First Oxbridge Colleges registered with Charity Commission

The first of the Oxford and Cambridge colleges, which lost their exempt charity status as a result of the Charities Act 2006, have now achieved registration with the Charity Commission,writes Chris Knight, head of Hewitsons' Charities Team.

Since 1 June this year, the default position for the Colleges has changed and they are now required to register with the Commission.

Registration had been a topic for detailed discussions between the Colleges and the Commission since 2007, with the deadline for registration postponed on more than one occasion. The Commission has had a very significant task to deal with applications and associated discussions for the very many charities which were exempt or excepted from registration until the 2006 Act heralded changes. As well as the Colleges, these include most churches, armed forces charities, industrial and provident societies and certain museums.

The Hewitsons Charities Team has been advising charities from many different sectors on the implications of registration with the Commission, and on the process of registration itself. We have advised a number of the Colleges on areas of concern as well as meeting with the Commission ourselves. The Colleges have also been having their own meetings and discussions with the Commission to resolve registration satisfactorily.

The Cambridge Colleges co-ordinated a 'common approach' for the registrations.  Statutes of all the Colleges were submitted to the Commission long before the deadline for registration, issues particular to the Colleges were resolved and the Commission was asked to consider one College as a 'trial application' to highlight issues common to all the Colleges.

This has had a very positive outcome such that the Colleges have now been able to register with the Commission.  

The Colleges have been providing the highest quality education and other public benefits for many hundreds of years and their registration demonstrates that the Commission acknowledges that the Colleges comply with the contemporary interpretation of public benefit.

Downing College was amongst the first of the Cambridge Colleges to achieve the milestone of registration, on 12 August.

Senior Bursar of Downing College, Dr Susan Lintott says: "The Colleges have always been required to comply with charity law but registration with the Charity Commission has introduced a new layer of accountability.  Our extensive consultations with the Commission have led us to believe that their requirements are entirely consistent with our current practice."

For more information about Hewitsons' charities team click here.