The government’s choice to be the next Charity Commission chair has said that she would be “steely” and show “teeth” if confirmed in the role.
Unwin answered questions from the Culture, Media and Sport select committee yesterday in a pre-appointment hearing for the top role at the regulator.
The previous nine-year leader of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, named as the government’s choice earlier this month, told the committee that the commission needs to have “teeth” at a time when she has never seen the charity sector so “brittle”.
She highlighted challenges facing the sector including threats to public trust, difficulties facing trusteeship and declining volunteer numbers.
Ahead of today’s budget, Unwin said last year’s decision not to exempt charities from a national insurance contribution rise was a “crushing blow” and hopes for “no more surprises” this time.
On the state of the sector, Unwin said: “I have to say, 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.”
Unwin said that if she does not receive the select committee’s endorsement, she would find something else to do with her time.
Neither of Unwin’s predecessors Orlando Fraser and Tina Stowell was endorsed by the committee, but they were still appointed.
Public trust challenge
Unwin added that charities must maintain public trust which has “deserted” other institutions.
“The key challenges facing the sector are to do with public trust, which is remarkably robust but needs to be nurtured and cared for.
“We are seeing trust deserting so many institutions that we should never be complacent. It surprises me that we have maintained it.”
When asked what impact declining volunteer numbers have on the sector, Unwin said: “It is one of the most worrying things we are facing. Numbers are declining, and we have an ageing volunteer and trustee force.”
Unwin added that she was keen to understand and address the decline if picked as chair.
“I am not sure that we understand enough about changing motives for volunteering and whether our more atomised, screen-based approach is changing volunteering and whether different things are happening.
“The tradition of volunteering, through traditional routes, is certainly declining and that is deeply worrying for the organisations that depend upon those volunteers.”
Trustee turnover
Another key area Unwin said she would tackle was attracting trustees to the sector.
Unwin said: “Attracting trustees is very high on the list of things that I will want to take to the Charity Commission and say, ‘What will we do about it?’.”
The former chair of the Civil Society Futures inquiry in 2018 spoke about the “very high” trustee turnover rate and said it was one of the “real risks” facing the sector.
Unwin also suggested that “further powers will be needed” by the commission to tackle wrongdoing and keep pace with an ever-changing sector.
She identified a “current crisis” owing to a lack of trust, deep community divisions and the playing out of global conflict in the UK as critical issues charities will need to address.
Unwin, who faced “personal threats” in her prior five-year charity commissioner term, said she was “steely as anybody” and up for the job.
She said: “When I sat as a charity commissioner and we told the Church of Scientology that it could not be a charity and got personal threats, I was as steely as anybody.
“I did that in my last role, and that has stayed with me.”
“It will be a different challenge to guide the regulator, especially in the current environment. We also know we won’t always agree with her on everything, and that’s okay. This is an excellent choice and we look forward to working with Dame Julia and her team in the future.”
