Charities Conference

Welcome and Introduction

Peter Herbert, Insight Training

The preparation and scrutiny of charity accounts throws up many challenges. This session will update you on recent and forthcoming rule changes and also deal with a number of common problem areas:  

• recent and prospective updates to UK GAAP and other regulations relevant to charity accounts
• the revised SORP – the direction of travel
• tricky accounting and audit issues and how to tackle them
• latest ICAEW feedback on charity audits and independent examinations.

Break

Helen Easton, Charity Commission

This session will provide a topical update that will include updates on relevant guidance and key updates on the Commission’s work.

Break

James Hurst, Mercia Group Ltd

This session will focus on a selection of VAT issues that affect charities. It will be based around an update on topical items such as recent VAT tribunal decisions and HMRC policy changes, using this as a platform for considering some of the VAT challenges that are more commonly faced by charities.

Break

Tanya Woodland, Jeremiahs Journey

The economic climate remains extremely challenging for small charities, especially when they do not receive any statutory or commissioned funding. Income via grants and foundations have become extremely competitive, and funding ‘core costs’ is not a popular ask, yet without these being covered, it is a constant fight for survival. Find out how we are tackling this situation by diversifying our income streams and ensuring we have as robust a ‘case for support’ as possible. How we can work more closely with our accountants to ensure a viable ‘going concern’ so we can be here in the future for the families that need us.

Lunch Break

Nick Sladden, RSM UK

What do the trustees of charities want from their accountants? RSM’s Top Ten Tips session will explore the key areas where trustees often require support and guidance, along with some ways that you can put this into practice. The session will provide you with ideas to enable you to ensure that the boards of your charity clients are equipped with the information they need to enable them to make good decisions and ultimately achieve their charity’s objectives.

Break

Jon Daley, Crowe UK

This session will provide a general update of recent tax developments relevant to the charity sector, together with a refresh of key tax pitfalls and opportunities for charities.

Break

Louise Dunford, LD Consultancy

This session will cover:

• Duties of trustees
• Investigative powers of the Charity Commission
• How and why do trustees commonly fall foul of regulatory authorities?
• Case studies and examples of current CC investigations
• Sanctions and implications of breach
• Sources of information and advice.

Close of Conference

Peter qualified as a Chartered Accountant with an international accountancy firm before working in industry. He has over 20 years of training experience. He writes and presents technical updates for firms of accountants and qualified accountants of private and listed companies. Peter specialises in financial reporting, auditing and practice regulation. Peter also regularly carries out compliance reviews for firms of accountants which provides him with an invaluable insight into the practical financial reporting and auditing issues that they face.

Helen Easton heads up the Operation Accountancy Team at the Charity Commission. The Team provides expert advisory support to the Commission’s regulatory cases and supports policy work that includes the SORP. Prior to working in the Charity Commission Helen has held multiple roles across Government Departments, previously working for the Competition & Markets Authority as a Financial Adviser and worked at HMRC where she headed up the Internal Audit Function for Finance’

James joined Mercia in October 2022 as VAT trainer and consultant. His role involves writing technical material as well as devising and delivering VAT training courses.

James has a wide experience of VAT and indirect tax, beginning his VAT career with HM Customs & Excise (as it then was) before moving to the private sector in 1995 and gaining his CTA qualification. Latterly, he had VAT partner and head of VAT roles in Grant Thornton and Mazars.

Outside of work music remains a keen interest. Aside from playing jazz on the tenor sax, James is a regular member of the trumpet section of the Leeds Project Big Band.

Tanya joined Jeremiah's Journey in April 2022, and she heads up this small local bereavement charity that aims to ensure that the children, young people and their carers have support at the most sad and difficult times in their lives. This may be because a loved one has died or has a terminal illness. The work is centered around giving families much-needed support when they are facing so many challenges.

Tanya started her career in retail operations before transitioning into the charity sector where she worked on the senior leadership teams at national charities including Cancer Research UK, so brings 25 years of third sector experience to her role as a CEO. 

Nick has over 25 years of experience in the not for profit sector and is passionate about providing assurance, accounting and governance support to charities of all sizes. As the Head of Charities at RSM UK, he leads a team of experts who deliver high-quality services and solutions to some of the firm’s largest and most complex not for profit clients, including Top 100 charities.

Nick has a strong track record of producing and presenting best practice and commenting on regulatory developments, responding to consultations from the Charity Commission, OSCR, INPAG and FRC, and speaking at key sector events such as CFG, ICAEW, The Chartered Governance Institute, ACCA, and CIMA conferences. He also has extensive international exposure, having worked on exciting charity projects in USA, Germany, Ireland and Romania with RSM International, and completing the Governing for Non profit Excellence program at Harvard Business School in 2014.

Nick is also Chair of Trustees at the RSM UK Foundation. Outside of RSM, he enjoys volunteering and is a member of the ICAEW Charity Community Advisory Group, a school governor as well as a trustee for a national charity. He is a Liveryman of The Worshipful Company of Scriveners of the City of London. 

Jon is an Associate Tax Director at Buzzacott where he has worked for 12 years specialising in the charity and the not for profit sector. Jon regularly assists clients with charitable company and trust tax returns, property transactions, charitable trading and structuring business activities, Gift Aid and other tax-efficient giving, employment tax, mutual trading, theatre tax relief and other creative industry reliefs.

In addition, Jon regularly writes updates and commentary on tax developments relevant to the charity sector and also hosts a wide range of seminars to various charity groups. Jon is a qualified Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Adviser.

Louise has been continuously involved in training and consultancy since 1987, both for professional firms and for commercial organisations. She also worked as an associate senior lecturer at the University of Portsmouth. Louise specialises mainly in aspects of practical employment law, company law and on professional negligence, and has published widely in leading academic and professional journals.

She is an associate of Complete HR Ltd, providing practical and pro-active assistance with employment and HR issues for SMEs.