sectors

HCB Group is widely respected across the UK for its expertise in a range of niche sectors including care homes, dentists and education.

  • Nationally respected legal specialists
  • Long term experience and expert sector knowledge
  • Cultivating enduring client relationships

Need to Change your Charitable Purposes

If you are the trustee of a smaller unincorporated charity, with a gross income in your last financial year of no more than £10,000, the Charity Act 2006 makes it easier for you to update your charitable purposes. Provided that the new purposes are similar to the original purposes, you do not need to ask the Charity Commission to make a ‘Scheme’ to change them. 

The rules: Where the trustees of a charity consider that their existing charitable purposes are no longer relevant in modern society, they may bring them up to date more simply. The updated purposes must serve the charity’s interests well and must besimilar to the old ones. So, for example, a charity set up to relieve sickness could update its purposes to take part in a health promotion scheme to promote healthy living.

Voting: The trustees must satisfy themselves that the change is in the charity’s interests and that (so far as is reasonably practicable) the new purposes consist of or include purposes similar to those being replaced. The trustees must pass a resolution by at least two-thirds of those who vote, and send a copy to the Charity Commission with the reasons for passing the resolution.

Timescale: The resolution automatically takes effect 60 days after receipt by the Charity Commission, unless they object. However, this period can be extended if the Commission requires the resolution to be publicly announced, or requests more information. In practice, the Commission is only likely to object where the new purposes very clearly do not serve the charity’s interests well, or are dissimilar to the old ones.

Close

How can we help?

Please fill in this form and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.

Please enter your name
Please enter your phone number
Please enter your email address
Please let us know how you heard about us
Please enter your enquiry
One more thing... Please enter the verification code

We’ll only use this information to handle your enquiry and we won’t share it with any third parties. For more details see our Privacy Policy.