Northern Ireland Charity Commission developments

Northern Ireland Charity Commission developments

News

An interim website for the forthcoming Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (CCNI) has been launched by The Department for Social Development.

The site will provide information on the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008, the role of the CCNI and the timescales for implementation. The department will update this website until the CCNI is in place and is in a position to develop its own corporate image.

It is expected that the Charity Commissioners will be appointed and the CCNI established in March 2009. The first main business of the new Commission will be to consult on public benefit guidance and will probably take place in April 2009.

It is envisaged that charities will not be required to register with the CCNI until 2010 with the first reporting requirements occurring in April 2011. Also, the new rules for fundraising and public collections are not likely to take effect until the same year.

The Charities Implementation Team in the Department has also set up a Charity Regulation Stakeholder Forum to consider the implications of the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008. For more information and to see the interim website visit the Department for Social Development website.