Correspondence

Charity Commission News: May 2026

Updated 5 June 2026

Applies to England and Wales

Clearer guidance on conflicts of interest

We’ve published a redesigned version of our conflicts of interest guidance – a core piece of governance guidance that every trustee should read. Our casework shows that trustees often fail to recognise a conflict of interest, meaning they don’t manage them properly.

The updated guidance makes it easier to spot and deal with conflicts. It clearly explains why conflicts matter, uses practical examples from real cases, and sets out a simple step by step approach to identifying, declaring, managing and recording conflicts.

Read our guidance on conflicts of interest

Spot the scam, be fraud aware

The Charity Commission is urging trustees and their charities to stay safe from fraud. Criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated, using emails, texts, phone calls and online platforms to deceive people into sharing personal information or making payments. 

Protect your charity by reading our guidance, reviewing your privacy settings, thinking about what identifiable information you share online such as email addresses and using strong, unique passwords for every account. Keeping software updated, and being wary of suspicious links, attachments or phone calls is also strongly advised.  

As a trustee or member of staff, you may also be personally at risk from such attempts. To help you stay safe, please take a few minutes to watch this video from the Met Police.

Annual return data: £5bn more spent on impact, but finances remain tight

Charities across England and Wales continue to have huge impact. Our analysis of annual returns for 2024 found £100bn went towards delivering charitable aims, helped by 1.6 million employees and 6 million volunteers. But some charities continue to face financial pressures. Our CEO, David Holdsworth advises these trustees to act early and engage with our range of guidance designed to support charities facing financial challenges.

Preparing for the Charity SORP 2026

The Charity Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) is effective from 1 January 2026. It has been updated to align with changes to UK accounting standards and to improve transparency and consistency in charity reporting. Charities that prepare accounts in accordance with the Charities SORP should review the updated requirements and assess how they apply to their organisation. The new requirements may require charities to amend existing accounting processes and reporting arrangements. The main areas affected by changes to UK accounting standards relate to income recognition and lease accounting.

Charities should seek advice from their auditors, independent examiners or professional advisers where additional support is needed.

Visit the SoRP website

Recent news

• Dame Julia Unwin’s first speech as Chair of the Charity Commission to Civil Society Media’s Trustee Exchange in London.

• The Annual Return for those charities with financial year ending 2026, will be available from 31 July 2026.

• Does your charity employ staff? From April 2026, new employment laws came into force. Access free guidance and support.

• Martyn’s Law’ Regulation is coming in 2027. The Security Industry Authority is hosting webinars on its draft guidance for premises, events and people affected by the new law.  Learn more by signing up to a webinar.