Charities & Social Enterprises

Winckworth Sherwood’s Charities and Social Enterprises team is at the forefront of advising on new charity ventures as well as providing a full range of advice and support for our long established charity clients. We provide a “one stop shop” for our charity clients, undertaking regular governance reviews to ensure they remain up to date and fit for purpose. It is a hugely challenging environment for our charity clients, particularly those working with local authorities and other commissioning authorities.

Good governance is critical to ensure our charity clients are robust enough to withstand these challenges and able to maximise opportunities going forwards.

We are widely regarded as the UK’s leading advisors in relation to establishing new charitable trusts to work in partnership with local authorities to deliver a range of services, including leisure, arts, culture, libraries, parks and youth services.

We are also leading advisors in relation to housing, education and ecclesiastical charities.

We have excellent relations with the Charity Commission, HMRC and the FCA.

We are renowned for our work on:

• Governance reviews and training
• Creation of new charities and advice on legal models
• Group structures and consolidation
• Business rates, tax and VAT
• Trading issues
• Fundraising
• Disposal of land and assets
• Charitable foundations
• Recruitment, selection, appointment and induction of new trustees

With a strength and depth in all areas, we also advise on:

• Charity law
• Company law
• Regulation
• Compliance
• Duties and responsibilities of Trustees / Directors
• Liaison with Charity Commission / HMRC / FCA