18 August 2011

The Charity Commission, the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales, has developed new video tutorials to help charities file their Annual Returns and update their details online.

Charities with an income over £10,000 must complete an Annual Return and all charities are required to keep their details up to date on the Register of Charities. Last year 86% of charities submitted their Annual Returns and updated their details online. From 2011 onwards all charities are being asked to submit the required information online, via the Charity Commission’s website.

To help those charities who have not previously submitted information online, the Commission has produced a helpful video showing how easy it is to complete the Annual Return through its website. The video tutorial explains, step-by-step, how charities can update their financial information and amend the details that are shown about them on the Register of Charities.

In addition to the video tutorial the Commission has re-designed the Annual Return and enhanced its online written guidance.

Sam Younger, Chief Executive of the Charity Commission said:

“We know from a recent survey that 84%.^* of people who already use our online services say they are better than paper. Completing the Annual Return form online is a simpler and quicker way of updating a charity’s details and this year we are asking all charities to submit their information this way. We hope that the new video tutorial will show those charities that haven’t used our online services before just how easy they are to use.”

The Charity Commission aims to provide all its services online by 2012 and last year saw an 8.7% increase in take-up of its online services. It is hoped that completing their Annual Return through the website will also encourage charities to make use of the Commission’s other online information and services. Its online strategy will help the Commission continue to provide a wide range of information and services to charities despite a significant reduction in its funding.

* Survey of 4586 respondents.

For more information call the Charity Commission Press Office.

PR 41/11

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Notes to editors

1. The Charity Commission has produced video tutorials for charities in three different income bands:

• Annual income under £10,000
• Annual income over £10,000 and up to £25,000
• Annual income over £25,000 and up to £500,000

2. The video tutorials can also be posted on the websites of charity umbrella bodies, to help member charities update their details with the Charity Commission. For more details, please email the Charity Commission through its website http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/sendmailCRM.aspx.

3. The Charity Commission is the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales. See www.charitycommission.gov.uk for further information.

4.Our mission is: to ensure charities’ legal compliance, enhance charities’ accountability, encourage charities’ effectiveness and impact and to promote the public interest in charity.

5. The Charity Commission Media Information Centre available on the Commission’s website, provides useful and relevant background information specifically for journalists, particularly in relation to issues that regularly attract press interest.