In last week’s Queen’s Speech, the Government made a commitment to enact legislation to support the voluntary sector by reducing unnecessary bureaucracy and releasing additional funds for good causes, through the Charities Bill and the Dormant Assets Bill.  The Charity Commission has outlined five of the key proposed changes in the Charities Bill for charities and their trustees:

• charities and trustees will be able to amend their governing documents or Royal Charters more easily
• charities will have access to a much wider pool of professional advisors on land disposal and to more straightforward rules on what advice they must receive when selling land
• charities will have more flexibility to make use of a ‘permanent endowment’
• trustees will be able to be paid for goods provided to a charity in certain circumstances, even if not expressly stated in the charity’s governing document and
• charities will be able to take advantage of simpler and more proportionate rules on failed appeals.