Meet the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland 11 February 2010

Event date: 11 February 2010 - 10:30am
Cost: Free
Contact: Teresa McKernan
Location: Community Relations Council, The Linen Green, Dungannon, Co. Tyrone

One of the most important developments for many rural community groups will be the establishment of a Charity Commission for Northern Ireland with a dedicated Commissioner and staff. Some of the key tasks for the new Commission will be to establish a compulsory charity register of all charities operating in Northern Ireland, develop and implement a charity test of who is and who is not a charity and put in place new requirements for all public collections.

For many this might seem to be an infringement on the way group's go about their business but Rural Community Network considers that these critical areas of work will give re-assurance to the community on the legitimacy of charities and charitable work within our rural communities.

The Charity Commission is being established to support groups in their charitable activity and will assist charities to show the great contribution they make to society.  It will also let people see how charities are spending their donations and allow government to help charities manage themselves better encouraging best practice.

This event will allow members of rural community groups to hear first hand the work of the Commission to date and its plans for the future. Details on what may be considered charitable activity and the proposed new regulations will also be explored at the event. The members of the Commission will be free to answer questions from groups attending the event ensuring that rural community groups are better informed of how the Charity Commission will influence their work.

To register contact Teresa McKernan on 028 8676 6670, or email teresa@ruralcommunitynetwork.org