The government’s choice for next Charity Commission chair has been confirmed in post.
Julia Unwin has today been appointed to a three-year term as Charity Commission chair by culture secretary Lisa Nandy.
Unwin was backed by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee to become chair on 28 November after a pre-appointment hearing on 25 November.
David Holdsworth, Charity Commission chief executive, welcomed Unwin and praised outgoing interim chair Mark Simms, who will continue at the commission as a board member.
Holdsworth said: “Dame Julia brings extensive experience of regulation and public service [...]
“She will arrive at a crucial time, as we begin to invest additional resources in new technology and digital solutions.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Mark Simms for his hard work and expertise as interim chair of the commission. Mark has provided strong and steady leadership during a challenging period."
After the committee’s report the final decision to appoint Unwin, one of 44 applicants, rested with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
Unwin, who served as charity commissioner for five years in the late 1990s, had said she would only take up the role with the committee’s backing.
The DCMS pick said she would be “steely” and show “teeth” in tackling the challenges facing the sector, including falling volunteer numbers and threats to public trust.
In the hearing on November 25, Unwin said: “I have never seen the charitable sector so brittle, so challenged, and in such difficulty, and I think that calls for the Charity Commission to be very on the front foot on those issues.
“I have teeth, and I think the Charity Commission needs to have teeth. It needs to be able to make decisions clearly, firmly and with confidence.”
Caroline Dinenage, the select committee chair, had said the sector needed a “robust” appointment like Unwin.
“We look forward to engaging with her as she gets to work, at a time when the charity sector needs a robust and supportive regulator,” she said.
Unwin, who led the Joseph Rowntree Foundation for nine years, was a member of the Board of Housing Corporation for nine years and chaired the Civil Society Futures Inquiry, which reported in 2018.
As chair of the regulator, Unwin’s duties will include setting the board’s agenda, leading development of the commission’s strategy and ensuring it appropriately exercises its legal powers.
