across the UK it is hoped that finally an end to the disruption to the charity sector caused by the pandemic is now in sight. Research published by CCEW indicates the extent the pandemic has had on the sector. Whilst nearly all charities have been impacted in some way by the ...

Ward Williams staff completed the Windsor Colour run on Saturday 7th May 2022. In memory of our friend and colleague Liana Gale where they raised funds for Woking Sam Beare Hospice Sadly Liana lost her battle to cancer on the 23rd December 2021. She was a fighter through and through and one of her favourite pastimes and hobbies was running.  Running for fun, running to keep fi ...

There are no changes to the Charity SORP to report in this edition of Charity News, but there has been an announcement of the areas that have been agreed will be considered as part of the next update of the SORP. Drafting of the next version of the SORP won’t start until 2023, but this does give an indication of what charities can expect to see. One of the key issues to be con ...

ATED was originally introduced back in 2013 as part of a range of measures to make indirect ownership of high-value residential property in the UK through corporate vehicles – officially termed ‘non-natural persons’ – less attractive to investors looking to avoid or minimise taxes when disposing of their property and driving up the residential property market. The legislation a ...

The CCEW has updated its guidance on charity accounting that unless a charity’s governing documents specify otherwise, handwritten ‘wet’ signatures are not required when the trustees sign the annual report and accounts. Instead electronic signatures can be used, for example a typed signature or an electronic version of a handwritten signature. This updated guidance also applies ...