NICVA welcomes Charity Commission announcement

Mr McAleavey went on to say:

"NICVA has been seeking the creation of a Charity Commission in Northern Ireland for a very long time. I am delighted that Minister Margaret Ritchie steered the legislation through the Assembly and secured the resources to set up the Commission.

"This is a good day for Charities as the Commission will give the public confidence that their financial contributions are used properly and applied for the purposes they are donated.

"NICVA looks forward to working with the Commission for the benefit of the people of Northern Ireland and much further afield as they create the framework to develop and encourage voluntary action in the community."

The Commission will be led by Tom McGrath CBE as Chief Commissioner. Mr McGrath is well known in the insurance business in Northern Ireland and recently retired from his position as head of Marsh insurance brokers. He is also a former Chair of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.

The new deputy Chief Commissioner is Paddy Sloan who is head of Children in Need in Northern Ireland. Ms Sloan was the former Chief Executive of the Human Rights Commission and has a substantial background in the voluntary and community sector primarily in the Northern Ireland Voluntary Trust, now the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland.

The other Commissioners are Walter Rader, current head of the Big Lottery in Northern Ireland, Angela Chada, an Executive Director of Springboard and Board Member of Intercomm, Philip McDonagh an economist at PWC and former Board member of CFNI and Paul Cavanagh of the WH&SSB and NI Committee of the Big Lottery.

Charities working across borders

The recent introduction of charity legislation and the establishment of a Charity Regulator in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have heightened interest and concerns about the implications of regulations on charities. In particular the charities that work in more than one jurisdiction are concerned that they may face further complications and requirements.

In responding to these concerns we have got together with the umbrella body for the voluntary and community sector from the South of Ireland, The Wheel, to host a conference on Tuesday 30 June.

For more information, visit the events page here.