Publications

Everything we've written, in one place

Plain-English guides for charity trustees and committee members — researched, checked against regulator guidance, and free to read and share. New publications are added regularly.

Compliance guide · July 2026 · 5-minute read

Charity thresholds are changing on 30 September 2026

The biggest shake-up of audit and examination thresholds in a decade: audit from £1.5m, independent examination from £40k, simpler accounts up to £500k. The full before-and-after table.

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Compliance guide · July 2026 · 6-minute read

The new Charities SORP 2026, explained

The charity accounting rulebook has been rewritten: a three-tier framework, leases on the balance sheet, and an explicit going-concern statement. What trustees need to ask about.

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Venue guide · July 2026 · 7-minute read

Martyn's Law and your village or community hall

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 will bring many community venues into scope around 2027. Who's covered, what the standard tier really asks, and what to do in 2026.

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Compliance guide · July 2026 · 5-minute read

Companies House ID verification: what charitable-company trustees must do

Trustees of charitable companies are also directors — and identity verification is now mandatory, with existing directors' deadlines set by their confirmation statement through 2026.

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Governance guide · July 2026 · 9-minute read

Charity law across the UK: England, Wales, Scotland & Northern Ireland

There's no single "UK charity law" — three regulators, three Acts, and real differences on registering and reporting. Who you answer to, the cross-border trap, and what changes in 2026.

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Governance guide · July 2026 · 10-minute read

The six trustee duties, explained like a human

CC3 without the fog: what each duty means on an ordinary Tuesday, with examples of getting it right and wrong — and the reassurance about personal liability nobody gives you.

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Compliance guide · July 2026 · 8-minute read

Your annual return, step by step

What the Charity Commission asks, what changes at £10k and £25k income, the new thresholds arriving 30 September 2026, and the dates that actually matter for your year end.

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Board guide · July 2026 · 9-minute read

Recruiting trustees when nobody replies

79% of boards in NCVO’s survey carry a vacancy. Role descriptions people actually answer, free places to advertise, and the process that turns a maybe into a yes.

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Compliance guide · July 2026 · 6-minute read

How long should we keep minutes and papers?

Charity law says keep things; UK GDPR says don't keep them forever. A ready-to-adopt retention schedule that satisfies both, in one board meeting.

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Template + guide · July 2026 · 5-minute read

Charity board minutes template — with a plain-English guide

A Charity Commission–friendly minutes layout, free to download, plus what minutes must (and needn't) record and five habits that make them painless.

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Also on the site: the Governance FAQ — 19 quick answers to the questions every board asks — and our free templates: minutes, agendas, compliance calendar, action tracker, policy schedule and induction pack.

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