Our governance
The non-executive board of the Charity Commission.
The board
Whilst day-to-day and operational management is delegated to our Chief Executive, our board is ultimately responsible for all that we do. This includes:
- our purpose and strategy
- our overall performance
- our values, integrity and reputation
- how we meet our statutory objectives and use our legal powers
- our business direction and strategy
- our management team’s performance, governance standards and delivery against plans
Our board pays particular attention to:
- maximising our impact and effectiveness
- identifying and managing risks
- maintaining our independence from government and the sector we regulate
- making sure we use public funds prudently
- making sure we act fairly, responsibly, transparently, proportionately and ethically
Members
- Orlando Fraser KC (Chair)
- Helen Stephenson CBE (Chief Executive)
- Pippa Britton OBE
- Rory Brooks CBE
- Shrenik Davda
- Will Lifford
- Ann Phillips
- Joanne Prowse
- Mark Simms
Register of Board Members’ Interests 2024
Orlando Fraser, Chair
| Current work | Barrister/KC - Lincoln’s Inn |
| Current unpaid work | None |
| Recent former paid work | None |
| Current trusteeships | None |
| Former trusteeships | None |
| Other (current) | N/A |
Helen Stephenson CBE, Chief Executive
| Current work | Chief Executive, Charity Commission |
| Current unpaid work | None |
| Recent former paid work | None |
| Current trusteeships | None |
| Former trusteeships | None |
| Other | • Director, Insight Properties Ltd • Board Member, National Lottery Community Fund (July 2022). While Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, Helen will not take any remuneration for this role. |
Pippa Britton OBE
| Current work | • Interim Vice Chair, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board • Welsh Government Healthy Weight Ambassador • Vice Chair, British Paralympic Association |
| Current unpaid work | None |
| Recent former paid work | •Vice Chair, UK Anti-Doping (ceased Oct 2022) •Vice Chair, Sport Wales (ceased Oct 2023) |
| Current trusteeships | Board Member, British Paralympic Association Trust |
| Former trusteeships | • Disability Sport Wales (ceased 2017) • UWC Atlantic College (ceased 03 March 2023) • Sport Wales Trust (ceased October 2023) |
| Other (current) | N/A |
Rory Brooks CBE
| Current work | None – retired |
| Current unpaid work | None |
| Recent former paid work | Founder/Chair, MML Capital Partners (ceased Jan 2023) |
| Current trusteeships | • Rory & Elizabeth Brooks Foundation • Trustee, IntoUniversity • Chair, Quintessentially Foundation |
| Former trusteeships | Centre for Social Justice Foundation |
| Other (current) | Manchester University: 3 Advisory Boards |
Shrenik Davda
| Current work | • Partner, NECP LLP • Board Lay Member, IPSO • Vice Chair of Supervisory Board, NLB dd (Slovenia) |
| Current unpaid work | None |
| Recent former paid work | None |
| Current trusteeships | None |
| Former trusteeships | • Trustee, TMT Education Trust (Kenya) • Trustee, The Welfare Association (UK) • Trustee, The Mango Tree Orphan Support Programme (UK) |
| Other (current) | N/A |
William Lifford
| Current work | Board Member, Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority |
| Current unpaid work | None |
| Recent former paid work | • Board Member, Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board (ceased Mar 2020) • Chair, Yorkshire Housing (ceased Sep 2021) |
| Current trusteeships | None |
| Former trusteeships | St Gemma’s Hospice (ceased 26 Jan 2023) |
| Other (current) | N/A |
Ann Phillips
| Current work | Part-time Consultant, Stone King LLP |
| Current unpaid work | None |
| Recent former paid work | Partner, Stone King LLP (ceased Apr 2020) |
| Current trusteeships | Trustee, Highfields Trust CIO |
| Former trusteeships | • Creativity, Culture and Education (ceased Sep 2018) • The Poetry Society (ceased Nov 2023) |
| Other (current) | N/A |
Joanne Prowse
| Current work | • CEO, Phone-paid Services Authority • Independent NED, The One Touch Switching Company |
| Current unpaid work | None |
| Recent former paid work | None |
| Current trusteeships | Trustee, Chorleywood Music |
| Former trusteeships | None |
| Other (current) | • Director, Chorleywood Music Productions Ltd • Producer, Rickmansworth Young Musician Competition |
Mark Simms
| Current work | CEO, P3 Charity Group |
| Current unpaid work | • Board Member, Big Issue Changing Lives CIC • Board Member, New Leaf CIC |
| Recent former paid work | None |
| Current trusteeships | None |
| Former trusteeships | • Board Member, Big Issue Invest (ceased Sept 2023) • Trustee, HomelessLink (ceased Sept 2023) • South Derbyshire Voluntary Sector Mental Health Forum • Tin Hat Centre |
| Other (current) | None |
2018 Governance framework
The commission’s governance framework sets out the roles, responsibilities and procedures for the effective and efficient conduct of its business.
Read the Commission’s governance framework.
Charity Commission Strategy 2024 to 2029
Our ambition is to be the expert Charity Commission that is fair, balanced, and independent so that charity can thrive.
Five priorities describe the Commission’s key areas of focus, as well as the steps it will take to fulfil these ambitions:
- We will be fair and proportionate in our work and clear about our role.
- We will support charities to get it right but take robust action where we see wrongdoing and harm.
- We will speak with authority and credibility, free from the influence of others.
- We will embrace technological innovation and strengthen how we use our data.
- We will be the expert Commission - where our people are empowered and enabled to deliver excellence in regulation.
Read the Charity Commission Strategy 2024 to 2029 for more information.