Charity independence

SIR – Oliver Dowden (Comment, September 12), writing as Culture Secretary before the Cabinet reshuffle earlier this week, argued that the next chair of the Charity Commission must “harness the oversight powers of the commission” to stop charities being hijacked “to burnish their woke credentials”.

What makes our sector strong is our independence from government. We work across political divides, and represent a diverse range of communities and viewpoints.

The Charity Commission plays a vital role in supporting our thriving charity sector. We want a strong, independent and effective regulator. When charities cross the regulatory line, we expect the Charity Commission to act – but its role is not to direct what the response of charities should be to issues that affect the people and communities they support.

For some charities, the best way to achieve their mission is by raising issues that may be regarded as challenging by others. As we have seen from Charity Commission investigations into the National Trust, Barnardo’s, and the Runnymede Trust, charities are considering contentious issues carefully and in a balanced way.

The Charity Commission’s strength is as a neutral arbiter, showing no fear or favour. Expecting it to go beyond this role will harm the new chair’s independence and is setting them up to fail.

Vicky Browning

CEO, Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations

Sarah Vibert

Interim CEO, National Council for Voluntary Organisations