Updates

Briefing for Charities & Social Enterprises | 15 September

Our weekly round up of news and updates from across the sector. To help you navigate this week’s content, the links below will take you straight to content by topic. Investigations and complaints The Charity Commission has concluded its investigation into four charities that were part of a statutory class inquiry into 105 charities found …
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Article 10: A new key to unlock access information held by public authorities

The Upper Tribunal’s recent decision in Cruelty Free International v Information Commissioner and Home Office [2026] UKUT 328 is one of the most important freedom of information judgments in recent years. The specially convened three-judge panel finally recognised that UK law includes a right (under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights) to …
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FAQs: Restricted funds and endowments

What are restricted funds and endowments? A charity doesn’t always have the freedom to use its funds for its general purposes. Sometimes donors impose restrictions which limit the charity’s scope to use the donation freely. There are two main restrictions. Restrictions on purposes A restricted fund is a fund which must be used for a …
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Purpose & Impact: your round-up | September

Welcome to your round-up: a monthly selection of news hand-picked to help keep you up to date, for businesses, investors and others working to create positive impact. Jump to: Corporate purpose B Corps Social enterprise Sustainable fashion Climate & biodiversity Supply chain impact Impact investing Corporate purpose The Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership has published …
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Right to Work checks are changing – is your organisation ready? Download our checklist

From 1 October 2026, the Right to Work (RtW) regime expands beyond traditional employment to include worker contracts, individual sub contractors, and online matching services. This critical shift means civil penalties of up to £60,000 per illegal worker may extend beyond the direct employer and, in some circumstances, up the supply chain. The new provisions …
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Briefing for Charities & Social Enterprises | 8 September

Our weekly roundup of news and updates from across the sector. To help you navigate this week’s content, the links below will take you straight to content by topic. Charity Commission Charity Commission CEO David Holdsworth has written a guest blog for New Philanthropy Capital about impact reporting for charities. The blog looks at how …
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Understanding and unlocking restricted legacies

This September, Bates Wells is joining charities, professional advisers, and other organisations across the UK to mark Remember A Charity Week (7-13 September 2026). Gifts left to charities in Wills are an important source of income for many organisations, helping to fund charitable work and services. In fact, around £3 in every £10 donated to …
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The year in education: Looking back and looking ahead

As schools, colleges and academy trusts prepare for the start of the new academic year, we reflect on the last 12 months and consider what lies ahead for the education sector. The coming years are expected to bring one of the most significant periods of policy reform in recent memory. In November 2025, the Department …
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Webinar | Practical implications of the new EHRC Services Code for qualification bodies | 23 September 2026

The new Equality and Human Rights Commission ‘Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations’ has important implications for qualification bodies, particularly those managing people, policies and workplace environments across multiple sites and assessment settings. We’ll break down what the For Women Scotland judgment and the new Code does, and does not, change for …
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Breaking down cookies: a guide

One of the main practical changes introduced by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (the “DUAA”) relates to cookies and similar technologies (which we refer to collectively in this blog as “cookies”). With this in mind, we wanted to take the opportunity to demystify the rules around cookies under UK data protection law, and …
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Climate clauses in real estate: why they matter more than ever

Across the property industry, climate and ESG ambitions should no longer be considered as optional. Inefficient, high-carbon buildings are becoming harder to let, insure and finance; there is increasing investor pressure, and organisations are publicly committing to doing better. Real estate is particularly exposed to the risks of climate change. Leases, funding agreements and construction …
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Mandatory MFA for all SMS users: what sponsors need to know now

Update: The Home Office released a step by step guide to sponsors on Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) on 28 August 2026 which you can find here. The Home Office is introducing mandatory Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for all Sponsorship Management System (SMS) users. MFA adds a one-time passcode (OTP) step to the existing username and password login. …
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