Charity Commission warns charities about fraudulent messages recently sent to charities and trustees.

The messages typically request action to be taken such as removing a trustee or chief executive from their position, releasing funds as part of a grant or supplying documents such as a passport or utility bill. They may be signed as coming from ‘the Commission,’ Chief Executive Officer and/or its Directors.  

We have reported the incidents to Action Fraud and will continue to monitor the situation.  

It’s not always easy to tell if correspondence is real or fake, however please note we:

• will only send you a letter just by post only if we do not have your current email address. Check and update your details
• rarely address letters generically, for example ‘to whom it may concern’
• do not write letters or emails of certification on behalf of UK charities regarding tax exemption or any other matters
• do not issue requests to authenticate an account online by supplying personal identity documents
• will not ask you to provide banking information

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The number of charity mergers increased by 31% last year, after previously dropping to a record low, according to new research.  

In the year to April 2024, there were 63 charity mergers overall, compared with 48 in 2022-23 and 51 in 2021-22, according to Eastside People’s Good Merger Index, published recently. 

Last year’s mergers involved 131 organisations, compared with 96 in 2022-23 and 103 the year before. 

The increase in mergers marks the first annual rise after two years of declining levels of activity among charities of all sizes.

In 2023-24, the total value of these deals reached £192m, representing an increase of over 500% compared with the previous year. 

This significant year-on-year growth in overall value is due mainly to a significant rise in mergers among larger organisations. 

The 20 largest mergers represented £182m of income, a sharp increase on last year’s figure of £30.9m, and 95% of the total financial value transferred, against 98% the year before. 

However, the report states that there is also "a ‘long tail’ of smaller organisations involved in mergers". The number of charities with an income under £1m involved in mergers was 65, compared with 59 in 2022-23 and 50 in 2021-22.

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More than 100 Anglican churches and cathedrals will be affected

MORE than 100 Anglican churches and cathedrals are engaged in building projects that will exceed the £25,000 cap on the Government’s Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme (News, 24 January) and are in progress or due to begin this year, it has been reported.

The figures were gathered by Church House, from replies to a data request sent to every diocese and cathedral. (Replies were received from 34 and 18 respectively.)

The estimated value of works due to begin this year or early in 2026 is £163 million. At least 38 churches and cathedrals are undertaking works valued at more than £2 million, attracting VAT of at least £400,000. A total of 41 are undertaking multi-year projects, which will rely on a long-term funding solution from the Scheme; 43 are in receipt of National Lottery Heritage Fund funding.

The Dean of Exeter, the Very Revd Jonathan Greener, said this week: “Funding the preservation of our heritage has become more difficult every year that I have been a Dean (since 2007); so the £25,000 cap for the coming year is a real blow — especially for ancient buildings like ours that already have major works underway. There remains much to be done to put the cathedral in good order, and it is extremely difficult to plan or have the confidence to proceed with any future project without knowing the longer term future of the scheme.

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