My role

I am a senior associate and department manager of the governance and commercial department. I advise charity and education clients on a wide range of governance and commercial matters.

My experience

I have over 20 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 decade 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 100 academies and multi-academy trusts.

My specialisms

  • Charity law and governance
  • Academies – establishment and governance

My latest articles

Contracting with schools

Check the status and structure of the school — maintained schools are owned and run by the local authority; ‘academies’ and ‘free schools’ are publicly funded, independent schools, which are owned and run by an academy trust.

Back to Basics - Charity’s Annual Returns
Back to Basics - Charity’s Annual Returns

If you are a charity registered with the Charity Commission then each year, depending on your income and/or the type of charity you are, you will be required to file your Annual Return.

Academies Financial Handbook 2016

Given that Academy Funding Agreements oblige Academies and Multi Academy Trusts (MATs) to abide by the terms of the Handbook, new editions provide a key mechanism by which the Department for Education (DfE) can subtly impose additional requirements and restrictions.

Almshouses and Charitable Incorporated Organisations
Almshouses and Charitable Incorporated Organisations

However, it fairly quickly became apparent that for the almshouse charities which are also Registered Providers (and, therefore, regulated by the Homes and Communities Agency) there were a number of potential barriers to the move to CIO status.

Religion

Khaira and others v Shergill and others This case concerned a disagreement involving two factions of two Sikh gurdwaras as regards which of the factions was properly to be considered to be the trustees of (and have the right to govern and manage) the gurdwaras.

How Permanent is your Permanent Endowment?

Permanent endowment funds are capital funds which are held in trust for the benefit of the charity over the long term and are subject to restrictions as regards how they may be used.

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