Governance

Legal details

Our charitable objects

Our objects, as set out in our governing document, are the relief of poverty and hardship, and the advancement of education for young people, with particular reference to the social and cultural aspects of education.

Trustees and accounts

Our policies

Our policies were fully reviewed and updated with an independent charity compliance adviser in December 2022. All Trustees, and staff where relevant, must read and agree to comply with them. They cover:

How we are structured

Our Kids is the parent charity of a group that includes its trading subsidiary, Easygift Trading Ltd. The subsidiaries carry out the trading activities and employ the staff, and their profits are used to support the Charity's work, including through grants to the parent charity.

Because the subsidiaries are the employers, they have their own health and safety and employment arrangements, tailored to their operations.

Conflicts of interest

A conflict of interest is any situation in which a Trustee's personal interests or loyalties could, or could be seen to, stop them making a decision only in the best interests of the Charity. This includes their connected persons, as defined in the Charities Act 2011, and loyalties to employers, other charities or family members.

Trustees must declare any actual or potential conflict at the earliest opportunity and, where necessary, take no part in the decision concerned. We keep a record of Trustees' interests and update it regularly. In particular:

Investments and our subsidiaries

Our Memorandum and Articles of Association give the Trustees the power to make investments they consider appropriate. Every investment is assessed for its risk, its return and how it fits the Charity's aims, and the Trustees take expert advice on material decisions.

Before investing in a subsidiary trading company, the Trustees compare it fairly with other forms of investment, satisfy themselves that the company is financially viable based on its business plan and forecasts, take proportionate professional advice, and review from time to time whether the investment should be kept.

We hold reserves so that we can continue funding grants in line with our objects, meet our loan repayments as they fall due, and support our subsidiaries where appropriate.

Grant making

We make grants to charitable organisations and individuals whose work fits the Charity's objects. The Trustees consider every request they receive and make grants based on the funds available.

We carry out checks on the organisations and individuals we fund, and larger grants need a completed grant eligibility form and must be approved at a Trustees' meeting. We ask grant recipients for a written receipt and, where appropriate, evidence that the grant has been used for the agreed purpose.

Staff and pay

We aim to pay staff fairly for the work they do. The Trustees set and review senior management pay every year, taking advice from industry professionals. Other salaries are set with regard to the size and financial position of the organisation, inflation and market pay for similar roles.

Staff, Trustees and volunteers can claim back reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, in line with HMRC rules.

Financial controls

We operate internal financial controls over income, payments, bank accounts, loans and assets. These include independent checks on income and expenditure records, at least monthly bank reconciliations reviewed by a second person, a register of fixed assets, regular professional revaluation of land and buildings, and insurance that includes employers' liability, public liability, and buildings and contents cover.

Equality and diversity

We are committed to promoting equality and diversity in everything we do. We do not treat anyone less favourably on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, ethnic origin, colour, nationality, national origin, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation, and we oppose all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination.

This applies to the people who use our services, our volunteers, our staff and everyone else we work with. If you feel you have been discriminated against, please raise it with us so we can put it right.

Whistleblowing

We expect everyone involved with the Charity to maintain high standards of honesty and integrity. Our whistleblowing policy applies to our Trustees, employees, volunteers, beneficiaries and anyone else who comes into contact with the Charity.

Nobody will suffer detrimental treatment for raising a genuine concern, even if it turns out to be mistaken. We will consider anonymous concerns, but anonymity can make them harder to investigate.

Serious incidents

Our Trustees promptly report serious incidents to the Charity Commission, as the Charities Act 2011 requires. These include significant harm to people who come into contact with us through our work, significant loss of the Charity's money or assets, significant damage to its property, and significant harm to its work or reputation.