GOV.UK
About us
We register and regulate charities in England and Wales, to ensure that the public can support charities with confidence.
Who we are
We are the regulator of charities in England and Wales and maintain the charity register.
We are an independent, non-ministerial government department accountable to Parliament.
As registrar, we are responsible for maintaining an accurate and up-to-date register of charities. This includes deciding whether organisations are charitable and should be registered. We also remove charities that are not considered to be charitable, no longer exist or do not operate.
We work across 4 sites in Liverpool, London, Newport and Taunton. Our Newport office operates bilingually in Welsh and English. We employ approximately 350 people.
Responsibilities
Within England and Wales, our responsibilities are:
- registering eligible organisations in England and Wales which are established for only charitable purposes
- taking enforcement action when there is malpractice or misconduct
- ensuring charities meet their legal requirements, including providing information on their activities each year
- making appropriate information about each registered charity widely available
- providing online services and guidance to help charities run as effectively as possible
You can read more about the Charity Commission in our latest annual report and accounts.
Priorities
Our strategic priorities up to 2018 are:
- protecting charities from abuse or mismanagement
- enabling trustees to run their charities effectively
- encouraging greater transparency and accountability by charities
- operating as an efficient, expert regulator with sustainable funding
Read more about our priorities in the Charity Commission strategic plan 2015-18.
Corporate information
Access our information
- Equality and diversity
- Our governance
- Media enquiries
- Complaints procedure
- Corporate reports
- Transparency data
Jobs and contracts
Read about the types of information we routinely publish in our Publication scheme. Our Personal information charter explains how we treat your personal information. Find out About our services.