How to set up a charity in the UK?

Does anyone know how to set up a charity in the UK? And if the registration process in very complicated?

Yes , its very complicated , been there myself..gave it up in the end....

You can get a book on how do to it from your local library....

Thank you

This link provides an overview of the process. It is fairly complicated. When I set one up I has the benefit of having a friend who had been through the process.

Could you tell me what kind of charity are you interested in?

I was organising and leading convoys of 4 x 4 Landrovers to Belarus to help children suffering from the Chenobyl accident... then later i was helping a kids home in Poland....

You need to register with the Charity Commission:

info here: charitycommission.gov.uk/Publications/cc21.aspx - registering as a charity in UK.

charity for what?????

It may be that you do not need to set up the charity as such. If you are looking to set up a charity in aid of cancer, or illnesses, or similar there will already be a charity existing in which case they can help you organise fundraisers on a small and large scale. You should look for similiar charities to your idea. Its easier this way than trying to register a charity here which is very hard.

As an extra point if you are looking to fundraise for yourself or family or friends, try justgiving. its a very good website, with a large capacity of donators, easy to advertise and very easy to set up.

Thank You all so much for all the answers. It is very helpful.

I think to set up a charity to help people or children, I have not choose it yet but it is generally the area I have an experience as a qualified psychologist, with many years of experience in working with Special Need Children and also with People with Depression or Anxiety.

I am looking for someone who would be interested to set up this charity with me, here in London, ideally English person or someone who is familiar with all these policies because for me is a jungle really :).

And I also wonder if charity can be a business as well, I mean something you can earn money for life?

some might argue that u need a better understanding of the word charity.

A charity has to be a business these days if its to survive... How well it can pay you depends on how successful it is....

A charity can be incorporated as a business, it is known as a charitable incorporated organisation or CIO, the purpose of the business is to make money for the charity. Staff who work for charities can be paid, but there must be no conflict of interest. For someone involved with the charity, either as a trustee of charity correspondent, to be taken onto the payroll, they must first clear it with the charity commission, proving no conflict of interest. If you are looking for a business venture, then be prepared to pay taxes, charitable status is not for you.

You should think more in lines of a non-profit organization. I think it would be easier to be an employee and you still could do charitable work.

Thank you Marynka. But it is not easy to get a job in these times in London even in non profit or charity sector. That's why I was thinking about my own business...

I actually meant for you to set up a non-profit and employ yourself, and pay yourself a salary. I know someone, who set up a runaway shelter and she runs the organization as her full time job and pays herself a salary.

That's interesting. I have not heard about it yet.

Could you tell me a little bit more about it? How to do it?

Unfortunately I don't know much about English rules. I live in the States, and the girl I'm talking about registered a non-profit, created a business plan and and she is getting the money from some state and private grants.

Evidently.

For one, if it is not registered with the Charity Commission it cannot use the words charity or charitable, or claim to be such. I have found American 'rules' rather lax when it comes to charity. Whereas our charity laws, were first brought into effect in 1601 with the statute of Elizabeth, it was then given a permanent commission in 1853, thus becoming the Charity Commission. Queen Liz the first was no fool, she could see people were using the word 'charity' to fill their own pockets and not those in need, so she set about making laws to change that.

Hi,

There are organisations out there that help you set up and register a charity. You could have a look at giftaidservices.co.uk who help people set up and form a charity.

Best of luck getting your new charity set up.

Jeff