Memorandum from Association of NHS Charities
(DCH 145)
1. The Association of NHS Charities—which
comprises the 44 largest of the 319 NHS-linked charities in England
and Wales—was established, amongst other things, to ".
. . encourage and promote the implementation of best charity practice
. . .". The Association is therefore completely supportive
of those parts of the draft Bill which emphasise the need for
greater transparency, openness and impartiality in the management
of charities and believes this should be the goal of the legislators.
2. The Association is concerned that the
Bill should draw no distinction between grant-making trusts and
fundraising trusts and that the same standard of governance should
apply to both. NHS-linked charities pursue both roles.
3. The Association supports the proposals
in the draft Bill to strengthen the Charity Commission's role
in ensuring compliance with charity law, in order ". . .
to enhance the accountability of charities to donors, beneficiaries
and the general public . . .".
4. The proposals in the draft Bill to encourage
mergers between charities are welcomed by the Association.
June 2004
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