August brought sharper risks and a 4,000-piece relay.

Regulation: The Charity Commission’s 2026 risk assessment recorded 374 concerns about charitable status being abused for private benefit in 2025-26, up 29% from the previous year. The Commission presents the assessment as a prompt for proportionate trustee decisions, because each charity’s exposure will differ.

Cyber: After a cyber incident involving Beacon CRM, the Charity Commission said a number of affected charities had filed serious incident reports. It told trustees to consider the Commission’s reporting guidance, ICO duties and communication with people whose data may be involved.

Funding policy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s National Lottery call for evidence remained open at the cutoff. It asks how good-cause funding could reflect current priorities, reach the places that need it and reduce bureaucracy. The page welcomes responses from individuals and organisations across the UK.

Employment policy: An NCVO briefing explained how a consultation on zero-hours and low-hours contracts could affect voluntary organisations. The consultation closed on 25 August and will inform regulations on guaranteed hours, shift notice and short-notice cancellations. The detailed measures are still being developed.

Accounts: Charity Commission guidance says higher accounting and examination thresholds are expected from 30 September 2026 for accounting years ending on or after that date. Charities preparing accruals accounts also need to apply SORP 2026 to reporting periods that start on or after 1 January 2026.

This month in history: On 4 August 1870, a London public meeting resolved to form a national society to aid sick and wounded soldiers under the Geneva Convention. The British National Society for Aid to the Sick and Wounded in War became the British Red Cross.

Did you know? The National Lottery has generated more than £53 billion for good causes across the UK since 1994, according to the current government call for evidence.