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Charity Matters: Governance, Finance & Impact.

Hi there,

With significant changes on the horizon for charities, now is the time to ensure your organisation is prepared.

Join PEM, alongside experts from Penningtons Manches Cooper and Ali Lyons, for Charity Matters: Governance, Finance & Impact on Thursday 12 November at Stapleford Granary, Cambridge.

Designed specifically for Trustees, Finance Managers, Finance Directors, CEOs and charity leaders, this event will provide practical insights into the key developments shaping the charity sector.

Date: Thursday 12 November
Time: 10:00am – 3:30pm
Location: Stapleford Granary, Cambridge, CB22 5BP. Directions here.
Parking: Free parking on site
Refreshments: Refreshments and lunch will be provided

Why attend?

You'll gain expert guidance on:

  • Understanding the changes to the Charity SORP and what they mean for your organisation

  • Developing more meaningful trustee and impact reporting that strengthens stakeholder engagement and demonstrates your charity's value

  • Governance best practice, including reflections on the Charity Governance Code one year on

  • Employment law developments and what charities need to prepare for in 2027

  • Tax and VAT considerations around sponsorship arrangements and current HMRC trends

  • Employment tax updates, including compulsory payrolling of benefits in kind

Don't miss this opportunity to stay ahead of regulatory changes, strengthen governance and maximise your organisation's impact.

Read the full agenda
Learn more about our speakers
PEM Governance event

Register your place

Agenda.

10:00am - 10:30am | Registration

10:30am - 11:30am | Revisions to Charity SORP and Trustees' reporting

The revised Charity SORP and underlying changes to FRS 102 represent the most significant updates to charity reporting requirements in recent years. Nikki Loan will review the key changes that will affect how charities report on their activities and impact, as well as the presentation and content of their financial statements, and provide practical insights to help trustees and finance professionals prepare with confidence.

11:30am - 12:10pm | Embracing the opportunity of Charity SORP in how we plan, understand, and communicate our purpose

Ali Lyons will share details on how the changes in SORP are intended to give charities a platform to communicate how impact is at the heart of our strategies and driving everything we do. It is an exciting opportunity to change conversations around impact from something we measure, to something we do every day. But if we keep SORP in a compliance box, we risk missing the opportunity. 
 
In this session Ali Lyons shares the simple adjustments we can make to realign around our purpose and create stronger impact reports, all whilst complying with the new SORP requirements.

12:10pm - 1:00pm | Buffet lunch and networking

1:00pm - 1:30pm | What does employment law hold for 2027

Hilary Aldred from Penningtons Manches Cooper will talk about the Employment Rights Act 2025, what's already changed and what's coming and whether we are seeing changes in how charities engage with their people as a result.

1:30pm - 2:00pm | Charity Governance Code - one year on

Virginia Henley from Penningtons Manches Cooper will talk about the November 2025 refresh of the Charity Governance Code, particularly its new emphasis on behaviours, and whether we are seeing the necessary implementation and change across the sector one year on.

2:00pm - 2:20pm | Direct tax considerations when entering sponsorship arrangements

Michael Godfrey will discuss how charities are increasingly seeking to partner with businesses to generate funds, but care is needed to ensure sponsorship arrangements don’t create unexpected corporation tax issues for the charity.

2:20pm - 2:40pm | VAT on sponsorship and new HMRC trends involving charities

HMRC is carrying out more VAT compliance reviews and taking a closer look at how charities classify their income, particularly whether funding should be treated as ‘outside the scope’ grant income or taxable services income. This session with Michele Harris will explore the growing scrutiny of the split between business and non-business activities, key VAT risks, and what charities can do to prepare for HMRC enquiries.

2:40pm - 3:00pm | Employment tax news including update on compulsory payrolling of benefits in kind.

Kate Millard will discuss how payrolling of certain benefits in kind becomes compulsory from 6 April 2027. As HMRC provides further detail through 2026, it is important that employers’ staff and systems are prepared and understand the effect on reporting the benefits in kind they provide.

3:00pm - 3:30pm | Closing remarks

There will be a chance at the end of the seminar to network with attendees and our specialists.

Speakers.

Nikki Loan

Nikki Loan

PEM
Partner | Audit & Accounts

With over 30 years experience in the charity and not-for-profit sector, Nikki provides audit services, accounting and governance support to a wide range of non-profit organisations.  Alongside her audit portfolio, Nikki heads our Technical Committee and leads on our internal charity training.  She is also a member of the ICAEW charity committee and outside of work Chairs an Audit and Risk Committee and is a governor.

Find out more
Ali Lyons

Ali Lyons

Ali Lyons Consultancy

Ali helps charities step into their power: finding clarity about what they do and why, aligning decisions, processes and resources around their purpose and building the narratives and evidence that work internally as well as externally.

Find out more
Hilary Aldred

Hilary Aldred

Penningtons Manches Cooper
Partner | Employment

Hilary is a partner in the employment team. She has over 25 years’ experience across a broad range of contentious and non-contentious employment work. This includes all forms of employment litigation in the High Court and tribunals, while she also advises on cases such as terminations, redundancies, all aspects of discrimination and whistleblowing legislation, TUPE and other contractual issues.

 

Find out more
Virginia Henley

Virginia Henley

Penningtons Manches Cooper
Partner | Charities & Education

Virginia heads the firm’s charities team and plays an active role in the education sector group. She advises charities, Oxbridge colleges, universities and schools, and a wide range of not-for-profit organisations, on core legal, regulatory and governance issues.

Find out more
Mike-Godfrey

Michael Godfrey

PEM
Partner | Business Tax

Mike specialises in the tax issues surrounding charities and not-for-profits, such as reviewing charity income streams for potential tax issues and looking at the structure of charities to ensure tax efficiency. His role consists of ensuring compliance work is undertaken efficiently and providing advisory services to PEM's clients over a number of areas such as R&D, business restructuring and charity taxation issues.

Find out more
Michele Harris

Michele Harris

PEM
Assistant Director | VAT

Michele advises a broad range of PEM clients, with particular expertise in the charity and not-for-profit sectors. Her work often involves reviewing contracts in detail and asking probing questions to establish the true nature of a transaction or supply. Drawing on her extensive technical knowledge and HMRC experience, she provides clear, pragmatic advice on the most effective way forward. This frequently includes helping organisations structure activities between charities and trading subsidiaries to achieve VAT efficiency while remaining compliant.

Find out more
Kate Millard

Kate Millard

PEM
Director | Employment Tax

Kate spent 16 years at a Big 4 firm before joining PEM and provides employment tax advice across PEM’s full client base including charities, the education sector and other non-profit organisations. Kate advises on all aspects of employment tax such as expenses and benefits including payrolling, termination of employment, HMRC reporting and enquiries, employment status and specialising in international employment tax and social security advice.

Find out more

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Frequently asked questions.

Is there free parking?

Yes, there is free parking at the venue.

Are there vegetarian or vegan meal options available during the event?

Yes, please make sure to share your dietary requirements with us in the form so we can can cater to your requirements.

Will there be any opportunities to speak with your advisers and speakers?

Yes, there will be plenty of opportunity to speak with our advisers and speakers at the end of the event.

Will lunch and refreshments be provided?

Yes a buffet lunch and refreshments throughout the day will be provided.