Small charities: preparing for change

Welcome & Introduction

Judith Miller, Partner, Sayer Vincent

SORP 2026: What trustees of smaller charities need to know

An essential, high-level overview of the proposed Charities SORP 2026 changes, tailored for trustees and treasurers of small charities (‘Tier 1’ per the SORP Exposure Draft). Learn how the proposed new tiering system, reporting changes, and updated SOFA templates may affect your charity—and what steps to take now to prepare. This session will help you ask the right questions and signpost the right resources ahead of implementation.

Joanna Pittman, Sayer Vincent

An update from Companies House

This session offers an opportunity to hear an update from Companies House about how the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act affects charitable companies, and how Companies House is working with charity regulators to ease the transition for trustees and their charities. 

(Speakers from Companies House to be confirmed) 

Structuring your Annual Report well - a funder's perspective

Ever wondered how a charitable funder uses your annual report in their decision making? Join us and find out why your annual report is a crucial communication tool, and hear practical tips on what funders tend to look for. With the transition to the new Charities SORP in 2026, don’t miss the opportunity to optimise the content and structure of your reports for success!

Julia Megone and a member of the charity's funding team, City Bridge Foundation

CIO conversion: Guidance for trustees of charitable companies

Experienced legal advisers from Anthony Collins will explain why some charitable companies may want to convert to Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs). This session will outline the key considerations, including how to choose the right type of CIO model for your charity, what the transition entails from a governance perspective, how to apply to the Charity Commission and accounting requirements for CIOs on conversion.

Katie Crosbie, Anthony Collins

Finance systems for small charities – everything you ever wanted to know!

This session from Adapta will explore finance systems that are suitable for small charities, including how best to approach specifying and selecting a new system. We will also look at the work required to implement a new system and highlight potential pitfalls, before we discuss new system features, compliance issues and trends.

Hamish Donaldson and Keith Collins, Adapta Consulting

Small Charity Tax: Myths, Mistakes & Must-Knows

Think small charities don’t pay tax? Think again. In this myth-busting session, Nick and Andrie will unpack the most common misconceptions about tax and small charities. They’ll reveal their Top 10 Tax Tips every trustee and treasurer should know to stay compliant and confident. With major changes coming in 2026, including a sweeping overhaul of charity tax compliance, this session is your essential guide to getting ahead of the curve and strengthening your charity's tax governance.

Andrie Kazamias and Nick Sladden, RSM UK

Closing remarks

Judith Miller, Partner, Sayer Vincent

Session Chair: Judith Miller, Partner, Sayer Vincent
As a partner, Judith shares the responsibility for managing the firm and leads on People and Culture issues. Learning and development, both at SV and outside work, is a field she loves. Judith firmly believes that, with the right support and training, we can master many things we may be anxious about – numbers and finances are often such areas. Judith has had several trustee roles that have helped to bring different perspectives to her day job. She has sat on the board of a grant maker, chaired the finance committee of a learning disability charity and been trustee of an infrastructure body. She is also a member of the ICAEW Charity Committee.

Joanna Pittman, Partner, Sayer Vincent
Joanna is a Partner at Sayer Vincent, where she acts as statutory auditor and independent examiner for charities. She has been with Sayer Vincent for 25 years, working exclusively with charities and social purpose organisations. Joanna has been a member of the Charities SORP Committee since 2020, so has been involved in the development of the new SORP and is well placed to explain what trustees of smaller charities need to know about it. Joanna has been a trustee herself, most recently for Farleigh Hospice where she chaired the Financial Governance Committee and was Vice Chair. She currently acts as Chair of the Charity Practitioners' Forum.

Julia Megone, Charities Technical & Strategic Finance Manager, City Bridge Foundation    
Julia works for the finance team at City Bridge Foundation, London’s largest independent charitable funder. She is responsible for supporting and signing off financial due diligence for grant making and social investments. The charity has recently launched its new funding strategy, Standing With Londoners, and Julia has worked with the grants team to update processes, aiming to reduce the burden on applicants by focussing on what is already available in the annual report (among other things). Julia is also a trustee of the Colyer Fergusson Charitable Trust, a grant making charity in Kent, and is a member of the ICAEW Charity Committee, contributing a view from the sector. She trained in audit at RSM, specialising in not for profit clients.

Katie Crosbie, Executive, Anthony Collins
Katie is an executive in the governance, funding and corporate team at Anthony Collins, particularly working with new charities seeking registration with the Charity Commission as well as established charities that wish to incorporate, restructure or convert from a charitable company or Community Interest Company to a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO). Katie’s work in the charity sector connects her with churches, faith-based organisations, and a wide range of charitable groups. Through these partnerships, she not only fulfils her personal mission but also advances the firm's commitment to creating meaningful social impact across the sector.

Hamish Donaldson, Programmes and Business Solutions Associate, Adapta Consulting
Hamish is an IT professional with over 30 years’ experience – and after a long career working in the ‘big 4’ consultancies, he wanted to use his experience to help organisations whose goals and ethos align with his own – which is what led him to focus on the not-for-profit sector. Hamish has helped over 100 organisations find, implement and embed the best solution for their needs. These include housing associations, membership organisations, local authorities, government agencies and many other not for-profit and commercial organisations, and include clients of all shapes and sizes

Keith Collins, Principal Consultant, Adapta Consulting
Keith specialises in helping organisations develop and implement technology and digital strategies, with a particular focus on digital solutions (e.g. web CMS, digital marketing, e-learning), CRM platforms, and how technology can support improved engagement with supporters, members, volunteers and staff. Keith’s experience comes from roles both within the charity and commercial sectors, and he has also been asked to speak at events both within the non-profit sector and beyond, including CeBIT – at the time the largest international IT expo – and fundraising conferences in the UK, Hungary, Germany and the Netherlands. Since returning to the world of independent consulting as a consultant with Adapta, Keith has worked with clients including the Trussell Trust, Islamic Relief UK, the British Horse Society, the National Children’s Bureau, Diabetes UK and The Pony Club, on projects including the development of digital strategies, and the selection of new technology solutions and suppliers.

Nick Sladden, Head of Charities, RSM
Nick heads the RSM charities team at RSM. He advises on audit, assurance and financial reporting and is an audit partner for a number of Top 250 charities. Using his 20 years’ experience in the sector, including working in Germany and Romania, Nick has developed RSM’s in-house guidance on Charities SORP FRS102 and undertaken research projects on the adoption of the Charity Governance Code. Nick holds the Diploma in Charity Accounting and has completed the Governing for Nonprofit Excellence Program at Harvard Business School and is a trustee of a national charity and a school governor. He is also Chair of Trustees at the RSM UK Foundation.

Andrie Kazamias, Tax Director, RSM
Andrie is both a Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Tax Adviser, specialising in corporation tax with over 25 years of experience.
At RSM, Andrie serves as the National Lead for charities tax and is part of the leadership team for the charities sector, contributing to strategic direction, target setting, and key initiatives. While Andrie’s primary focus lies in the public and third sector, she also manages a portfolio of commercial clients and property groups. This blend of experience allows her to bring a commercial perspective to her work with not-for-profit organisations. She has extensive expertise in advising clients on all aspects of corporate tax, including tax enquiry management, gift aid reviews, tax-efficient structuring, income stream analysis to identify and mitigate tax risks, and transactional support.