Regulator reports on first year

03 September 2007

OSCR's conference at Perth Concert Hall on Monday 3rd September attracted over 200 charity trustees to hear the regulator report on its achievements and experience in its first year.

OSCR’s Chair, John Naylor, outlined the regulator’s strategic priorities and introduced its Annual Review document for 2006/7.

Chief Executive Jane Ryder spoke on OSCR’s key achievements in its first year and Head of Charities Marieke Dwarshuis outlined the Rolling Review of charitable status, which  will see every one of Scotland’s 23,500 charities assessed against the new charity test specified in the legislation.

Delegates had the opportunity to raise questions face to face with senior members of OSCR's team, with topics ranging from dual regulation, to cross-border charities and OSCR publications.

Chief Executive Jane Ryder said that feedback from the event had been positive.  'We are very pleased with the enthusiasm and discussion generated at the conference,' she said.  'We are committed to an ongoing dialogue with the sector and felt it was important to report back to charity trustees and the public on our experience in our first year as Regulator.'

Since taking up its regulatory powers, OSCR has:

- removed over 8,000 ‘ceased’ charities from the Scottish Charity Register

- granted charitable status to 1,261 new charities

- issued 42,076 Annual / Monitoring Returns

- advised Ministers on issues such as Trustee Indemnity Insurance

- published key guidance to charities on subjects such as charity trustee duties and charity accounting

- issued its first direction to an organisation to cease representing itself as a charity when it was not on the Scottish Charity Register

- Announced its Rolling Review of charitable status, commencing September 2007

- Published its draft Corporate Plan, outlining its strategic priorities to 2010

See presentations from the conference here:

OSCR Chair John Naylor

OSCR Chief Executive Jane Ryder

OSCR's Head of Charities Marieke Dwarshuis

ENDS

Issued by OSCR, The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, Quadrant House, 9 Riverside Drive, Dundee DD1 4NY. Tel: 01382 220446.

For further information and photography from the conference, please contact Mark Simpson at OSCR on 07724 150833.