Dear Madam, - I would like to thank Mr Henderson of the Co. Fermanagh Section, Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association, for his recent letter to your paper, and assure him that the Charity Commission does take on board all comments we receive when reviewing and updating our guidance, policies and processes.

However, I would also like to highlight to all charities that the information requested in the charity registration process is information which charities should already hold, for example, a governing document, annual income and trustee details. Equally, everything asked for in the application is required for charities to publicly demonstrate that they are legal, accountable and transparent charities acting for the public benefit. Charitable status is a privilege which brings with it the trust and support of the public, funders and members. In return for the status of being a charity, the law requires that organisations are accountable to the public for what they do and how they do it. Registration with the Charity Commission is the first, legally required, step in this process.

We understand that some areas of the application process may be more difficult than others, for example the sections on charitable purposes and public benefit. That is why we have provided a range of guidance to support the thousands of Northern Ireland charities in registering. This ranges from in depth guidance on specific registration areas through to a YouTube tutorial, signposting to helper groups and face-to-face workshops to which each and every charity called forward to register is invited.

The Commission’s registration team also work closely with applicants to support them in registering and, over the past twelve months alone, have responded to more than 3,500 email and telephone registration queries.

Charity registration is a legal requirement for all charities in Northern Ireland, irrespective of size, annual income or whether or not they have received charitable tax status from HMRC. It is therefore vital all charities prepare for registration now, using the support available to ensure they understand their obligations and successfully register as a charity.

Yours faithfully, Frances McCandless Chief Executive Charity Commission for Northern Ireland www.charitycommissionni.org.uk