Charities have faced scrutiny by both the media and public over the years and a call for some form of regulation has been requested. The review of fundraising in Scotland and the fundraising summit hosted by SCVO in November started a process of reflection and conversation around possible options for Scotland.
Following a lengthy consultation period, the Scottish Fundraising Working Group (the Working Group) recommended to Scottish Government that Scotland adopt a model of improved self-regulation with Scottish Charities and the OSCR taking on more responsibility.
The fifteen recommendations from the Working Group include the establishment of an Independent Complaints Panel and the recruitment of a suitable Chair to the Panel. They also include the launch of a Scottish Fundraising complaints ‘hub’. The Working Group recommended that a separate Implementation Group, involving OSCR, Scottish Government and SCVO amongst others be established to take forward and implement each of the recommendations.
We are delighted to announce that Val Surgenor, Third Sector and IP Commercial Partner at MacRoberts has been appointed as Chair of the Implementation Group, tasked with implementing the various recommendations made by the Scottish Fundraising Working Group.
Val said “I am delighted to be involved with the Implementation Group and in particular, taking the work of the Scottish Fundraising Working Group to the next stage. I firmly believe that the collective implementation of the Working Group’s recommendations will create a strong framework for charitable fundraising in Scotland and instil confidence and public trust.”
Contact MacRoberts LLP’s Charities and Third Sector Group
Our Charities and Third Sector group is headed by Val Surgenor and can advise or assist any third sector organisation in issues relating to; funding, risk management, governance, conflicts, fraud, Statement of Recommended Practice for Charities (SORPs), employment, management and compliance issues in relation to pension auto-enrolment. We also specialise in ensuring that charities fully comply with gift aid rules.
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Morton Fraser MacRoberts LLP
MacRoberts LLP, one of the largest independently owned law firms in Scotland, was founded over 150 years ago by the MacRobert family. We are a leading Scottish commercial law firm with full-service offices in Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow with a client base that reaches across Scotland and beyond.
