CC45 - Central Register of Charities

CC45 - CENTRAL REGISTER OF CHARITIES

Contents Page

What is this leaflet about?

Visiting the Central Register of Charities

Telephone enquiries

Screen enquiries

Screen prints

Printed reports

Tailored printed reports

Ordering a printed report

Documents available on file

Waivers and Exemptions

What is this leaflet about?

1. The Central Register of Charities database and files hold the public records of more than 155,000 main registered charities.

2. This leaflet describes the services that are available and provides details of the charges which apply.

Visiting the Central Register of Charities

3. You can visit the Central Register at any of our three locations on weekdays between the given hours:

Central Register
London St Alban's House, 57/60 Haymarket, London, SW1Y 4QX.
Tel: 0171 210 4533
Hours: 10 am - 4 pm
Liverpool 2nd Floor, 20 Kings Parade, Queens Dock, Liverpool, L3 4DQ.
Tel: 0151 703 1500
Hours: 9.00 am - 5 pm
Taunton Woodfield House, Tangier, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 4BL.
Tel: 01823 345030
Hours: 9.00 am - 5 pm

Telephone enquiries

4. You may telephone any of our three Central Register offices for assistance with your enquiries during the hours given above.

Screen enquiries

5. Using the computer terminal in any of the three offices you can make the following enquiries in respect of any registered charity in England and Wales:

  • by registered number: this enquiry gives details of the charity which is registered under a particular number;

  • by the full name of the charity: this enquiry gives details of the charity/charities using that particular name;

  • by a 'keyword' appearing in the name (eg children): this feature is useful when the full name of the charity is not known;

  • by the location of the charity: this enquiry gives details of all charities within a given place, district or county;

  • by the aims of the charity: each charity is given a numerical code according to its aims and by using the appropriate code it is possible to obtain a listing of charities with the same or very similar aims.

6. A copy of the list of codes is available on request.

7. It is also possible to make enquiries by using combinations of the above. For example:

  • by location and aims: this enquiry gives details of all charities with the same or similar aims in a particular place, district or county.

Price: there is no charge for screen enquiries.

Screen prints

8. Customers can request a print out of a charity's details on the screen by asking Central Register staff.

Price: 60p per page (generally 2 for each charity).

Printed reports

9. Reports of groups of charities are also available on request.

10. There are three forms of report: brief, standard and detailed. The table below shows the information which appears on the different types of reports.

Brief

Standard

Detailed

Registered number
Charity name
Gross annual income
Object code
Date of registration
Number of subsidiary charities
Civil area: county, district, place

Registered number
Charity name
Gross annual income
Object code
Date of registration
Number of subsidiary charities
Civil area: county, district, place
Name and address of charity correspondent
Description of aims
Area of benefit
Date and type of governing document
Charity status (abbreviated)
Charity category (abbreviated)
Year of last accounts
Date of financial year end

Registered number
Charity name
Gross annual income
Object code
Date of registration
Number of subsidiary charities
Civil area: county, district, place
Name and address of charity correspondent
Description of aims
Area of benefit
Date and type of governing document
Charity status (in full)
Charity category (in full)
Charity Type (in full)
Year of last accounts
Date of financial year end
Inland Revenue reference

11. Printed reports about groups of charities are available upon request. Before ordering a report you should select the criteria by which you wish to search the Register. The Register can be searched using any of the data items set out in the table opposite. For example, reports can be printed for all charities:

  • in a particular area;

  • within particular income ranges;

  • registered in a particular period;

  • with the same aims;

  • which are:

  • fundraisers;

  • grant makers to institutions;

  • grant makers to individuals; or

  • service providers.

12. It is also possible to search the Register using various combinations of the data items. For example, all charities:

  • in a particular area with the same aims;

  • with the same aims and income within specified income ranges;

  • which make grants and which have similar aims.
    Prices:

  • Brief report: £2.00 + 15p per charity.
    Standard report: £2.00 + 20p per charity.
    Detailed report: £2.00 + 25p per charity.

Tailored printed reports

13. It is sometimes possible to prepare specially written reports if either, the number of charities to be included in any report is 5,000 or more, or if the type of report is very complex. Tailored reports are available in the brief, standard and detailed format.

Price: £40 for each data item selected eg income or location plus 15p, 20p or 25p per charity according to the format of the report.

Ordering a printed report

14. Once you have decided what type of report you would like, you should contact the London office at the address given on page 2 giving details of your order. We will then advise you of the number of charities which meet the criteria selected and the cost of the report. If you wish to proceed with the printing of the report, we will send you an invoice and upon receipt of payment the report will be sent to you.

Documents available on file

15. The following information is available on file:

  • the charity's accounts (if they have been submitted);

  • the charity's governing document eg trust deed, constitution, memorandum and articles of association;

  • documents sent to the Commission under Part VII of the Charities Act 1993 (formerly the Charitable Trustees Incorporation Act 1872);

  • register of persons removed as trustees. The Central Register in each office holds a Register of Trustees removed from office by the Commissioners since January 1961 or by the Courts since January 1993 under section 72(6) of the Charities Act 1993. This is available for inspection.

16. The files are held in the office where work connected with those charities is done; for further details please see page 10 of this leaflet.

17. It may not be possible to provide files for inspection immediately. However, you may ask to see any of these files by prior arrangement. Alternatively, charities' accounts and governing documents can be photocopied and sent to you by post.

Prices:

Inspection of files - no charge
Photocopying (per document): £1.80 for the first 6 pages and 30p per page for subsequent pages.

Waivers and Exemptions

18. We have agreed that exemptions from the liability to pay for information provided from the Central Register may be granted to:

  1. any trustee, officer or employee of a charity who requires copies or extracts of documents relating to that charity; or

  2. any trustee, officer or employee of a charity who requires copies of extracts for purposes connected with making a resolution under Section 74(2) of the Charities Act 1993.

We aim to make our publications as useful and easy to read as possible. If you have any suggestions about how this leaflet may be improved, please write to the Publications Unit at our Taunton Office.

This leaflet is covered by Crown copyright November 1995. All Crown copyrights are reserved. The following is a concession. Individuals are authorised to photocopy this leaflet for internal use only. You may not sell or publish this material in any format

Further Reference

For further reference you may find it useful to refer to the following Charity Commission leaflets:

CC2 Charities and the Charity Commission

CC44 Small Charities: Alteration of Trusts, Transfer of Property, Expenditure of Capital

For a complete list of all Charity Commission leaflets, audio-cassettes and videos, please ask for leaflet:

CC1 Charity Commission Publications

To obtain copies of any of the above leaflets you can either telephone 01823 345427 and leave a message on the answering machine or, write enclosing a large self-addressed envelope 229mm by 162mm (approx 9" by 61/2") to any of our offices:

offices

St Alban's House
57-60 Haymarket
London
SW1Y 4QX

2nd Floor
20 Kings Parade
Queens Dock
Liverpool
L3 4DQ

Woodfield House
Tangier
Taunton
Somerset
TA1 4BL

other reproduction, including for publication, is subject to copyright licensing from the Controller of HMSO.

Further Information