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10/10 as top one hundred charities file their accounts on time - biggest charities respond to challenge

CHARITY COMMISSION News Release (PR 13/07) issued by The Government News Network on 2 May 2007

One year since the Charity Commission's call to the top 100 charities to improve their track record for financial accountability, 100% have filed their accounts within the ten-month legal deadline.

In 2005, more than one in ten of the top 100 charities failed to file on time, prompting the Commission to launch a campaign, File Early, backed-up with extra work from its compliance team to improve this rate.

The Commission's Chief Executive, Andrew Hind, said,

"To have a full house just one year after our campaign to get the top 100 charities to improve their financial accountability is a remarkable achievement. I'm really encouraged by the way these charities have responded to the need for public accountability - they set a great example for other charities to follow."

Keith Hickey, Chair of the Charity Finance Director's Group, said,

"This is good news and as it should be. It's important that charity beneficiaries, donors and other stakeholders have up to date information on the work and results of charities and this is just the example that these charities should be setting."

Ends.

Notes to Editors

1. The Charity Commission is the independent regulator for charitable activity in England and Wales. See http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk for further information or call our contact centre on 0845 300 0218

2. All charities with an income of over £10k a year are required to complete annual accounts and file them with the Commission each year. Charities have 10 months after the end of their financial year to do so.

3. Last April we identified the largest 100 charities on the register by their last known income as part of our File Early campaign and identified 11 charities within the Top 100 that had failed to file on time.

4. On the 23rd April 2007 we ran the same exercise. All of the Top 100 charities submitted their accounts on time.

For further information please contact: Sush Amar on 020 7674 2462