Press release

Members sought for the Charities SORP Committee

Applications are now open to join the new Charities SORP Committee.

From:
The Charity Commission
Published
16 October 2014

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The Charity Commission and the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, as the joint SORP-making body, are calling for applications for membership of the new Charities SORP Committee.

The SORP Committee is a charity sector-based expert committee that advises the joint SORP-making body in its development of the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (Charities SORP). The committee will review drafts of the SORP and provide advice, technical input, and assistance to the development of the SORP.

The two regulators are calling for applications from individuals working in accountancy practice, the charity sector, funders, commentators on the sector, sector umbrella bodies, and academia. The regulators are also hoping for applications from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, where the SORP is currently best practice for voluntary organisations.

The joint SORP-making body says that high standards of transparency are increasingly essential to maintaining public confidence and the SORPs have an important role in helping charities to tell their story fully and accurately to their public. Members of the SORP Committee will play an essential role in peer reviewing the SORPs and identifying issues for review, discussion and inclusion in the SORPs.

It is anticipated that members will serve until 2018 and expenses are payable to those members from charities, academia and small umbrella bodies. The closing date for expressions of interest is 3 November 2014.

For further information view the SORP Committee page on www.charitysorp.org.

Nigel Davies, Head of Accountancy at the Charity Commission and Joint Chair of the SORP Committee said:

UK accounting is subject to continuing change and the new committee will join us in considering the impact of the Financial Reporting Council’s plans to make further changes to Generally Accepted Accounting Practice. The work of the committee looks at reporting in the round. As well as the technical challenges, the committee will help us reflect on emerging good sector practice in governance, the reporting of senior staff pay and performance reporting. We will also have an eye on developments internationally in sustainability reporting.

Laura Anderson, Head of Enforcement at OSCR and Joint Chair of the SORP Committee said:

Members will be joining us at an exciting time following the launch of the two new SORPs. We look forward to welcoming people from all backgrounds, both technical and non-technical perspectives are welcome. Together we will ensure that the reporting and accounting for charities remains top class.

Ends

PR 87/14

Notes to editors

  1. The Charity Commission is the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales.
  2. Our mission is to be the independent registrar and regulator of charities in England and Wales, acting in the public’s interest, to ensure that: * charities know what they have to do * the public know what charities do * charities are held to account
  3. The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) is the independent regulator and registrar of Scotland’s 23,500 charities and publishes the Scottish Charity Register at www.oscr.org.uk. Our vision is for charities in which the public has confidence and which provide public benefit.
  4. The commission and OSCR together form the joint SORP-making body for charities and is authorised by the Financial Reporting Council for the purpose of developing and issuing the Charities SORP.
  5. The SORP Committee is a sector-based expert committee that advises the joint SORP-making body in its development of the SORP. The committee includes charity finance directors, charity auditors as well as members reflecting broader charity sector and academic interests.
Published 16 October 2014