Charities and Not for Profit Organisations

The “not for profit” sector has a significant place in today’s economy. We understand the complex issues faced by charitable organisations. We also understand the importance of the right advice at the right time. It is essential to keep up to date with changes.  As well as changes the taxation regime most notably via the annual budget legislation. In particular the Charities Act and Charity Commission announcements. Our role is that of a coordinator. We aim to gather all relevant information and use it to provide you first class advice, support and guidance, so that we can assist you effectively and efficiently.

We work with many clients in the “not for profit” sector. They range from small local charities through to regional and then to national entities. Operating in the region for over 30 years we have a vast amount of experience in this sector which has been obtained been through changing times in the sector so we can really give advice gained through both knowledge and experience.

The two partners in our charities team hold the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) Diploma in Charity Accounting (DChA).

At the time of qualification, only seven accountants in practice in the North East held this qualification, two of whom are from Clive Owen LLP.

The 2025 Kreston Global UK Charities Report has been released.

This report, which is based on a survey of over 80 UK charities, explores the valuable insight into the current outlook for UK charities amid increasing financial pressures, recruitment challenges, regulatory changes, and evolving public expectations.

The report showed a number of highlights and concerns for the sector, including:

• Almost half of charities (44%) are struggling to recruit and retain employees, despite incentives such as increased salaries and flexible working.
• ESG remains a low priority for many, with only a third of charities focusing more on sustainability in 2025.
• Despite these challenges, 85% believe they still have the capacity to deliver their required services this year.

You can download the Kreston Global UK Charities Report 2025 here.

What can we offer you as one of our clients?

• Preparation of the annual accounts completed within an agreed timetable and fee structure available
• Audit or independent examination of the financial statements
• Attendance at year end meeting and involvement in financial discussions with trustees
• VAT planning and support
• Trustee training and awareness of Trustee responsibilities
• Organisational structure advice
• Strategic planning
• A full payroll service including auto enrolment compliance
• Added value services such as cashflow management and development of your accounting systems and controls together with cloud based solutions
• A personal and dedicated service

Martin Patterson from St Georges Crypt – Charity Client

We were introduced to Clive Owen LLP by one of our trustees when seeking assistance with a Charities Act section 124 report to support a lending application. Carl Wright and Chris Beaumont provided invaluable advice throughout the assignment, going beyond the basic requirements of the report. Their robust review of our plans and financial modeling allowed us to refine our operating projections and an in-depth scenario analysis helped to inform our trustees of the range of potential performance outputs from our planned project. This allowed us to proceed with confidence, optimise our funding strategy and secure the lending needed to deliver our plans. I would not hesitate to work with Clive Owen LLP again in the future, all of the staff I dealt with were knowledgeable, professional and friendly.