A Milestone Moment for VBDS  

Every organization has milestones – the day they started, reached a time or development target,  moved into new premises etc.  

VBDS reached a significant milestone in our development as a charity when, on 29 March 2023, after reams of paperwork and essential reading, the Veg Box Donation Scheme (VBDS) was registered as a  CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation) with the Charity Commission and received a charity number, which is proudly displayed on our website and will be on any future printing that we do. 

Registration with the Charity Commission is not an essential step when running a charity and was not a decision we took lightly. We wanted to be sure that VBDS was on a firm footing, that we had local community support, that what we were doing was sustainable in the long term and had the potential for growth, and was a needed benefit to the community. 

What does the Charity Commission do? This is the Commission’s statement of purpose: ‘To ensure the charity can thrive and inspire trust so that people can improve lives and strengthen society.’  

‘We are the regulator of charities in England and Wales and maintain the charity register. We are an independent, non-ministerial government department accountable to Parliament. As a registrar, we are responsible for maintaining an accurate and up-to-date register of charities. This includes deciding whether organisations are charitable and should be registered. We also remove charities  that are not considered to be charitable, no longer exist or do not operate.’ 

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commission/about 

What are the benefits of charity registration?

• The primary benefit is that it gives the Veg Box Donation Scheme authenticity as a charity and increases public trust. The Charity Commission vets all applications to be sure the charity is operating ‘for the public benefit’, and there is continued monitoring therafter.
• Many charitable trusts and foundations, as well as some businesses and corporations, will
• only give to registered charities. It also gives access to funding only available to charities.
• Tax relief on surpluses and donations.
• Rates relief for premises.
• Special VAT concessions.

There are of course, also obligations as a registered charity:

• VBDS must continue to operate for the public benefit
• VBDS has a governing document or constitution which any member of the public can ask to view
• VBDS has volunteer, unpaid Trustees who govern the charity
• VBDS has to submit a charity report every year on our:
  • Annual accounts
  • Trustees’ Annual Report
  • External scrutiny report
  • Online annual return

We are very proud to be registered with the Charity Commission, and we look forward to continued growth as a charity and that the Veg Box Donation Scheme will always be a welcomed member of and a benefit to, any community we are involved in.

Search for us on the Charity Register: https://www.gov.uk/find-charity-information