The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland is appealing for the public to take part in a consultation on its new draft equality guidance.

The guidance was developed with the assistance of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland with the aim of helping charities to better understand the complexities of equality legislation.

Frances McCandless, chief executive of the Commission, said: “The equality guidance covers the intersection between charity and equality law and is designed to help charity trustees understand the complex legislative environment in which they work.

“Compliance with equality law is a key requirement and this consultation is an opportunity for trustees to support the work of the Commission and gain a better understanding of how the law affects them.”

The regulator said it hopes the consultation will attract the interest of trustees, charity support organisations, charity beneficiaries, service users and members of the public.

Participants can supply feedback online, by post or in person at one of four panel discussions held in Lurgan, Derry/Londonderry, Belfast and Cookstown.

Aoife Morrison, policy and research manager for the Commission, said she hoped as many individuals and organisations as possible would take the time to read the guidance and share their thoughts.

“Our equality guidance will be a vital resource for charities, supporting them in understanding their responsibilities under the law,” she said.

“However, before we finalise the guidance, we are calling on anyone interested to let us know what they think – is the guidance accessible and comprehensive, is there anything missing or unclear?

“While our consultation won’t impact on equality legislation itself, it is aimed at helping charities by ensuring the guidance suits their needs and actively supports them in understanding the law and signposting to relevant support.”

The consultation opens on Monday 2 February 2015 and will run for 12 weeks, closing at 5pm on Monday 27 April 2015. 

More information on feedback options and panel discussions will be made available from Monday.

The Commission said results will be collated and published in a consultation report later in the year.