Karen Collins

Governance and Solvency: A Coronavirus Guide for Public Service Mutuals and Co-operatives

This is a quick guide for trustees and directors of public service mutuals and co-operatives concerned about solvency and wondering how to approach it in the immediate crisis caused by the coronavirus shutdown. Legal form matters –  insolvency and personal liability Mutuals usually fall into two broad types of legal structure:Charities such as charitable companies …
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Coronavirus and your organisation (25 March)

The coronavirus situation continues to disrupt and reshape “business as usual”. In this week’s roundup, we examine key employment issues; immigration issues; and new procurement guidance. Employment Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: how it worksFollowing the government’s announcement that employers will be able to ask HMRC for a grant to cover 80% of furloughed workers’ wage …
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Coronavirus – What is going to happen to my employment tribunal claims?

Regardless of which side of the claim you fall on, if you have an upcoming hearing you may be concerned about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Below we set out a brief summary of recent guidance from the Employment Tribunal and what you can expect to happen to any pending hearings. All content on …
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Across the not-for-profit sector: latest responses to COVID-19 (23 March)

We’ve rounded up the latest news, guidance and notices relevant to the charity and not-for-profit sector. Sector news DCMS is working closely with the civil society sector – including National Emergencies Trust, the National Council of Voluntary Organisations and the British Red Cross – on how to galvanise volunteers and coordinate help to those who …
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Cabinet Office publishes new guidance on procurement

The Cabinet Office has published a new procurement policy note in response to the coronavirus situation. Procurement Policy Note 01/20: Responding to COVID-19 (PPN 01/20) reminds contracting authorities – and their suppliers – what flexibilities currently exist within the Public Procurement Regulations to act quickly, where necessary, to procure goods and services. It is not …
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Releasing restricted funds and endowments

This article was published in 2020. Click here for an updated guide, including information on changes brought by the Charities Act. With charities facing a significant decline in income due to the coronavirus pandemic, many are in urgent need of alternative sources of funding to tide them over. Many will be looking for external support …
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Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: how it works

On 20 March 2020, the government announced that it would be implementing the “Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme” to help employers pay the salaries of staff who would otherwise have been laid off as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.  Please see our latest update on the scheme here. Please see our latest update on the …
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Coronavirus and the UK immigration system: what we know so far

The UK and many other parts of the world are entering a very difficult period due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the drastic measures it has provoked across the world. We recognise that this is an intensely stressful time for everyone, as we all try to adjust to a ‘new normal’ and keep ourselves …
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Transgender inclusion

Charities are looking to the law for clarity on how to be inclusive and respectful of all their beneficiaries. Single sex charities and those whose beneficiaries, members or service users are young people often have queries about transgender inclusion. In the first of a series of articles on transgender inclusion and the law, Mindy Jhittay …
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Charity Trustee Meetings – A Coronavirus Guide

Offices are closed, we are not meeting face to face, but we still need to take decisions. There will be forgiveness for not following procedures to the letter of the law and procedural errors can be put right later. Both the Charity Commission and OSCR have stated they will be relaxed about technicalities. What matters …
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COVID-19: What does this mean for landlords and tenants of residential property?

This is clearly going to be a testing time for landlords and tenants alike and so last night the government announced that there will be emergency legislation implemented to try and alleviate some of the pressure on those landlords and tenants affected by coronavirus. In order to protect tenants who are experiencing financial difficulties due …
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Coronavirus: key questions for landlords and tenants

The coronavirus situation is ever-changing, with the government making announcements daily to assist people, businesses and the economy through this unprecedented period. We have focused this guide on the money situation from a commercial lease perspective – annual rent, service charge, insurance payments and business rates – with a re-cap on insurance policies. Most commercial …
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