Phil Watts
Senior AssociateI advise charity and education clients on a wide range of governance and commercial matters.
I advise charity and education clients on a wide range of governance and commercial matters.
I advise charity and education clients on a wide range of governance and commercial matters.
I have over 25 years’ experience advising charity clients of all shapes and sizes on matters such as establishment, governance, funding, reorganisation, group structures, mergers, acquisitions, trading and dealing with the Charity Commission. In the last fifteen years, I have also specialised in governance arrangements for trust schools and academies and have been involved in establishing and providing ongoing advice to well over 250 academies and multi-academy trusts.
The Academies Financial Handbook is updated annually by the Department for Education and the Education and Skills Funding Agency; it contains a number of governance requirements for academy trusts.
Happy New Year - our first newsletter of 2021! Throughout this year we will continue to bring you news and developments relating to the charities sector.
A recent increase in COVID-19 cases in the UK means new measures are being put in place in an effort to reduce the risk of a second wave. Whilst the impact of COVID-19 continues to be felt, it is important to remain focused on the sector’s road to recovery.
Last week saw a significant easing of social distancing measures in England from 4 July”.
The last few weeks have proved what charities can achieve when put to the test – but we also need to remember that, now more than ever, charities need our support.
It will come as no surprise that this round-up focuses on the coronavirus pandemic and how it is affecting charities.
A recent High Court case suggests that the Charity Commission is now more inclined to utilise its regulatory powers than ever before.
In 2014, the Charity Commission released its first guidance for charities on reporting serious incidents. The Commission has recently updated this guidance.
On 1 April 2019, new rules will come into force concerning how academy trusts must deal with reporting related party transactions.
The Finance Bill 2019, as announced in the Autumn Budget 2018, includes a small but welcome adjustment to the small-scale trading exemption which applies to charities.
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