(Immediate Release -7 December 2011)

The Charity Commission, the regulator for charities in England and Wales has today published its Strategic Plan for the next three years, up to 2015.

Its sets out the Commission’s two key strategic priorities going forward, which are:

• Developing the compliance and accountability of the charity sector
• Developing the self-reliance of the charity sector

The Plan sets out the regulator’s new Vision, Mission and Values, with the Vision being ‘Charities you can support with confidence’.

The publication of the Strategic Plan follows the Commission’s extensive Strategic Review consultation which began in October 2010 and involved numerous charities, professional advisors, umbrella bodies and members of the public.

Sam Younger, Chief Executive of the Charity Commission said:

“This is a clear, understandable plan for the future which explains our role in acting on behalf of the public when regulating the charity sector. We are grateful for the input of all those who have shared their thoughts with us about what our future priorities must be, taking into account our reduced funding position over the next three years. This plan should give the public confidence in what they can expect to see both from us and from the charities they are interested in regardless of whether they are a donor, volunteer or employee or beneficiary.”

The new Strategic Plan is published today on the Commission’s website at www.charitycommission.gov.uk

Ends.

PR53/11

For further information on this story please contact the press office

Notes to Editors

1. The Charity Commission is the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales. See www.charitycommission.gov.uk for further information or call our contact centre on 0845 300 0218.

2. 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.

3. There are over 180,000 registered charities, some of which have similar names or working names. To avoid confusion, each registered charity can be identified by its individual registration number, which can be checked on the Register of Charities.