Charity Commission: current partners
Published 10 May 2013
Applies to England and Wales
© Crown copyright 2013
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1. Partner umbrella bodies
The full range of advice and services offered by umbrella bodies may only be available to their members. Membership may be restricted to particular types of charity or other organisation - you will need to check the terms of membership on the umbrella body’s website.
The following organisations provide services and activities in partnership with the Charity Commission:
ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England): Represents and promotes the interests of rural communities
Ambition: The UK’s leading youth club charity
Association of Charity Independent Examiners: An association of people who carry out independent examinations of charity accounts, providing support and information to members, charities and other interested parties
Charity Finance Group (CFG): The charity that works with finance managers to ensure best practice in charity finance
Community Accounting National Network: Providers of help and support, through local community accountancy services, for managing charity finances
Community Matters (The National Federation of Community Organisations): Represents and supports local community organisations
Community Transport Association UK: Represents local organisations providing voluntary and community transport
Disability Rights UK: Disability Rights UK aims to be the largest national pan-disability organisation led by disabled people
Home-Start UK: Represents and supports local charities helping families and children
Independent Theatre Council: The management association and industry lead body for performing arts organisations and individuals working in the field
Locality: A national network of over 700 community-led organisations
Making Music: The UK’s number one organisation for voluntary music, providing information and advice, financial and artistic support
Mind (The National Association For Mental Health): A national charity which provides support for the independently-run local Mind associations, as well as publishing information on mental health
National Association for Voluntary and Community Action: The national voice of local support and development organisations in England
National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO): Represents and promotes the interests of the wider voluntary and community sector
Phab: Supporting a network of around 200 Clubs across England and Wales. Organises residential projects enabling children, young people and adults with disabilities to enjoy the same opportunities and activities as, and alongside, those with no disability
PTA-UK: A national charity representing over 13,750 PTAs across England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Relate: A national federated charity supporting 70 Centres across the country all of them registered charities providing a network of counsellors working at 600 locations
Small Charities Coalition: A networking, mentoring and support organisation for small charities, who work with trustees, staff and volunteers to help them find solutions to the challenges they face
The British and International Federation of Festivals for Music, Dance and Speech: The member body for amateur competitive festivals of performing arts
The Honorary Treasurers Forum: Created to help the Treasurers of Charities in the important work they carry out
The Hospital Broadcasting Association: The national charity that supports and promotes Hospital Broadcasting in the UK
The National Association of Women’s Clubs: The National Association of Women’s Clubs (NAWC) have over 130 clubs with almost 5,000 members across England
The National Federation of Women’s Institutes: The WI plays a unique role in providing women with educational opportunities and the chance to build new skills, to take part in a wide variety of activities and to campaign on issues that matter to them and their communities
The Pre-school Learning Alliance: The largest early years membership organisation and voluntary sector provider of quality affordable childcare and education in England
UK Association of Building Preservation Trusts: A building a network that now consists of 250 building preservation trusts (BPTs). Building Preservation Trusts are third sector organisations, driven by communities for the benefit of communities
UK Community Foundations: The national membership association for community foundations
Voice4Change England Limited: A national advocate for the Black and Minority Ethnic voluntary and community sector (BMS VCS). Our Mission is to strengthen the BME VCS to meet the needs of disadvantaged communities
Voluntary Organisations Disability Group: A grouping of over 60 leading voluntary sector and not-for-profit disability organisations that works on behalf of its members to influence and develop social care policy
Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA): The voice of the voluntary sector in Wales. It represents and campaigns for voluntary organisations, volunteers and communities, as well as providing information, support, products and services
YMCA England (National Council Of Young Men’s Christian Associations (Incorporated)): YMCA England supports and represents YMCAs in England
2. Partner capacity-building and support bodies
The following organisations provide services and activities in partnership with the commission:
AbilityNet: A UK pan-disability charity which is committed to creating a world where ICT enables disabled people achieve their full potential at home, in work or in education
Charities Evaluation Services: Provides support to the voluntary and community sector on evaluation and quality systems
Charities Internal Audit Network: The aim of CIAN is to assist its members in the effective discharge of their responsibilities and to promote the profession of internal audit in the voluntary sector, thereby helping charities to achieve their objectives more efficiently
Charity Finance Group (CFG): The charity that works with finance managers to ensure best practice in charity finance
Ethical Property Foundation: The Ethical Property Foundation was founded in 2004 to offer charities independent property advice and training. Our aim is that ‘no charity suffers reduced effectiveness due to a lack of appropriate property
ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales): A professional membership organisation, supporting chartered accountants around the world
ICSA (Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators): The international membership and qualifying body for board and company secretaries, in-house lawyers and other professionals working in governance and compliance roles
LawWorks: A charity which aims to provide free legal help to individuals and community groups who cannot afford to pay for it and who are unable to access legal aid
Locality: A national network of over 700 community-led organisations
National Association for Voluntary and Community Action: The national voice of local support and development organisations in England
National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO): Represents and promotes the interests of the wider voluntary and community sector
Reach: Reach work with over 10,000 organisations across the UK. There are over 6,000 skilled volunteers working on any given day. Each year Reach volunteers contribute £31 million of expertise to the organisations they assist
Small Charities Coalition: A networking, mentoring and support organisation for small charities, who work with trustees, staff and volunteers to help them find solutions to the challenges they face
The Centre for Charity Effectiveness: Since its formation, the Cass Centre for Charity Effectiveness (Cass CCE) has significantly increased the effectiveness of hundreds of organisations and thousands of individuals across the sector
The Cranfield Trust: The leading provider of free management consultancy to voluntary sector organisations in the social welfare field, specifically those addressing issues of poverty, disability and social exclusion
TrusteElearning: This e-learning website has been produced by SAVO (Suffolk Association of Voluntary Organisations) to provide Trustees with easy access to a self paced training system
Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA): The voice of the voluntary sector in Wales. It represents and campaigns for voluntary organisations, volunteers and communities, as well as providing information, support, products and services
3. Government and other regulators
The following government departments and other regulators provide services and activities in partnership with the commission and are sources of useful support:
Companies House: Information about companies
Disclosure and Barring Service: The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) helps employers make safer recruitment decisions and prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups including children. It merges the functions previously carried out by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA)
Financial Services Authority (FSA): The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is the independent watchdog set up by government to regulate financial services and protect your rights
The fundraising standards board (FRSB): The FRSB is the independent self-regulatory body for UK fundraising. We work with our member charities, suppliers and the wider charity sector to encourage commitment to and compliance with best practice in fundraising
HM Revenue and Customs: Includes guidance on taxation for charities, and donors, and deals with questions about charities & VAT, with links to useful related publications
Her Majesty’s Stationery Office (HMSO): Help with access to and re-use of government information, including Crown Copyright material and parliamentary legislation
Homes and Communities Agency: Regulates and funds housing associations in England
info4local: info4local is a government portal that gives local authorities a quick and easy way to find and link to relevant information on the web sites of central government departments, agencies and public bodies
HM Land Registry: Practice advice from HM Land Registry on land transactions
The National Archives: The National Archives is the government’s national archive for England, Wales and the United Kingdom, holding over 1,000 years of the nation’s records
National Association for Wales – Housing: Regulates housing associations in Wales
Office for Civil Society: Cabinet Office department responsible for promoting the development of the voluntary and community sector and encouraging people to become actively involved in their communities, particularly in deprived areas
Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR): The regulator of charities in Scotland
Regulator of Community Interest Companies (CICs): Provides information, advice and regulation for this type of company which is designed specifically for those wishing to operate for the benefit of the community rather than for the benefit of the owners of the company
4. Other support services
The following organisations also provide services to charities and are sources of useful support:
Campaign for Voluntary Sector Archives: We encourage all charities, voluntary organisations, trusts and foundations to take responsibility for their archives by providing for their management, preservation, use and promotion
Skinners’ Charity Administration and Management Services: Providers of strategic and operational support to the trustees of grant-making organisations
The Charity Service: A UK wide charity that enhances charitable giving. They have a wide range of services that support registered charities, governance checked voluntary and community groups, individual donors and businesses
The Charity Staff Foundation: A provider of specialist, dedicated support to people who work or volunteer in the charity sector. They offer a range of services for charity staff and volunteers which help develop voluntary sector related skills as well as aid people facing any kind of adversity or hardship
Get Safe Online: Produces guidance for people donating to charity and for trustees to help protect them and charities against online fraud