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New charity registration for Cardiff University
Posted on Thursday, July 22, 2010
Cardiff University has today become the first of a new wave of Welsh educational institutions to be registered by the Charity Commission following the implementation of the Charities Act 2006.
Universities have always been charities but previously did not have to register with the Commission as they were accountable to their funder, HEFCW (Higher Education Funding Council for Wales). However, the Charities Act 2006 changed the way in which these charities are regulated in order to improve accountability across the whole sector.
Harry Iles, Head of the Charity Commission’s Wales office, explains:
“We have been working closely with HEFCW and representatives of all the universities to ensure that the registration process runs smoothly. It has been a great benefit to discuss our role as the regulator and outline the new reporting requirements. Following registration, the public will be able to access information about the universities’ governance and accounts on our website in the same way as for all other registered charities and this is invaluable for promoting a better understanding of the work they do.
“The income of the charity sector in Wales is also hugely affected by the registration of the universities. At present, the income for the 9,000 plus registered charities in Wales is approximately £1bn. Once all the Welsh universities are registered with the Commission, this figure will rise to £2.2bn – more than double the current income.”
Dr Christopher Turner, Director of Registry, Governance and Students at Cardiff University adds:
“Cardiff University is pleased to have represented the HE sector in Wales in working so productively with the Charity Commission on the registration process. Whilst initially we were daunted about the prospect of being registered with the Charity Commission, we have worked closely with both its Wales Office and the Registration Division to ensure we fully understand our responsibilities as trustees and what it means to be a registered charity. We share the Commission’s view that it’s vital for the charity sector to be transparent and accountable to the public who support and benefit from it.”
As well as the universities in Wales, all the student unions with an income over £100,000 are now required to register with the Commission and, shortly, work will begin to register the Further Education Institutions.
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