Sarah Patrice, Anthony Collins Solicitors

My role

I lead on our work with community based organisations including charities, housing co-operatives, tenant and leasehold management organisations and community land trusts. My expertise is in providing specialist governance, regulatory, contractual, charity, board and company secretarial support, to not for profit organisations and social enterprises across the range of structures, nationally, including housing associations, charities and community interest companies.

My experience

Having extensive experience of advising, negotiating and drafting governance and contractual documentation including management agreements, advising on constitutional matters including reviews and compliance, group structures and joint ventures. I regularly attend and support Board meetings, provide and facilitate training sessions and away-days, and deal with governance disputes, including investigations and Board conduct issues. I also often ‘project manage’ matters where a number of issues are on-going at any one time.

I was involved in reviewing the Code of Governance for community-led housing organisations 2021.

My specialisms

Governance advice and documentation
Negotiating, advising on and drafting contractual arrangements
Sector expertise of broad range of community based organisations including registered providers, social enterprises and charities
Board meeting support, including conduct issues and disputes

I have been recognised for the work I do

See the rest of our awards

Blog

My latest articles

Charities monthly round-up January 2022 Monday 7 February 2022

This year looks set to be a challenging time for the charity sector as we navigate another year with Covid-19, increasing demands from beneficiaries and an expected reduction in public donations

Charities monthly round-up 33 Tuesday 22 June 2021

The monthly round-up from the Anthony Collins Solicitors charities team.

Charities fortnightly round-up 27 (last one of 2020!) Monday 21 December 2020

Our previous round-up began by sharing the news that two vaccines had shown very promising test results. Here we are, not even a month later, and the first vaccines have already been administered!

Good news: General Meeting saving provisions are now in place until 30 December 2020 Thursday 1 October 2020

AGM plans gone awry with re-introduced lockdown measures? Good news: saving provisions are now in place until 30 December 2020

Charities weekly round-up 12 Monday 22 June 2020

Whilst many of us are welcoming the recent changes to lockdown, many charities are finding the easing of lockdown more difficult to manage than going into it!

Rules not allow you to hold your AGM? Government proposes plans to help Thursday 21 May 2020

For anyone who is currently restrained from holding their General Meeting or have held such in breach of their governing documents, help is on the way!

The Community Housing Fund - what you need to know Thursday 19 July 2018

It was the Government announcement the Community-Led Housing sector had been waiting for; the £163million fund to build new community-led housing is now live.

Charity Commission’s Official Warning Powers - you’ve been warned! Friday 24 February 2017

The focus of this response was their power to issue official warnings under the Charities Act to a charity trustee or a charity, where it considers there has been a breach of trust or duty or other misconduct or mismanagement of the charity.

New Government Guidance on disposal of Local Authority Assets: are we “on-message”? Wednesday 6 April 2016

The Guidance gives direction on property disposals for local authorities, alongside details of other government policies to support them to dispose of sites that could be made surplus.

Doing the decent thing… Wednesday 4 February 2015

Take Mr M, for example – Mr M was a tenant board member of his local housing association. Mr M, being a community minded man, got involved in supporting the vulnerable elderly couple down the road.