Did you know that the Charity Commission can currently direct a charity to change its name if it is too similar to another charity’s name or is offensive or misleading?

The final set of changes brought in by The Charities Act 2022, are due to come into effect by the end of 2023.  Read Charities Act 2022: implementation plan for a full overview.

The Act will further enable the Commission to:

• direct a charity to stop using a working name if it is too similar to another charity’s name or is offensive or misleading
• delay registration of a charity with an unsuitable name or delay entry of a new unsuitable name onto the Register of Charities

Other changes due to be introduced in June 2023 address:

• Selling, leasing or otherwise disposing of charity land
• Using permanent endowment
• Other provisions – the definition of a connected person will be updated to remove outdated language.

Changes that came into force on 31 October 2022

• Paying trustees for providing services or goods to the charity – Charities now have a statutory power to pay trustees for providing goods alone to the charity in certain circumstances.  Read:

1. 1. Payment to charity trustees: what the rules are
   2. Trustee expenses and payments (CC11)

• Fundraising appeals that do not raise enough or raise too much – Charity fundraising appeals for specific purposes
• Power to amend Royal Charters – Royal Charter charities

Charities Act 2022: information about the changes being introduced – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)