Meet the Charity Regulator in Paisley

Meet the Charity Regulator in Paisley

Charities and public invited to Abercorn Conference Centre

Scotland’s charity regulator will be at the Abercorn Conference Centre on Tuesday 25 September to meet local residents and charity trustees .  The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) has hired the venue as part of its new programme of ‘Meet the Charity Regulator’ events, with an open invitation for local people and charities to take part.

There are 506 charities in Renfrewshire with a combined income of nearly £220million a year.  The Scottish Charity Regulator is keen to set out to the public how charities must operate, what information is available, and how it monitors the sector to ensure confidence.  In a separate session, local charities will receive an update on current issues, and discuss how they can work with the Regulator to cope with a challenging climate.

The public session runs from 2pm to 3.30pm and the charity session from 4.30pm to 6.15pm.  Both sessions are free of charge, but are limited to 30 places each.  Places can be booked online at www.oscr.org.uk or by email at communications@oscr.org.uk   The agenda is also available at the OSCR website.

Along with an event in Stirling on 27 September, the session at the Abercorn Conference Centre is a pilot which the Regulator intends to use as the basis for a Scotland-wide series of such events.

OSCR’s Chief Executive, David Robb, explained that the event offered an opportunity for local people and groups to learn more about the work of charities and the regulator, and to share views and examples of good practice.

‘As Scotland’s charity guardian, we’re very keen to meet with the public and discuss our work,’ he said.  ‘There are over five hundred charities in the area responsible for millions of pounds of income.  It’s important that the public understands how this money is monitored and equally, we want to meet charities face to face to discuss any issues or identify areas where we can assist them.

‘We look forward to seeing a good sized audience at both sessions – so if you’re a member of the public interested in charities, or if you’re involved in running a charity, please contact us as soon as possible to book your place,’ he added.

OSCR is the independent regulator and registrar of Scotland’s 23,500 charities, including community groups, religious charities, playgroups, schools, universities, village halls, care providers, animal welfare organisations, and youth organisations such as Guides, Scouts, and Brownies.  OSCR publishes the Scottish Charity Register at www.oscr.org.uk and provides guidance to charities to encourage their compliance with charity law.  OSCR also investigates complaints made against charities.

More information, and an online booking form, are available at: http://www.oscr.org.uk/news-and-events/meet-the-charity-regulator/