major travel plc

Your booking is accepted by us when you receive your booking confirmation but may still be subject to confirmation from suppliers. Your booking will be confirmed when we issue you with a booking confirmation with all the individual component parts of the itinerary showing the status confirmed. Please check your quote, booking confirmation and/or itinerary carefully and notify us or your travel agent immediately if you think any of the details are inaccurate. The names on your itinerary must match those on your passports otherwise you will be unable to travel and will incur amendment or cancellation charges. It is essential that you check your documentation and ensure that your first names and surnames are spelt exactly as they appear in your passports. We are not liable to you for any problems or complaints you may have as a result of holiday details having been noted incorrectly if you do not advise us of these prior to travel.

The following terms are valid from 19 th May 2022

SECTION 1 – HOLIDAY PRICES

Travel & Stay Options & Prices: Holiday prices are influenced by a variety of factors particularly depending on the type of travel option you book. It is not possible to show the supplements and fares for all our different travel arrangements due the range of options available, and the prices displayed online are for guidance only. We can usually offer you a choice of travel options and dates/times of travel. You will also find our transport providers may offer a choice of seat classes or upgrade options – your travel agent will be able to confirm the current prices. Please note that our prices are based on bookings made by UK residents only. If you are not a UK Resident, you may be liable upon check-in/check-out for additional charges. We will not be liable for such additional charges.

Scheduled Flights: the prices we show for scheduled flights are based upon the lowest fare available. The airlines will limit the number of seats available at these prices by flight and date of travel. If the price shown online is not available when you book, we will offer you the next best seat price. The price includes current taxes (such as air passenger duty), aircraft insurance, security, fuel and other associated costs known at the time of booking. Our prices are affected by changes in these costs (see section ‘Extra Charges - before booking’).

Airline Services: A number of airlines that we offer no longer include meals or luggage allowance within the basic price offered. Please ask us for specific details at the time of booking.

Airline Failure Protection: a charge made by us on all our holidays that include a flight so that in the event the Airline on which you are due to travel ceases to trade, we are able to arrange alternative flights (if available) or issue you with a refund, as appropriate.

Extra Charges - Before Booking: The prices shown are based on current airfares including fuel surcharges. Airlines reserve the right to change prices prior to ticketing and we must reserve the right to increase prices due to changes in fuel costs or taxes. We will advise you of the current price at the time of booking and we will absorb any increase of less than 2% of your holiday price. If costs rise of more than 8% you may choose to cancel and receive a full refund. For further information please refer to the booking conditions.

Departure Airport Taxes: Where applicable, all UK and overseas taxes have been included in your holiday price. The only overseas taxes we have not included are those that must be paid in the respective countries and cannot be collected prior to your UK departure. This will include tourism enhancement fees or some passenger service taxes.

Accommodation Supplements & Restrictions: Hotel prices are generally shown per person (based on two people sharing) in a standard twin or double room for the number of nights as stated in the accommodation description. The lowest available rates are displayed but please allow for supplements depending on the dates you stay. Prices will vary depending on, for example, peak periods, weekend/ midweek stays, local holidays, special events and the room type you select. Hoteliers may also require a minimum length of stay at certain times of the year. Please ask your travel agent for prices and any minimum stay restrictions applying on the day you book. We reserve the right to change prices. Prices can go up or down.

Local Charges: At some accommodation certain amenities may carry a local charge. Unless we have stated that a service or facility is ‘free’ in our accommodation descriptions, you may be asked to pay a charge. Here are a few examples of what you might expect to pay for locally, but always check first as there may be others. The examples include but are not limited to the types of local charges that may be payable:

• A daily resort fee or an additional charge for sun loungers maybe applicable.
• Daily car parking charge at some hotels/apartments.
• Local taxes payable on checkout.
• Entertainment and activities away from your accommodation.
• Highchairs, cots, hotel run children’s clubs and meals for infants.
• Meals and beverages from restaurants and bars at your at your accommodation.
• Safety deposit facilities, room service, mini bar, TV/satellite TV, telephone calls, air conditioning and sea views.
• Facilities and equipment such as pool towels, spas, whirlpools, indoor pools, sauna, table tennis, billiards and darts and other sporting equipment.

Frequent Flyer Schemes: Not all airline tickets sold by Major Travel are eligible for mileage/points accrual. We strongly advise that you check with the airline(s) concerned regarding the use of frequent flyer membership(s) with your booking.

Child Ages: Children must be under the age of 12 on the last day of their itinerary. For flights and package holidays, this means that they must be 11 years or under on the day they arrive at their final destination as presented in our travel itinerary. In most cases, the final destination will be the return back to the UK. For hotels, the child must be 11 years or under on the date of check out from the hotel to qualify as a child. Some hotels and airlines may offer child discounts for passengers up to the age of 17. If such a discount is offered, the passenger must be under the specified age limit on the day they arrive at their final destination as presented in our travel itinerary.

SECTION 2 – BEFORE YOU TRAVEL

Scheduled Flights: Flights may be booked in conjunction with hotel and ground arrangements and flight times at the time of booking will be provisional. Final times will be advised with your travel documents shortly before the departure date.

Special Offers: Unless otherwise stated, special offers will only apply for certain periods of stay and at certain hotels. Conditions may apply to these offers and you will be advised at the time of booking. All offers are subject to availability and can be withdrawn at any time without notice. The offer validity period generally applies to completed stays within the date banding, but this may vary according to the individual hotel.

Honeymoons and other special events: Where you advise and pay for an specifically advertised as a honeymoon offer as noted on your invoice this should be guaranteed by the hotel. You must have proof of your recent marriage upon check in and may be required to pay additional costs if you fail to produce in. For other special offers such as anniversaries and birthdays we will pass this information on to the relevant hotel, however no guarantees can be given.

Complimentary Room Upgrades: Where applicable and unless otherwise stated, offers of room upgrades shown online will be determined by availability when you travel and your room will be allocated on arrival at the accommodation. If your room is upgraded, please note that this will not necessarily be to the next highest category, as we do not sell all room types at all hotels. Room upgrades are subject to availability on arrival.

Passports & Visa Checklist

• British Citizens holding a 10-year UK passport (5 years for children), issued in the UK should note that some overseas countries have an immigration requirement for a passport to remain valid for a minimum period after the date of entry to that country (typically 6 months).
• Non-British Citizen passport holders or British Citizens holding a UK Passport issued abroad or holders of British Subject Passports should contact the appropriate consulate or embassy for advice
• Passport and visa regulations can change - check with your Travel Advisor or the relevant embassy well in advance of travel.
• Apply early: If you need to apply for a passport or renew an expired passport, you should do so well in advance of travel
• If you are 16 or over and have never had a passport in your own name, you should apply for one in good time before booking your holiday. The UK passport service has to confirm your identity before issuing your first passport and will ask you to attend an interview in order to protect your identity.
• If a visa is required, allow plenty of time to apply. Your passport may need a minimum number of blank pages

- check with the FCO.

• You may not be able to travel and insurance may be invalid if the names on your passport and travel documents do not match. If any member of your party changes their name, we must be notified immediately so that we can change booking documentation.
• All passengers must ensure they have valid, acceptable passports, any required visa, any other documentation for both the final destination and any stop-off points en-route.
• Ensure advanced passenger information is submitted in advance of travel for all destinations.
• Failure to hold correct documentation or submitting incorrect details with advanced passenger information or visa applications may result in refusal of carriage or entry to a country.
• If you do not have the correct documentation, you may be refused travel by the airline.
• If you fail to comply with the passport, visa and health requirements of the country you are travelling to, you may be liable to pay fines, surcharges, other financial penalty, costs (including the cost of an immediate return flight) and any other sums of any description, which are incurred or imposed by the airline or supplier or incurred by us.
• You may not be able to travel and insurance may be invalid if
• the names on your passport and travel documents do not If
• any member of your party changes their name, we must be notified immediately so that we can change booking
• Ensure advanced passenger information is submitted in advance of travel for all
• Failure to hold correct documentation or submitting incorrect details with advanced passenger information or visa applications may result in refusal of carriage or entry to a If you do not have the correct documentation, you may be refused travel by the airline.
• If you fail to comply with the passport, visa and health requirements of the country you are travelling to, you may be liable to pay fines, surcharges, other financial penalty, costs (including the cost of an immediate return flight) and any other sums of any description, which are incurred or imposed by the airline or supplier or incurred by

How to contact the Passport Office: General passport enquiries should be directed to the Passport Office. Visit: www.direct.gov.uk/ passports or telephone: 0300 222 0000.

How to find out about visa requirements: The Foreign and Commonwealth Travel Advice Unit provides information about visa requirements and also provides contact details for relevant Embassies. Visit: www.fco.gov.uk, alternatively e-mail [email protected], telephone the Foreign Office Travel Advice Unit on 0845 850 2829 or ask your Travel Advisor.

Advanced Passenger Information: Airlines are required to collect biographical information contained in the section of your passport that can be read by machine (such as name, passport number). We refer to this as your advance passenger information, which Airlines will pass onto the e-Borders programme both prior to your departure from a UK Airport to an overseas destination, and on any journey to the UK. Airlines are legally required to collect your advance passenger information – for details visit the UK Border Agency website: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk or your airlines website. For some destinations this will be obtained at the airport but for others we will ask you to provide the information to us or your airline at time of booking or at least 72 hours before you travel. Please also carefully note any instructions about Advanced Passenger Information on your confirmation invoice or tickets.

USA Visitors/In Transit- Entry Requirements: This checklist applies to all passengers. Passengers travelling to or via the USA must comply with the following entry requirements. For full details on all these, please visit www.usembassy.org.uk.

• You must have a valid machine readable or biometric passport
• You must be eligible for the Visa Waiver Programme or apply for a visa
• Ensure you have provided to us and/or your airline your Advance Passenger Information (also referred to as US Secure Flight Passenger Data)
• Log onto the US official website ‘ESTA’ at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov. l Apply for authorisation to travel

SECTION 3 - GROUND ARRANGEMENTS

Accommodation : Every effort has been made to describe each hotel and standard room accommodation we feature as fairly and accurately as possible. We expect hoteliers to inform us of any major changes without delay and, where possible, we will inform you prior to departure. Meals as specified are included only where stated; all other arrangements are on a room only basis. Accommodation is generally priced per person based on twin share occupancy unless otherwise stated. Please ask our reservations staff at the time of booking for exact details. When we mention room types, in most cases you can expect to receive a room similar to the room type described. Please note however that whilst room categories in different hotels may have the same or similar names, the criteria for their classification is likely to differ, as these are the names the hotels use and they do not have standard definitions. Every effort has been made to ensure that the hotels and other accommodation featured online are correctly represented and will fulfil your expectations for quality and service. It is important to note that, where used; the star classification system is our own and does not conform to any internationally recognised system. The rating, in our opinion, reflects a true representation of the merits of each property. Inevitably, standards will differ slightly between the many destinations which we feature.

Shared Accommodation: On most escorted and independent tours featured, a single room costs more.

Single Supplements: If a single person occupies a double room they will usually be asked to pay extra (a single supplement). Hotels price their rooms as doubles and they do not reduce the rates if they are occupied by a single person. The costs to the hotel of providing the room – heating, lighting, cleaning etc. are the same regardless of how many people occupy that room. The prices we charge reflect the costs of under occupancy of the rooms contracted to us by the hotel, we do not mark up these supplements.

Room Types Information : In all types of accommodation described below, if there are less than the maximum number of persons in your own party, the room type may contain less than the maximum number of beds indicated.

Hotel Rooms: A ‘double’ is a room with a double bed. A ‘twin’ is a room with two single beds. A ‘single’ or ‘twin for sole use’ is a room with one or

two single beds. A double bed may be two single beds with double bedding. Single rooms are often smaller, may not have a balcony and may not be of the same general standard as normal twin rooms. Some hotels have rooms, which sleep up to 4 persons. Room layout may consist of up to 4 separate beds or a combination of double, twin, camp beds, sofa beds or rollaway beds. In some hotels 3rd and 4th beds may be only suitable for a child, but in other hotels there may be a reduction available if 4 adults share the room. Rooms for up to

4 persons may not be any larger than standard twin or double rooms so space is likely to limited and the room may be cramped. Where rooms do accept extra beds, some hotels may require an additional local charge to be paid which can vary by destination, e.g., rollaway bed in USA – please ask for details when you book. Though we will do our best to help, please note that we cannot guarantee the room configuration or type of beds that you will be provided with. Please note, for accommodation in some parts of the USA, especially Las Vegas, there must be at least one person aged 21 years old or above travelling on the booking and present when checking in. Please check requirements before booking.

Suites/Junior Suites/Villas: A Suite and Junior Suite usually but not always contain a lounge/living area. A Suite is likely to contain a separate sleeping area whereas a Junior Suite the sleeping area may not be completely separate. Room layouts can vary by destination. Our descriptions of Suites/Junior Suites and Villas usually state the number of persons who can occupy the room type (e.g., 2-4 persons) but please reconfirm this at the time of booking. Children paying less than the full cost do not count towards occupancy of the Suites/Junior Suites or Villas.

Child Reductions: Child reductions are usually available for children who are under the age of 12 on the date of travel. To obtain this reduction in cost, children must share a room with two full paying adults and use existing bedding within the room type booked. Where an additional bed is required, our reservations staff will be pleased to advise you of the additional cost. Rooms shared by adults and children are requested through our system and are therefore subject to availability.

Tour Itinerary: All our tours are, by their very nature, complex and include services from many different airlines, hotels and ground transportation companies. Due to the demand for these services, it is not always possible to guarantee particular airlines, flights, aircraft, ferries, trains and/or the hotels featured on a particular itinerary or departure date. It is with this in mind that we reserve the right to change any of the listed services and, if necessary, even modify the itinerary itself without prior notice. Where any alteration significantly changes your tour itinerary or tour dates, we will always make every effort to give as much advance notification as possible. Changes to tours may also be necessary once the tour has commenced, changes may include the sequence of visits being altered according to local conditions

Changes to tours may also be necessary once the tour has commenced, changes may include the sequence of visits being altered according to local conditions.

Meal Service: Meals as specified are included only where stated; all other arrangements are on a room only basis. Many properties are not necessarily used to catering for special diets and therefore if you have particular or specific requirements, you may find that the choice is limited. As a matter of courtesy to fellow guests, property owners may require diners adhere to a dress code whilst dining in their restaurants.

Hotel Check-In: Your room will normally be available for check-in from 3pm onwards, although sometimes check in times may be later than this. If you intend to arrive late due to a pre-arranged flight schedule or transfers, your hotel will need to be advised of your late check-in. On the day of departure, you will be asked to check out before 12 noon and sometimes as early as 10am. Should you wish to request a late check out as you have a late afternoon or evening departure, the hotel may decide to apply additional charges. If you wish to pre-book and guarantee an additional half-day’s occupancy, please ask our reservations staff for details and prices. Customers may be required to leave a credit card deposit at hotel check in. If a credit card is not available, then sometimes a cash deposit may be needed instead.

Air Conditioning: Some properties have individual air-conditioners located in either the bedroom or the living area, allowing you to adjust the atmosphere to your own liking. Some may operate centrally controlled air conditioning. This means it is operated at the discretion of the management, both in bedrooms and public areas. In such cases air conditioning may be restricted to particular times of the day and to the hottest months of the summer. It may be that only cool air is provided, not necessarily warm air as well. There may be a local charge for air conditioning in some rooms.

Accommodation Maintenance : Certain accommodation we offer is operational all year round. From time to time it will be necessary for certain facilities to be withdrawn for general maintenance purposes. Water and electricity supplies may be interrupted whilst this essential maintenance is undertaken.

Other Guests: We do not have exclusive use of the properties we offer. It is possible therefore, that there may be guests from other countries and of mixed age groups at your accommodation. Many hotels we feature do operate corporate conference facilities and there may be occasions where business meetings are taking place during your stay.

Hotel-Run Children’s Clubs: Standards and facilities at kids’ clubs we offer may vary. We are unable to accept responsibility for or give any guarantee for the standard of the facilities and qualifications of personnel at hotel run clubs. Kids’ club(s) may not meet standards of similar facilities in the UK and guests are strongly advised to remember that local standards and requirements in respect of such clubs may differ overseas and so you must ensure that you are completely satisfied with the facilities and staff providing this service before you enroll your child or children into the club and into the clubs’ care.

Gala Dinners: Many hotels require the compulsory purchase of gala dinners over the Christmas and New Year period as well as during other major local holidays. Please enquire when booking as to whether this requirement is applicable to your hotel.

Building Works: Building works and noise are sometimes unavoidable in certain developing areas, resorts and cities. Unfortunately, such development is not directly under our control, nor do we necessarily receive advance notice of when they begin. Should we be aware of any building works that may be considered to be a seriously detriment to your enjoyment, we will notify you as soon as possible. If possible, we will offer you the opportunity to transfer to an alternative hotel. Some public facilities at hotels, such as restaurants, bars and swimming pools, may only be available during mid-week or high season. We will, wherever possible, inform you if this is the case at the time of booking. In some destinations work is carried out by local/national authorities of which we have no control and cannot be held responsible.

All Inclusive: To help you choose your all-inclusive holiday we have highlighted what activities and facilities are included with each accommodation. This is based on information we have received from the hotel management, often dictated by the properties current seasons all-inclusive package. Please allow for some facilities or activities to be altered or substituted when you travel though, as hotels do regularly review and update what they offer as all inclusive.

• Identification : When you arrive at your hotel you are likely to be provided with some form of identification (a card, necklace, bracelet etc), which will have to be shown when ordering drinks, meals and other included facilities. Ensure you take care of this as a penalty charge is likely to be imposed if lost.
• Behaviour : Both we and each of the all-inclusive hotels reserve the right to withdraw the identification facility of any guest(s) whose behaviour, or whose child/children’s behaviour is such that it is, in the opinion of the management, detrimental to the enjoyment of the other guests.
• Alcohol : Having drinks freely available throughout the day can be a temptation to over-indulge. Please therefore consider your fellow guests (and your own health) while bearing in mind that hotel management have every right to refuse service to guests they believe to be intoxicated or underage (in accordance with local law).
• Bottled Mineral Water : In some all-inclusive hotels bottled mineral water does not form part of the ‘unlimited soft drinks service’.
• Locally Sourced Drinks/Snacks : Drinks included are generally only locally produced brands; cocktails, international and premium brands and fruit juices are not available unless stated. The type and variety of snacks served (between mealtimes) will vary between hotels and resorts, and may be of a more traditional / local variety. What’s Not Included: Any additional facilities or services available may incur a charge. Consequently, not all bars/restaurants are available free of charge.
• Coming Home : Most hotels remove access to all inclusive facilities, including food and drink at the time of checkout, which is generally 12 noon on the day of departure.

Safety & Hygiene: Your health and safety is of paramount concern to us, especially if children are involved. In addition to monitoring the hygiene and safety standards in all the hotel and apartments that we use; it is appropriate that we bring to your attention the need for you to be careful and to take necessary precautions whilst overseas and we need your help and cooperation with this. We would ask you to pay close attention to the following information, together with any other information we, our agents or suppliers, provide to you before you go, during your flight and when you arrive in your destination and at your hotel. It is most important that you familiarise yourself with this information and any other information you are given or on display.

Swimming Pools & Water Features: Please make use of the pool shower facilities before swimming – this helps to prevent any potential infections and helps to keep the pool clean. Every pool is different, and most hotels / apartments do not employ lifeguards, so you are strongly recommended to familiarise yourself with the pool layout, identifying the deep and shallow ends before using. Do not use the pool after dark or when the pool is closed, even if the pool has underwater lights. You should never swim when you have been drinking alcohol. Whilst some of our hotels and apartments have water features, such as slides or flumes, which may appear in our photography, generally we do not recommend these are used. It is possible such features may have been replaced or removed since the photography was taken.

Overseas Safety Standards: Regrettably the safety standards and regulations overseas may not be of the same level that we enjoy in the UK. For instance, the design and height of balconies may differ. The setting and enforcement of local regulations is a matter for the Authorities of the country and the foreign supplier of the services concerned. You should familiarise yourself with fire procedures, including emergency exits in your accommodation, the swimming pool(s) area and any unfamiliar cooking appliances. If in doubt, ask your representative or an appropriate member of staff.

Children: Children must be supervised by you at all times, especially near water, on balconies or in unfamiliar buildings and surroundings.

Stomach Upsets: It is still a relatively common occurrence to suffer gastric illness when travelling abroad and being exposed to a different environment. There are many ways you can reduce the possibility of being affected, such as, not eating undercooked food, avoiding ice in drinks, ensuring you drink plenty of bottled water and avoid over exposure to the sun.

Out & About: Due to rough terrain and uneven surfaces, we recommend that you are extra careful and vigilant when visiting temples and other sites of interest and when crossing roads. Crimes against people and property are a fact of life throughout the world and you have the same responsibility for your own safety as you do at home. In some places the local police may not be very cooperative or interested when you report a theft or need insurance confirmation so always take care of your property. It is recommended not to approach cats and dogs and other animals as these may carry the rabies disease which can be passed on through bites and scratches. Please exercise caution before entering the sea,

as the seabed is not even and may change in depth. The sea is capable of springing surprises, and we have not inspected the beach or seabed for its safety.

SECTION 4 – YOUR JOURNEY

Luggage Allowance: Please ensure that luggage taken with you is in good condition. We will advise you of the luggage allowance applicable to your flight at the time of booking, this will be confirmed on your e-ticket. Many airlines charge extra for baggage. Hand Luggage can normally be carried, however please check with your carrier prior to travel. For further information regarding your allowances, you can contact the airline with which you are travelling. Due to increase security at airports please ensure you are familiar with what is allowed in your luggage please check www.caa.co.uk.

  Flight Routing: A direct flight may touch down en-route for re-fuelling, or to pick up and/ or drop off passengers. In these instances, you are not normally required to disembark and the flight is still considered to be a direct flight - with the exception of the USA where you will disembark and clear customs at your first point of entry. A non-direct flight may require a change of aircraft en-route while a non-stop flight will take you directly to your final destination airport without stopping.

Non-Smoking Policies

• Airlines: All of the airlines featured do not permit smoking on their aircraft.
• Airports: Some airports also have non-smoking policies; however, some do provide designated smoking areas.
• Hotels: Many of the hotels featured have non-smoking rooms. If you require a non-smoking room, please make your request at the time of booking. These requests cannot be guaranteed.

SECTION 5 – DRIVING

Car Hire Info: Driving standards in some countries may not be as high as you experience in the UK and rental policies can differ. If you do hire a car during your holiday, we recommend that you select reputable companies, preferably those who provide assistance cover in case of breakdown or emergency. Major Travel PLC offers car hire services in many countries, please ask for information.

Unused Services: We do not provide refunds for any unused pre-booked services. Any changes you may need to make to your arrangements during your holiday may incur additional charges. If car hire is booked subsequently to booking your package holiday this will not form part of your package and therefore will not be covered under the package rules and regulations.

SECTION 6 – MEDICAL AND HEALTH REQUIREMENTS

Health Precautions: Health facilities, hygiene and disease risks vary worldwide. You should take health advice about your specific needs as early as possible. Sources of information include the following websites: www.fco.gov.uk, www.hpa.org.uk and www.nathnac.org or your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic. If you are visiting a European Union (EU) country, you should obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and take it with you when you travel. The EHIC can be obtained free of charge by completing an application form available from main Post Offices and from www.dh.gov.uk/travellers. Please note, the EHIC is in addition to Travel Insurance, not instead of it.

Travellers with Reduced Mobility

• Overseas Accommodation and Overseas Transport Arrangements : Some overseas accommodation, overseas transport (including transfers) and other holiday services provided overseas are not equipped to cater for the needs of persons with reduced mobility. Furthermore, the natural terrain and the layout of some resorts can sometimes make life difficult for wheelchair users. It is therefore important, if you have any disability, that the appropriate enquiries are made about the suitability of particular accommodation, resorts, transport and services, and that you are fully satisfied you have made the correct choice before you book and confirm your holiday. We cannot be held responsible if you fail to tell us about special needs/requirements that will affect your holiday experience, and this means we will not compensate you.
• At the Airport & Onboard Your Flight : If you have a disability, reduced mobility or special need that you require assistance with, either at the airport or onboard the aircraft please let us know as soon as possible. We would like to know if you have a pre-existing medical condition or recent injury, so that we can answer any questions and ensure there are no concerns about your fitness to fly.
• Travelling when Pregnant : Most airlines enforce strict regulations for expectant mothers. Airlines generally allow expectant mothers to travel anytime up to 24 to 36 weeks into their pregnancy with a covering note from their GP. We strongly advise you to consult your local GP and airline concerned if you plan to travel whilst pregnant.

SECTION 7 – TRAVEL TIPS

Maps/Climate Charts: Maps are to be used as a guide only and are not to scale.

Money : We recommend the purchase of a Cash Passport for the bulk of your holiday money, with a small amount of local currency for initial sundry items. Major credit cards are also widely accepted in all destinations. In some cases, local currencies may have to be purchased after arrival or there may be restrictions on the amount you are permitted to buy in advance. We suggest you contact your Travel Agent for details.

Power & Water Supplies: In most destinations you will find the supplies of water and power to be extremely reliable; however, in some countries this is not the case, and these places may frequently suffer from power cuts and restrictions on the water used.

Public Holidays: In Muslim countries, dates of religious festivals are fixed by local sightings of the moon. Ramadan is a period of fasting and there may be restrictions on drinking alcohol and eating in public. Ramadan is estimated to fall between 05 May and 04 June 2019 and during this period some shops and restaurants may close. Chinese New Year is a major celebration throughout Asia so flights and hotels may be extremely busy during this time. Most ethnic Chinese businesses, including shops and restaurants (but not hotels), may be closed. In 2019, Chinese New Year will be on 5th February. If you would like to know more about international public holidays and impact of events, please contact the appropriate tourist board or speak to your travel agent. FCO Advice: The Foreign & Commonwealth Office produces up-to-date travel information to help British travellers make informed decisions about travelling abroad. For further information please visit www.fco.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo.

ABTA - The Travel Association: Major Travel PLC is a member of ABTA with membership number P7169. ABTA and ABTA members help holidaymakers to get the most from their travel and assist them when things do not go according to plan. We are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA’s Code of Conduct. For further information about ABTA, the Code of Conduct and the arbitration scheme available to you if you have a complaint, contact ABTA, 30 Park Street London SE1 9EQ Tel: 0203 117 0500 or look at the website: www.abta.com

Telephone Calls: To ensure excellent customer service is consistently delivered, telephone calls to UK offices are recorded.

We are MAJOR TRAVEL PLC (company registration number 01805034) referred to herein as “We”, “us” and “our”. In these Booking Conditions references to “you” and “your” include the first named person on the booking and all persons on whose behalf a booking is made or any other person to whom a booking is transferred. A ‘package’, ‘organiser’ and ‘lack of conformity’ have the same meaning as in the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 and ‘arrangements’ are all the holiday, tour and other arrangements detailed on your confirmation (including any additions or amendments). Our obligations to you will vary depending upon whether we package arrangements for you, or act as an agent for another travel supplier. References to packages in these Booking Conditions are to packages for which We are the organiser, and if we sell you arrangements on behalf of another travel supplier as an agent, your contract will be with that supplier, and we shall only have responsibility to you in accordance with clause 17.b of these Booking Conditions.

Accuracy of information: We endeavour to ensure the accuracy of all the information and prices in our advertising material. However, occasionally changes and errors do arise, and we reserve the right to correct them in such circumstances. You must check the current price and all other information relating to the arrangements that you wish to book before your booking is confirmed. Furthermore, we will not be liable for booking errors which are attributable to you or which are caused by unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances as defined in clause 14.

• Our agreement: You will receive information about the main characteristics of your arrangements before a binding agreement between you and us comes into existence. That information, these conditions together with our Privacy Notice and any other information we brought to your attention before we confirmed your booking, form the basis of your contract with us. Please read them carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations. By making a booking, you agree to be bound by all of them. The key terms of our agreement are:- You will enter into a binding contract with us when we issue our booking confirmation with all component parts showing status of every item as confirmed. If you then cancel your arrangements, you will be required to pay cancellation charges up to 100% of the cost of your arrangement, depending on how long before travel you cancel, and/ or the terms and conditions of the suppliers whose services make up your arrangements
• You can make changes to your confirmed arrangements in certain circumstances. We will make a charge for processing these changes;
• We may make changes to and cancel your confirmed arrangements, but we will provide suitable alternatives and pay you compensation in certain circumstances if we do so;
• We are responsible for making sure your confirmed arrangements are not performed negligently but there are some limits on and exceptions to this.

All bookings must be made via one of our authorised travel agents. The lead passenger is the person named on all correspondence and must be at least 18 and must be authorised to make the booking on the basis of these Booking Conditions by all persons named on the booking. In making the booking, the lead passenger confirms that they are so authorised and that all party members agree to be bound by these Booking Conditions. The lead passenger is responsible for making all payments due to us. Subject to the availability of all component parts of your requested arrangements and receipt by your travel agent of all applicable payments, our agreement becomes binding when we issue a confirmation, either directly to you or via any agent we have authorized to act on our behalf. Please check all details on the confirmation (or any other document issued) immediately on receipt. It may not be possible to make changes to your arrangements later so you should notify us of any inaccuracies in any documentation as soon as reasonably possible after you receive them. It may harm your rights and ability to travel if you don’t. The suppliers whose services make up your arrangements make those supplies in accordance with their own terms and conditions which will also form part of your agreement with us. Some of these terms and conditions may limit or exclude the supplier’s liability to you, usually in accordance with applicable International Conventions. Copies of the relevant parts of these terms and conditions are available on request from us or the supplier concerned.

• Payment: You must make payment for your arrangements in accordance with the instructions given on your quotation or booking confirmation. If we do not receive any payment due in full and on time, we reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled by you in which case the cancellation charges set out in clause 7 below will become payable.

Any money paid to an authorised agent of ours that is authorised to collect payment on our behalf in respect of a booking including flights is held by that agent on behalf of and for the benefit of the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust at all times, but subject to the agent’s obligation to pay it to us for as long as we do not fail financially. If we do fail financially, any money held at that time by the agent or subsequently accepted from the consumer by the agent, is and continues to be held by that agent on behalf of and for the benefit of the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust without any obligation to pay that money to us.

• Insurance : It is a condition of our agreement that you are covered by adequate travel insurance for your arrangements. Such insurance as a minimum must cover your losses sustained as a result of cancellation, medical issues, and repatriation in the event of accident or illness. Details of a policy suitable to cover your arrangements are available by contacting your travel agent. If you choose to travel without adequate insurance cover, we will not be liable for any of your losses howsoever arising, in respect of which insurance cover would otherwise have been available.
• Special requests : Special requests relating to your arrangements must be advised to your travel agent at the time of booking. Whilst we will try meet or arrange your reasonable special requests, we cannot guarantee that they will be fulfilled. If we are able to specifically confirm a special request or requirement, we will do so on our confirmation but where requests or requirements have not been so confirmed and guaranteed in writing on our confirmation, a failure to meet them will not be a breach of contract on our part.
• Disabilities and medical problems: Many of the arrangements which we sell are generally suitable for persons with reduced mobility, but if you or any member of your party has any precise medical problem or disability which may affect your chosen arrangements, please provide us with full details before we issue our confirmation. We will only provide precise information on the suitability of the trip or holiday taking into account your needs if you specifically request us to do so. Acting reasonably, if we are unable to properly accommodate your needs, we will not confirm your booking and/or if you did not give us full details at the time of booking, we will treat it as cancelled by you when we become aware of these details.
• The price you pay: We reserve the right to amend the price of unsold holiday arrangements at any time and correct errors in the prices of confirmed arrangements. The price of your confirmed arrangements is subject to variations which occur solely as a direct consequence of changes in: -
• the price of the carriage of passengers resulting from the cost of fuel or other power sources; or
• the level of taxes or fees on your confirmed arrangements imposed by third parties not directly involved in the performance of the package, including, but not limited to, tourist taxes, landing taxes or embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports and airports. Price variations will be calculated by applying the cost differential we experience as a result of the above factors. Prices may go up or down and we will notify you about any variation by sending you a calculation explaining the variation no less than 20 days before you are due to depart.

If your arrangements are a package, and if that means that you have to pay an increase of more than 8% of the price of your arrangements (excluding any insurance premiums, amendment charges and/or additional services), we will offer you the options in clause 8. In respect of Packages, we will absorb, and you will not be charged for, any increase equivalent to 2% of the price of your arrangements, which excludes insurance premiums and any amendment charges. If prices go down as a result of the above factors, we will make a reflective refund, but we will also deduct our administrative expenses from what is owed to you, and this may extinguish the value of the refund due. Also, note that travel arrangements are not always purchased in local currency and some apparent changes have no impact on price due to contractual protections in place.

• circumstances amounting to unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances (as set out in clause 9) are occurring at the place where your arrangements are due to be performed or its immediate vicinity
• those circumstances make it impossible to travel safely to the travel destination, and
• the performance of your arrangements will be significantly affected by those unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances. We will refer to and take into consideration Foreign and Commonwealth Office guidance when determining whether your booking is affected. In this event, you will receive a refund without undue delay of any payments made but this will be the maximum extent of our liability and we regret we cannot meet any other expenses or losses you may incur as a result.

If any member of your party is prevented from travelling, that person(s) may transfer their place to someone else (introduced by you and satisfying all the conditions applicable to the arrangements, including an agreement to these booking conditions) providing we are notified in writing not less than seven days before departure and you pay an amendment fee and meet all costs and charges incurred by us and/or incurred or imposed by us or any of our suppliers. Both you and the person to whom you would like to transfer your arrangements shall be jointly and severally liable for the payment of any balance due and for any additional fees, charges or other costs arising from the transfer. If you are unable to find a replacement, cancellation charges as set out below will apply in order to cover our estimated costs. Otherwise, no refunds will be given for passengers not travelling or for unused services. For flight or flight inclusive bookings, most airlines do not permit name changes after tickets have been issued for any reason, you will have to pay the full cost of an alternative flight (if available) if you wish to transfer after tickets have been issued. For other travel services, many suppliers will not allow name changes and you may have to pay the full cost of the service in the event of a name change. Please note that where an outbound portion of your flight coupon is not used, the return sector will be automatically cancelled by the airline and the entire ticket will be classed as void. No automatic right to any refund exists for such part-used tickets.

* Accommodation Only : There may be a time-lag between sending a cancellation request and it being processed with the hotel / supplier. Please ensure requests are sent within 48 working hours of cancellation charges to ensure timely response.

• All Other Services and Travel Arrangements including Flight-only: If you need to cancel you must contact your travel agent. Cancellation charges vary depending upon the services booked and will be higher the later you cancel. A minimum cancellation fee of £50 will apply regardless of the value of the service cancelled. In some cases, it may not be possible to offer any refunds for certain services such as air tickets once a booking has been made. The cancellation charge of flight only bookings will be 100% of the cost of the booking unless otherwise stated. Please ensure that you are certain of the fees applicable to your booking by asking your travel agent or us before proceeding to book your arrangements. Air tickets returned to us for a refund are subject to an administration fee of £50 per ticket. Refunds will not be paid by us until they have been received by us from the relevant airline or consolidator.
• Charges in the event of a change: In the event we can meet your requested change, you will have to pay £50 per person per change as well as any applicable rate changes or extra costs incurred as well as any costs incurred by ourselves, and any costs or charges incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers. Note: Certain arrangements may not be amended after they have been confirmed and any alteration or cancellation could incur a charge of up to 100% of that part of the arrangements in addition to the charges above.
• Changes and cancellation by us : Where we refer to a ‘price reduction’ in this clause, we mean that we will give you an appropriate reduction in the price you paid for the arrangements affected for any period during which there was lack of conformity, (unless that lack of conformity is attributable to you). Where we refer to ‘compensation’, we will pay you appropriate compensation without undue delay for any damage which you sustain as a result of any lack of conformity subject to the limitations and exclusions in section B of clause 12
• A change of outward departure time or overall length of your arrangements of twelve hours or less

Occasionally we may have to make a significant change to your confirmed arrangements, and we reserve the right to do so. A significant change is one where we significantly alter any essential element of your arrangements (other than the price) owing to circumstances beyond our control. Examples of “significant changes” made before departure include the following:

• A change of location for the whole or a significant part of your time away
• A change of accommodation to that of a lower standard or classification for the whole or a significant part of your time away
• A change of outward departure time or overall length of your arrangements of twelve hours or more
• A significant change to your itinerary such as missing out one or more destination entirely
• Where we or our supplier can no longer fulfil any special requirements that we have accepted and confirmed on our confirmation invoice, and this will have a significant impact on your arramgements
• agreeing to the changed arrangements in the case of a significant change,
• accepting the cancellation or terminating the contract for the arrangements and receiving a refund (without undue delay) of all monies paid; or

(In the event that any proposed change or alternative offered results in a reduction or increase in the price you have agreed to pay or an increase or decrease in the quality of arrangements we have agreed to provide, we will also notify you of any price reduction or additional amount due).

You must notify us of your choice within 7 days of our offer. If you fail to do so, we will contact you again, re- iterating the above choices and sums payable or refundable and if you again fail to respond within 7 days, we may terminate the contract and refund all payments made by you without undue delay.

• we make a significant change or cancel before you have paid the final balance of the cost of your arrangements;
• we make a significant change or cancel before you have paid the final balance of the cost of your arrangements; ii.we make a significant change or cancel as a result of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances as set out inclause 9;
• we cancel your arrangements no later than 20 days before they are due to start because the minimum number of participants to run them has not been reached.
• we make an insignificant change
• we cancel as a result of any failure by you (including a failure to make payment in accordance with these terms);
• where the change(s) or cancellation by us arises out of alterations to the confirmed booking requested by you.
• 3 nights per traveller (exceptions apply in respect of persons with reduced mobility and people travelling with them, pregnant women and unaccompanied minors, as well as persons in need of specific medical assistance, provided that we have been notified of their particular needs at least 48 hours before the start of the package); or
• where a different period is specified in any passenger rights legislation applicable to the relevant means of transport for your return, for the period specified in that legislation.

The above sets out the maximum extent of our liability for changes and cancellations and we regret we cannot meet any other expenses or losses you may incur as a result of any change or cancellation.

• Changes & cancellations to all other bookings by the supplier: We will inform you of any changes or cancellations to arrangements we have sold you as agent for other suppliers as soon as reasonably possible. If the supplier offers alternative arrangements or refund, you will need to let us know your choice within the time frame stipulated by the supplier. If you fail to do so the supplier is entitled to assume you wish to receive a full refund. We accept no liability for any changes or cancellations made to your arrangements by the supplier under your contract with them.

Assistance to those travelling on a package in the event of difficulty or unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances: Where you have booked a package, we will provide appropriate assistance without undue delay in the event that you experience difficulty including where you are unable to return to your agreed point of departure because of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances as set out in this clause 9. Such assistance will extend to providing appropriate information on health services, local authorities and consular assistance; and helping you to make distance communications and to find alternative travel arrangements. We will charge a reasonable fee for such assistance if the difficulty is caused by you intentionally or as a result of your act or omission. In the event such assistance is needed please contact [email protected] or call 02073931050 (out of hours emergencies-only).

• Complaints: If you experience difficulty or lack of conformity during your holiday, you must inform us without undue delay so that we can take steps to assist you or put things right, if you fail to do so we will be unable to consider any claim for refund or compensation. You should also contact us by emailing [email protected] or calling 02073931000If your complaint remains unresolved and you wish to complain further, please send formal written notice of your complaint to us within 28 days of the end of your arrangements, giving your booking reference and all other relevant information. Failure to follow the procedure set out in this clause may affect ours and the applicable supplier’s ability to investigate your complaint and could affect your rights under our agreement
• Your behaviour: If in our reasonable belief or opinion or in the reasonable belief or opinion of any person in authority, your behaviour is jeopardising the safety of aircraft, people or property therein or good order and discipline on board; or is causing or is likely to cause distress, danger, damage or annoyance to any third party or property, or to cause a delay or diversion to transportation, we reserve the right to terminate your arrangements immediately. In the event of such termination our responsibilities to you will cease and you will be required to leave your accommodation or other service immediately. We will have no further obligations to you and will not meet any expenses, costs or losses incurred as a result. You may also be required to pay for loss and/or damage caused by your actions directly to the applicable supplier prior to departure from the service. If you fail to do so, you will be responsible for meeting any claims and costs subsequently made against us as a result.
• In relation to bookings of Packages: We accept responsibility as an “organiser” under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018. Subject to these booking conditions, if we fail to arrange or perform your package arrangements in accordance with our agreement, we will remedy any resulting lack of conformity. If that is impossible or entails disproportionate costs (taking into account the extent of the lack of conformity and the value of the arrangements affected), we will instead pay you compensation subject to clause B of this clause.

Please note in relation to all bookings:

• it is your responsibility to show that we or our supplier(s) have been negligent if you wish to make a claim against us
• It is a condition of our acceptance of the responsibility above that you inform us and the supplier(s) concerned without undue delay of the lack of conformity you perceive; and allow us a reasonable period in which to remedy it. Please contact [email protected] or calling 02073931000
• the act(s) and/or omission(s) of the person(s) affected;
• the act(s) and/or omission(s) of a third party unconnected with the provision of your arrangements and which were unforeseeable or unavoidable; or
• Unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances as set out in clause 15.
• for services or facilities which do not form part of our agreement or where they are not advertised by us. For example any excursion you book while away, or any service or facility which your hotel or any other supplier agrees to provide for you.
• for any damage, loss or expense or other sum(s) of any description which on the basis of the information given to us by you concerning your arrangements prior to them being confirmed, we could not have foreseen you would suffer or incur if we breached our contract with you; or that relate to any business.
• whether or not you have followed the complaints and notifications procedure as described in these conditions. It is a condition of our acceptance of liability under this clause that you notify any claim to ourselves and our supplier(s) strictly in accordance with the complaints procedure set out in these conditions.
• the extent to which ours or our employees’ or suppliers’ negligence affected the overall enjoyment of your arrangements.
• deduction that we must make to take account of any money which you have received or are entitled to receive from any transport provider or hotelier for the complaint or claim in question.(Please also note that where any payment is made, the person(s) receiving it (and their parent or guardian if under 18 years) must also assign to ourselves or our insurers any rights they may have to pursue any third party and must provide ourselves and our insurers with all assistance we may reasonably require.)

(Please also note that where any payment is made, the person(s) receiving it (and their parent or guardian if under 18 years) must also assign to ourselves or our insurers any rights they may have to pursue any third party and must provide ourselves and our insurers with all assistance we may reasonably require.)

Luggage or personal possessions and money: The maximum amount we will have to pay you in respect of any claim for loss of and/or damage to any luggage or personal possessions or money is an amount equivalent to the excess on your insurance policy which applies to this type of loss per person in total because you are assumed to have adequate insurance in place to cover any losses of this kind.

Claims covered by an International Convention: When arranging transportation for you, we rely on the terms and conditions contained within any applicable International Conventions. The extent of or the conditions under which compensation is to be paid or liability accepted will in all cases be limited as if we were carriers under the appropriate Conventions, which include The Paris Convention (with respect to hotel arrangements). You can ask us for copies of these Conventions.

Any other claims which don’t involve injury, illness, death or damage caused by us or our suppliers intentionally or negligently; or other liability that can’t be limited by law: The maximum amount we will have to pay you in respect of all such claims is three times (twice in the case of arrangements which aren’t packages) the price paid by or on behalf of the person(s) affected in total. This maximum amount will only be payable where everything has gone wrong and you or your party has not received any benefit at all from your arrangements.

• Jurisdiction and applicable law: This contract and all matters arising out of it are governed by English Law. We both agree that any dispute, claim or other matter which arises out of or in connection with this contract or your holiday will be dealt with under the ABTA Arbitration Scheme (if the scheme is available for the claim in question - see clause 21), the European Commission’s Online Dispute Resolution Platform which can be accessed using the following link: http://ec.europa.eu/odr or by the Courts of England and Wales only. You may however, choose the law and jurisdiction of Scotland or Northern Ireland if you live there and wish to do so.
• ABTA: We are a Member of ABTA, membership number We are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA’s Code of Conduct. We can also offer you ABTA’s scheme for the resolution of disputes which is approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute. If we can’t resolve your complaint, go to www.abta.com to use ABTA’s simple procedure. Further information on the Code and ABTA’s assistance in resolving disputes can be found on www.abta.com. You can also access the European Commission Online Dispute (ODR) Resolution platform at http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/. This ODR platform is a means of registering your complaint with us; it will not determine how your complaint should be resolved.

We, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL Certificate, will provide you with the services listed on the ATOL Certificate (or a suitable alternative). In some cases, where neither we nor the supplier are able to do so for reasons of insolvency, an alternative ATOL holder may provide you with the services you have bought (at no extra cost to you). You agree to accept that in those circumstances the alternative ATOL holder will perform those obligations and you agree to pay any money outstanding to be paid by you under your contract to that alternative ATOL holder. However, you also agree that in some cases it will not be possible to appoint an alternative ATOL holder. In which case you will be entitled to make a claim under the ATOL Scheme (or your credit card issuer where applicable).

If we, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL certificate, are unable to provide the services listed (or a suitable alternative, through an alternative ATOL holder or otherwise) for reasons of insolvency, the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust may make a payment to (or confer a benefit on) you under the ATOL scheme. You agree that in return for such a payment or benefit you assign absolutely to those Trustees any claims which you have or may have arising out of or relating to the non-provision of the services, including any claim against us, the travel agent (or your credit card issuer where applicable). You also agree that any such claims may be re-assigned to another body, if that other body has paid sums you have claimed under the ATOL scheme.

We provide protection for our non-flight inclusive package arrangements by way of our membership of ABTA, The Travel Association (ABTA number P7169). If your holiday does not include flights, ABTA will financially protect your package holiday in the same way. In the event of our insolvency, you can contact ABTA at 30 Park Street, London, SE1 9EQ, email www.abta.co.uk

If you book arrangements other than a package for which we are the organiser, your monies will not be financially protected by us. Please ask us for further details.

• Passport, Visa and Immigration Requirements and Health Formalities: It is your responsibility to check and fulfil the passport, visa, health and immigration requirements applicable to your itinerary. We can only provide general information about this. You must check requirements for your own specific circumstances with the relevant Embassies and/or Consulates and your own doctor as applicable. Requirements do change and you must check the up to date position in good time before departure. Most countries now require passports to be valid for at least 6 months after your return date. If your passport is in its final year, you should check with the Embassy of the country you are visiting. For further information contact the Passport Office on 0870 5210410 or visit www.passport. gov.uk. Up to date travel advice can be obtained from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, visit www.fco.gov.uk. Non British passport holders, including other EU nationals, should obtain up to date advice on passport and visa requirements from the Embassy, High Commission or Consulate of your destination or country(ies) through which you are travelling. In some cases Major Travel PLC may apply for a visa on your behalf. In such cases, if for any reason a visa is not granted, and you are unable to travel or use the holidays, flights or any other services booked with us then these will be subject to our standard cancellation rules. We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot travel, or incur any other loss because you have not complied with any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities. You agree to reimburse us in relation to any fines or other losses which we incur as a result of your failure to comply with any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities.

In accordance with EU Regulations we are required to advise you of the carrier(s) (or, if the carrier(s) is not known, the likely carrier(s)) that will operate your flight(s) at the time of booking. Where we are only able to inform you of the likely carrier(s) at the time of booking, we shall inform you of the identity of the actual carrier(s) as soon as we become aware of this. Any change to the operating carrier(s) after your booking has been confirmed will be notified to you as soon as possible. We are not always in a position at the time of booking to confirm the aircraft type and flight timings which will be used in connection with your flight. The flight timings and types of aircraft shown on our website, in this brochure and detailed on your confirmation invoice are for guidance only and are subject to alteration and confirmation. The latest timings will be shown on your tickets. You must accordingly check your tickets very carefully immediately on receipt to ensure you have the correct flight times. It is possible that flight times may be changed even after tickets have been dispatched - we will contact you as soon as possible if this occurs, but in any event we advise you to check flight times with the airline 24 hours prior to departure. Please reconfirm your flight times for your return journey in case of any change after you have made your outbound journey. Any change in the identity of the carrier, flight timings, and/or aircraft type will not entitle you to cancel or change to other arrangements without paying our normal charges except where specified in these conditions. If the carrier with whom you have a confirmed reservation becomes subject to an operating ban as above as a result of which we/ the carrier are unable to offer you a suitable alternative the provisions of clause 8 (Changes and cancellation by us) will apply.

Where applicable, under the Denied Boarding Regulation (EU 261/2004), if you have been denied boarding, your flight has been cancelled or it has been significantly delayed, it is the airline’s duty to look after you. This means providing food, drinks, and some communications.

If you are delayed overnight, this also means a hotel and travel to and from it. Full details of these rights will be publicised at EU airports and will also be available from airlines. We have no liability to you in these circumstances whatsoever and your claim for this assistance and any compensation must be made directly to the airline. Liability of an airline under EU 261/2004 will not automatically entitle you to a refund of your holiday price from us. If, for any reason, you do not claim against the airline and make a claim for compensation from us, you must, at the time of payment of any compensation to you, make a complete assignment to us of the rights you have against the airline in relation to the claim that gives rise to that compensation payment.

• Delay: We cannot accept liability for any delay which is due to unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances as set out in clause 9. A delay to or cancellation of your transport service does not automatically entitle you to cancel any other arrangements even where those arrangements have been made in conjunction with your transport. However, you may be entitled to claim under the delay section of your travel insurance policy.
• Booking Condition Amendments and Right to Refuse Travel Arrangements: We reserve the right to add, withdraw and/or amend any of our Booking Conditions at any time and without notice and furthermore reserve the right to refuse any booking.
• Severability: If any provision of this agreement is found by any court or authority of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or unenforceable, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect the remaining provisions of the agreement, which shall remain in force and effect.
• These terms and conditions may change from time to time. For up to date terms and conditions, please visit our website

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MAJOR TRAVEL PLC

Company number 01805034

• Company Overview for MAJOR TRAVEL PLC (01805034)
• Filing history for MAJOR TRAVEL PLC (01805034)
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Filter officers

Officers: 10 officers / 7 resignations, gulamhusein, mariam, gulamhusein, qasim, hiridjee, nada, panayiotou, panayiotis, versi, miqdaad riyaz, panayiotou, rita, widdowson, claudine danielle, widdowson, mark hardwick.

San Francisco and Las Vegas

Hotel Zephyr and Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel & Casino

San Francisco, CA(3 Nights) and Las Vegas, NV(4 Nights)

Based on 2 adults sharing a Run of House Room at the Hotel Zephyr in San Francisco before flying to Las Vegas for 4 nights at the Flamingo Las Vegas in a Fab Room, both on a room-only basis.

Flights are with British Airways departing on 30th January 2025 for a 7-night duration (+1 night on the plane on the return) with internal flight included (Operated by American Airlines)

Offer code 1212383

Deposit £75pp

Clients will need to obtain an ESTA (Or applicable visa) for entry into the USA. Resort fees may be payable locally.

Travel: 30JAN25-07FEB25 Book by: 30APR24

Hotel Zephyr

San Francisco, CA, United States

Hotel Zephyr opened in the summer of 2015 in the heart of Fisherman’s Wharf. Our “ship-yard chic” feel pays perfect homage to the neighborhood, while bringing a totally new dimension to this unique part of town. Designed using materials such as recycled cargo containers and upcycled nautical goods, Hotel Zephyr is recognized for its unique, bold and distinctive style. Each of our 361 stylish guest quarters give the experience of staying in a captain’s suite – where the very best accommodations onboard offer vistas of San Francisco Bay and the iconic Golden Gate Bridge.

Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel & Casino

Las Vegas, NV, United States

Stay and play in classic Vegas style at the centre of the Strip. Your fabulous home away from home features everything from a 15-acre Caribbean-style pool and bunk bed suites to a bustling casino and one-of-a-kind steakhouse. Flamingo gives each guest excitement, hospitality and a true Vegas experience that is Forever Fabulous®

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further offers

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Extra 10% OFF! Adult only!

Garden View Suite, All Inclusive

Travel: 08NOV24-18NOV24 Book by: 30APR24

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Pyramid Room, Room Only

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Dubai, Phuket, and Singapore – Because Average Holidays Are Overrated!

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Unwind in Cancun's Luxurious Tropical Paradise!

Junior Suite Garden View, All Inclusive

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7 Nights - 2 Adults From £925pp

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Make their heart a-flutter! Valentines in Vegas!

Paris Las Vegas Resort and Casino

Las Vegas, NV, United States

Based on 2 adults sharing a Bordeaux Room at the Paris Las Vegas for 5 nights over Valentines Day 2025. Included in the price is a Las Vegas Strip Night Helicopter with transportation.

Flights are with British Airways departing London Heathrow on 12th February 2025 for a 5 night duration (+1 night on the plane on the return) and feature one stop in Los Angeles on the return.

Upgrade to direct flights from +£130pp, Manchester from £1349pp, Glasgow from £1339pp and Belfast from £1355pp-All via American Airlines.

Offer code 1213218

Deposit £75pp

Clients will need to obtain an ESTA (Or applicable visa) for entry into the USA. Resort fees may be payable locally.

Departure Airport: London, United Kingdom Airline: British Airways

Travel: 12FEB25-18FEB25 Book by: 15MAY24

Experience everything you love about Paris, right in the heart of the Strip. At Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, you are transported to the City of Lights with the same passion, excitement, and ambience of Europe's most romantic city.

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further offers

 Address Beach Resort

Loving life at a different altitude! at the Address Beach Resort!

Deluxe Marina View Room, Half Board

Travel: 13JUN24-20JUN24 Book by: 30APR24

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Single Parent New York City Break!

Urban Room, Room Only

Travel: 22AUG24-27AUG24 Book by: 30APR24

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Luxury Barbados & St Vincent Private Island Paradise

Palm View Rooms, All Inclusive

Travel: 09NOV24-20NOV24 Book by: 30APR24

 Hotel Zephyr

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San Francisco and Las Vegas

Fabulous Room, Room Only

Travel: 30JAN25-07FEB25 Book by: 30APR24

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• Major Travel www.majortravel.co.uk

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Latest Reviews

“good assistant”.

written by on 08/01/2024

After hunting to book a holiday to Morocco at end of April for my client, I called Major Travel. The lady is very friendly and helpful. After I got an email for the quotation, she even followed up to me. I would recommend her service to my friends, and would use the Major Travel again next time.

“Worst travel agent ever!”

written by JustinNotHappy on 17/10/2022

It's taken Major Travel two weeks after asking them to change dates our planned holiday. 3 days before departure, finally came back and said no. Leaving us in a terrible position!!! Customer service is terrible. Please use someone else!!!

“If could give no star, I would”

written by Gresty1988 on 06/10/2020

Booked our honeymoon through another company but Major Travel are the provider. Due to Covid19, my honeymoon was cancelled has it is prohibited to travel to the destinations we had booked. I was informed by the I would receive a refund if this was the case, but Major Travel have told them no. I have not cancelled this, I cannot or am I allowed to travel to the destinations. I am now £11,059 out of pocket that they are refusing to pay back at present. Bunch with no compassion at all. This is not my fault, and I paid in good faith that I would receive a refund if the restrictions were in place. Never, ever, ever use this company please.

Rogerloriot's Response to Gresty1988's Review

Written on: 14/10/2020

Same story with our holiday. Was meant to be a once in a lifetime honeymoon to the Maldives. We ended up doing a Chargeback through our bank and got all of our money back. This company should be shut down.

Written on: 13/11/2022

Same thing happened to us, absolute bunch of Shylocks. We had to do a charge back through our bank in the end. This company should not be allowed to trade.

“Shocking Customer Service!! ”

written by on 25/04/2020

Just appalling service! We are in lockdown due to covid19 and due to travel in less than 2 weeks to the USA who have closed borders to all but diplomats. Apparently, that and FCO advice are irrelevant and if I cancel our holiday, I forfeit 100% of our fee paid. I understand travel insurance and have it but they are saying that they won’t pay out. I’ve had enough of being ignored and fobbed off. They’re not cancelling my holiday even though my entire booking says ‘covid credit’ now and not ‘confirmed.’ They cannot give me an answer on anything, avoid direct questions when asked and just generally are not nice to deal with. They’ve not once even uttered the word ‘sorry’ for anything. A lot can be achieved with a little understanding and empathy. My grandparents are sobbing thinking their money is lost as I booked them on my booking for ease and nobody actually cares.

“Poor customer service ”

written by Flordaholiday on 02/05/2017

Florida holiday we were allocated a townhouse on arrival it was occupied, we should have been notified of a new address but the company had failed to do so, we were helped by the staff at the reception, but we could not get any response from this company while we were away! I believe the issue was that the agent we booked through had left the company and they hadn't picked up any emails correspondence of this booking

“AVOID. AVOID. AVOID”

written by Shannon0309 on 25/10/2016

Do not use this company. I booked an all inclusive cruise and the week before i was due to depart I received the travel documents from the cruise company which stated that we were travelling on a full board basis, I immediately contacted the travel agent to have this rectified and was reassured that the drinks package was included. When we checked in we were told that we did not have the drinks package, I immediately phoned the travel agent but as it was a Sunday it was closed, even their emergency contact line was closed. In the end I had to pay over $1415.68 to have the drinks included and despite having it in writing that this money would be refunded I have still not received anything. The staff are rude, extremely unhelpful and very unprofessional.

“Bad Company!”

written by TrevorDoherty on 18/09/2016

Booked to go to Sharm el Sheikh, flights got cancelled due to Airline cancelling flights to Egypt. Major gave one alternative destination to Alcudia in Spain, was not allowed to cancel the holiday or hold back till a later date, was told that I had to accept there and then by the agent and no refund was available, poor and rude staff the many times I contacted them. Finally got my travel documents for the alternative holiday after three phone calls and two weeks before the flight. I checked through them all and checked my flights with Ryanair, lucky I did, Major travel had only booked two suitcases for the four passengers, we actually paid for an extra suitcase, a total of five suitcases in the original booking to Sharm! I am due to fly out in a weeks time but have no confidence that this will be a fault free holiday, each time I call to sort out the suitcase problem I am promised a call back that is never returned, I have been lead a merry dance by this company and told many lies by their agents on the phone, had extra costs added at every opportunity and I am sure my nightmare with them is far from over. Do yourself a favour and use another company!

“PLEASE READ”

written by JenKHew on 22/12/2015

DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!! Went to put a holiday through at £38p0, then increased to £89pp just as they got my card details. Then when i said wipe my details and left the conversation, had the cheek to call me back and said "never call this company again" - 3 times!!! Disgusting customer service and a complete FARCE. Be very very very careful! I am really worried now as they have my card details which i have had to cancel

“Beaware.Disaster Travel company. don' t bother booking.”

written by Carter425 on 15/11/2015

I booked my holiday as it seemed very low price package ,but ended up paying more at the end. They are crafty people and as soon as the guy took my card detail ,he added £30 on the top to cover his administration charges and for aviation certificate..The story doesn't stop there,the day I booked my dad ended up in the hospital and after two days he had heart attack and we were supposed to fly 4 days after that. I requested that due to my dad being in the hospital and being old and my mum being unable to run around if the travel agency can offer me any option. But instead of that i was suggested to take travel insurance and claim through insurance . I tried to speak to the manager of the company but he was avoiding taking calls. I told the manager that I was unable to take insurance as i became very busy with my dad. I wasn,t offered no refund nothing and finally i requested to cancel my travel .still upto today its been over 6 months i haven't received no cancellation confirmation. The manager of the major travel is giving incorrect information that is committing crime as you can't take insurance after the incident happened and claim. The travel agency made me so upset and stressed. I lost nearly £500. I would advise everyone please not to book through them , you rather pay someone extra but go to some professional people.I don't understand that this company still exists.

“Excellent online booking”

written by Shaz1966 on 19/02/2015

After reading few not so good Google reviews, decided to take a gamble and book for a family of 4 to Orlando in Summer. Booked on Wed afternoon and e-tickets were available Thursday morning. Double checked with airline to make sure we were booked in and this was confirmed. Could not have had a better price. Excellent service.

“Stay at home”

written by Ballardpt359 on 02/02/2015

it's not worth going on holiday if you have to deal with this company.

“HORRENDOUS TRAVEL AGENT”

written by on 08/12/2014

They are the worst travel agent that I've dealt with in my entire life.The agents on the phone were very pushy,rip-off and unprofessional.I dont know why this company still exist in this universe.Don't trust this company people.If you want to book a holiday,just go to the airlines directly and hotels coz you will regret dealing with this company MAJOR TRAVEL. They offered a holiday at a lower price but you will end up paying a lot of money. Also,they mispelled your name so you will come back to them and they are going to charge you a lot of money.Be CAREFUL, MAJOR TRAVEL has a lot of partner that you never know.

“No customer Loyalty”

written by JosieWales11 on 07/11/2014

After using Major Travel for over 10 years and spending thousands with them on flights back and forth to the U.S I can safely say I will never be using them again after my latest ordeal. This is the first time ever that I have experienced Visa difficulties and requested refund on a flight I had to cancel. (within less than 24hrs of payment) The receptionist was quite rude and unhelpful and the staff pass you back and forth between airline and Major travel agents mainly replying by email which told me very little. The airline was more than happy to give me a refund, Major Travel however didn't want to part with the refund! They have plenty of time to fill the seat on the plane, I'm sure they will charge some other mug £600 for the same seat. I feel like my 10 years of business with them have basically been spat back in my face. I shall not be dealing with them again ever.

“Major Travel = Major headaches”

written by uoBeasley1975 on 27/10/2014

Booked a holiday through Major Travel which had been advertised on Wowcher, and had a terrible experience from start to finish. First of all the guy on the phone was extremely bossy and rude, changed some of the flight prices from what was advertised, so the holiday was actually way more expensive, and told us we would have to pay the whole balance up front, around six months before our actual holiday, which I agreed to against my better judgement. About a month later I tried to change some of the details, but because he told me at the time the holiday was non-refundable then we were unable to do so unless I paid an extra £350 - yeah right!!! So we were stuck with what we had originally booked. At the time of booking he asked for our passport details, so they could send us all the relevant documents prior to our trip. A week before the holiday and I still hadn't received any boarding passes or anything, so after bombarding them with numerous emails they finally got back to me with 2 days to go, telling me I had to check in online myself. When we arrived, the 3* City Centre hotel was actually way out in the outskirts, surrounded by prostitutes and alcoholics drinking and urinating in the street. Thankfully the underground station was right next to the hotel, so we could travel into the centre of town that way. I'd never use this company again, and would urge anyone else to think twice before booking with this company. Thankfully we still enjoyed our holiday, but next time we'll book elsewhere and hopefully have less hassle and save some money.

Bloomsure's Comment

Written on: 05/12/2014

Hello uoBeasley1975 Is this in Athens,Greece darling? I bought also from Wocher now I'm a bit scared reading all of these bad reviews.

“Rude and mis-selling ”

written by Denisa.Divinova on 16/09/2014

I've never experienced such a bad customer service. I've been questioned if my sister is my sister (due to different last names). When we requested changes to booking a part of the tour was taken away without any explanation and when I raised this, I've been advised to "go ahead and complain". I ended up buying a separate flight as it was cheaper option than having changes made to the booking. I will never use this company again and recommend to everyone to stay away!!!

“Use This Company At Your Own Risk”

written by Lessonslearned on 15/09/2014

I am having a terrible ordeal with Major Travel. I bought a holiday from them which they advertised through Wowcher. The advertised offer was for a (named) Luxury 4* Hotel with Spa on the shore of Lake Garda in Italy. After I had paid half the cost Major Travel told me the hotel was full and proceeded to trick and bully me into accepting an alternative hotel which later turned out to be an awful low-grade 3* hotel. It was nothing like the luxury 4* lakeside spa hotel they advertised. Amazingly, they then booked me into a completely different awful hotel which was 4km away from the lake. When I noticed what they'd done I asked for a refund. They refused point blank and continued to offer me more poor 3* hotels but this time with added extra charges! We refused to accept any of them and decided to fight for a refund. Our travel dates have now passed and I'm about to make a 'small claim' against them in my local County Court. In my opinion they have stolen nearly £400 from me and I'm determined to get it back and publicise them for the shameful tricksters that they are. You can see from online reviews that lots of other people have had terrible experiences with this company so I would advise anyone against using them.

Thejackal44's Response to Lessonslearned's Review

Written on: 18/10/2014

We have had the same experience, have notified Wowcher and are also looking to take court action. I would be interested on how you get on.

Leesk1's reply to Thejackal44's Comment

Written on: 24/11/2014

We are also having the same issues, I have even written to the MD of Wowcher and Major travel. Neither of them have even acknowledged my concerns. Our travel date should have been tomorrow. I am so disappointed. These companies have stolen our pension!!

Lessonslearned's reply to Leesk1's Comment

Written on: 06/12/2014

Hi, I feel so sad for you as well as myself, and everyone else these people have extorted money from. Like you, we missed the holiday we'd paid for. Wowcher disappointed me because I thought they were a trustworthy company. But I soon learned they're not. At first Wowcher said they would make Major Travel recompense me but Major Travel just ignored them. So then Wowcher ignored me too. My credit card company eventually forced Wowcher to refund the £200 I'd paid directly to them because the hotel I'd booked on their website had no available rooms. But they couldn't make Major Travel refund me the £200 I paid to them because of a legal technicality. We decided to cut our losses and stay at home, and be grateful we'd lost 'only' £200. We know that some people lost thousands of pounds to these tricksters. I hope that you managed to get some of your money back but if not we hope you've managed to put it behind you now. There should be a single major, and well publicised, website where people can rate and review travel companies and warn others before they lose their money. A bit like Trip Advisor but for travel companies/booking agents etc.

Lessonslearned's reply to Thejackal44's Comment

Hi, Sorry so late in replying but I had a problem signing in for ages. Well hopefully you can see my replies to other people here so you'll know that I didn't end up suing Major Travel. That was because my credit card company (Halifax) managed to get half my money back from Wowcher because the hotel we booked was advertised on their website but it didn't actually have any rooms available. But they couldn't get our other £200 back from Major Travel because of a legal technicality so we had to decide whether to take them to the small claims court for the £200. In the end we decided not to because of the time it would take and all the stress involved. Also, Halifax had looked into it thoroughly and had told us that Wowcher had actually had to pay our £200 over to Easyjet for our flights. So they didn't make any money out of us after all. We just decided to cut our losses and learn a lesson from it. We've now booked next year's holiday independently as we usually do, that is we've booked the hotel, flights, transfers, airport car parking, etc separately with all the different suppliers and have clear confirmations from each of them. How are you doing?

Bloom23's Response to Lessonslearned's Review

Hi Lessonslearned, I believe ya darling.I spoke to these improper agents over the phone,I was thinking they are scammers coz on how they talk to you.So rude and pushy!

Lessonslearned's reply to Bloom23's Comment

Written on: 08/12/2014

Thank you Bloom23, I did reply to you earlier but it hasn't appeared on the website yet. Glad you saw through them and didn't give them any money.

“hi all has anyone had similar issues with travel...”

written by fqMorrison219 on 29/07/2014

hi all has anyone had similar issues with travel agents as ours, would be great to hear from you we booked with a company called Florida Masters a subsidiary of Major Travel and we received a Shocking service! Once they have your money there is no communication aside from letting the customer know about their numerous hidden charges! May seem cheap at first however with the added extras you are better off booking everything separately by yourself. We booked as a group of 8, 2 families, each managing their own aspect of the booking separately. At first we got a fantastic deal of £1099 per person including flights, car hire, hotels and a cruise from Miami. For reasons beyond our control we then had to amend the booking, changing the cruise, to which we were charged £150 per person extra, however if you were to book the cruise direct with the cruise line, it would cost £150 LESS per person than the original cruise we were booked on! This was just the beginning! After paying a deposit of over £1250 for our family, it suddenly became VERY difficult to get hold of anyone at Florida Masters OR Major Travel (Florida masters are their subsidiary). It seemed that they answer your questions at their convenience, so many of ours were left unanswered. In addition, they did not provide us with a valid ABTA certificate for our amended booking which installed fear into our minds. We were unwilling to part with over £8000 without the necessary confirmatory documents and adequate communication from Florida Masters. Now, less than 2 months until we travel to Orlando, we have had no choice but to cancel our holiday. The price became MUCH too high, and the lack of documents and communication worried us to the extent that I was unwilling to pay our any more money to Florida Masters. Luckily though, we have now managed to book direct flights with virgin, the cruise, hotels and car hire all ourselves at a much lower cost than continuing with Florida Masters – and that is with losing our deposit factored in! since then i have found out that Major Travel own Florida Masters, however Florida masters is run from a different site, and does not even have a companies house registration number. its a company set up to deny people their strict legal rights... tread with caution if you had a similar dealing let me know

Ben1412's Comment

Written on: 19/08/2014

HAHAHA this is laughable - you wouldn't part with your money because they wouldn't give you an ABTA Certificate? Ok 1) I have never seen an ABTA certificate before. I think you mean ATOL? 2) You booked it all direct, breaking up every component of the booking? Is that correct? Ummm... THEN YOU HAVE NO ATOL EITHER!!! OMG!!!

“Terrible Terrible Terrible”

written by on 20/06/2014

I would never use this company again, three days before travelling and still not flight tickets. Emailed them yesterday to be told we only have hand luggage and when I ask them about transfers I was instructed to find my own, not we're really sorry or try this company but do it yourself. They have ruined my holiday already and it hasn’t even begun all because they are incompetent and unreliable if I wasn’t given this holiday as a birthday present I wouldn’t have bothered. I've already had to pay out an extra £100 to change the dates and now I'm expected to pay more for luggage? No I'm alright thank you. Thanks for nothing Major Travel.

“Bad review and we have not even been on the holiday yet”

written by Holman373 on 15/06/2014

We found what seemed like a good deal for a two night Copenhagen stay. We deliberatly chose the cheaper option of Sept/Oct at £119 per person, which seemed great. No frills airline and basic hotel. No stipulation AT ALL that this rate does not apply to hardly any (maybe one?) date combination in the whole period. When I rang up to book I was told weekends were more expensive and we would have to pay a BIG supplement. When I then said ok let's do the Wednesday to Fri, she said it was £2 less! So in fact the offer was near impossible to get - a total lie in fact. I could not fault the customer service rep, who took time to look at the availability but said flights were £90 each on their own. To be frank, that is not my problem if they advertise an offer. I could have booked myself in this case. In the end, she went to so much effort, checking out lots of (much worse) hotels, we paid a large additional cost to make it £180 each just to get the one we initially thought we were getting for £120 less! I am really disappointed and while she tried her best, seeming embarrassed in fact by that the offer was not an offer at all (I had already paid that initial amount) - I would say this company is not to be trusted at all. They clearly make their money by being deceptive and should not be allowed to operate on this basis.

Lessonslearned's Comment

Written on: 15/09/2014

We have just had a very similar experience with Major Travel. They advertised a beautiful 4* luxury lakeside spa hotel on the shore of Lake Garda. It was through Wowcher so we bought it. The short story is that the hotel was full and Major Travel bullied and tricked us into accepting an alternative hotel which turned out to be an awful run down 3*? hotel, which they didn't even book us into. They booked us into a different even worse one which we only noticed when they sent the confirmation email. We refused it and asked for a refund which they refused. They just offered more poor quality hotels and added extra charges. We did not travel and are about to take legal action against them in our local Small Claims Court to recover the money we've paid (just under £400). I wish that all the people they have duped could get together somehow and report them as a group to Trading Standards and all their industry bodies.

“dont bother!!!!!!!!!”

written by andymcd196 on 23/05/2014

staff quote "live price " which means we are ripping you off!!! is that ok!!! i phoned up regarding a offer i had seen the consultant explained the offer to me it seem quite a good offer to start with but as my dates changed so did the price!!!!!!!! i carried on with the booking to be told i had the last 2 seats left on the flight i wanted he only offered 2 choices of BB then one more came up only when i didnt seem interested! he said what a great deal it was i assumed being a agent for 40 years i couldnt go wrong! how wrong was i! the flights was still available the next day as were the BB option we had chosen! the only thing was the price £160 cheaper if i did it myself!

Lessonslearned's Response to andymcd196's Review

I feel for you, we are having a terrible experience with Major Travel too. They duped us and in the end we did not travel. Instead we are taking legal action against them in our local Small Claims Court to recover the money which (in my opinion)they have extorted from us. Judging by this and other review sites we are not alone, and I wish we could all get together somehow and report them as a group to Trading Standards or their industry bodies etc.

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The essential trustee: what you need to know, what you need to do

Updated 3 May 2018

© Crown copyright 2018

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: [email protected] .

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-essential-trustee-what-you-need-to-know-cc3/the-essential-trustee-what-you-need-to-know-what-you-need-to-do

1. About this guidance

This guidance explains the key duties of all trustees of charities in England and Wales, and what trustees need to do to carry out these duties competently.

Trustees have independent control over, and legal responsibility for, a charity’s management and administration. They play a very important role, almost always unpaid, in a sector that contributes significantly to the character and wellbeing of the country.

Trusteeship can be rewarding for many reasons - from a sense of making a difference to the charitable cause, to new experiences and relationships. It’s also likely to be demanding of your time, skills, knowledge and abilities. Being aware of the duties and responsibilities covered in this guidance will help you carry out your role in a way that not only serves your charity well but also gives you confidence that you will be complying with key requirements of the law.

You should read this guidance if you are a trustee of any charity based in England or Wales, including:

• a registered charity
• a charity that is not required by law to register
• a charity that is required to register, but has not yet done so

You should also read this guidance if you are thinking about setting up a charity or becoming a trustee in England or Wales.

The charity regulators in Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own guidance for trustees.

If you are involved in running a charity but do not know whether you are a trustee, check the charity’s governing document. (This is the document that sets out the charity’s rules; it may be a constitution, trust deed, articles of association or similar document.) It will tell you which body has ultimate authority and responsibility for directing and governing the charity. All properly appointed members of that body are charity trustees in law, whatever they are called (trustees, directors, committee members, governors or something else).

If you are a member of that body, you are automatically a charity trustee. You share, with all members of that body, equal responsibility for the charity.

The Charity Commission expects trustees to take their responsibilities seriously. Using this guidance and ensuring you give sufficient time and attention to your charity’s business will help. The Commission recognises that most trustees are volunteers who sometimes make honest mistakes. Trustees are not expected to be perfect - they are expected to do their best to comply with their duties. Charity law generally protects trustees who have acted honestly and reasonably.

1.1 Must and should - what they mean

In this guidance:

• ‘must’ means something is a legal or regulatory requirement or duty that trustees must comply with
• ‘should’ means something is good practice that the Commission expects trustees to follow and apply to their charity

Following the good practice specified in this guidance will help you to run your charity effectively, avoid difficulties and comply with your legal duties. Charities vary in terms of their size and activities. Consider and decide how best to apply this good practice to your charity’s circumstances. The Commission expects you to be able to explain and justify your approach, particularly if you decide not to follow good practice in this guidance.

In some cases you will be unable to comply with your legal duties if you do not follow the good practice. For example:

Trustees who act in breach of their legal duties can be held responsible for consequences that flow from such a breach and for any loss the charity incurs as a result. When the Commission looks into cases of potential breach of trust or duty or other misconduct or mismanagement, it may take account of evidence that trustees have exposed the charity, its assets or its beneficiaries to harm or undue risk by not following good practice.

1.2 How to use this guidance

You may want to read all of this guidance to get a better understanding of trustees’ duties overall, or you may want to find out more about a specific topic. As a minimum the Commission recommends that you read the summary of trustees’ duties in section 2 :

• section 2 of this guidance gives a summary of trustees’ duties
• section 3 explains whether you can legally be a trustee
• sections 4 to 9 explain the 6 key duties of trustees in more detail
• section 10 explains when trustees can be liable and how to reduce the risk
• sections 11 and 12 provide more detail about charity structures, and the roles of charity officers
• section 13 contains definitions of technical terms used in this guidance

2. Trustees’ duties at a glance

This is a summary of trustees’ main legal responsibilities, which are explained in detail in the rest of this guidance. You should read this section as a minimum, and ensure you fully understand your responsibilities by referring to the rest of the guidance as necessary.

2.1 Before you start - make sure you are eligible to be a charity trustee

You must be at least 16 years old to be a trustee of a charity that is a company or a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO), or at least 18 to be a trustee of any other charity.

You must be properly appointed following the procedures and any restrictions in the charity’s governing document.

You must not act as a trustee if you are disqualified, unless authorised to do so by a waiver from the Commission. The reasons for disqualification are shown in the disqualifying reasons table and include:

• being bankrupt (undischarged) or having an individual voluntary arrangement (IVA)
• having an unspent conviction for certain offences (including any that involve dishonesty or deception)
• being on the sex offenders’ register

You can read the automatic disqualification guidance for charities which explains the disqualification rules in more detail.

There are further restrictions for charities that work with children or adults at risk.

See section 3 for more information.

Ensure your charity is carrying out its purposes for the public benefit

You and your co-trustees must make sure that the charity is carrying out the purposes for which it is set up, and no other purpose. This means you should:

• ensure you understand the charity’s purposes as set out in its governing document
• plan what your charity will do, and what you want it to achieve
• be able to explain how all of the charity’s activities are intended to further or support its purposes
• understand how the charity benefits the public by carrying out its purposes

Spending charity funds on the wrong purposes is a very serious matter; in some cases trustees may have to reimburse the charity personally.

See section 4 for more information.

2.2 Comply with your charity’s governing document and the law

You and your co-trustees must:

• make sure that the charity complies with its governing document
• comply with charity law requirements and other laws that apply to your charity

You should take reasonable steps to find out about legal requirements, for example by reading relevant guidance or taking appropriate advice when you need to.

See section 5 for more information.

2.3 Act in your charity’s best interests

• do what you and your co-trustees (and no one else) decide will best enable the charity to carry out its purposes
• with your co-trustees, make balanced and adequately informed decisions, thinking about the long term as well as the short term
• avoid putting yourself in a position where your duty to your charity conflicts with your personal interests or loyalty to any other person or body
• not receive any benefit from the charity unless it is properly authorised and is clearly in the charity’s interests; this also includes anyone who is financially connected to you, such as a partner, dependent child or business partner

See section 6 for more information.

2.4 Manage your charity’s resources responsibly

You must act responsibly, reasonably and honestly. This is sometimes called the duty of prudence. Prudence is about exercising sound judgement. You and your co-trustees must:

• make sure the charity’s assets are only used to support or carry out its purposes
• avoid exposing the charity’s assets, beneficiaries or reputation to undue risk
• not over-commit the charity
• take special care when investing or borrowing
• comply with any restrictions on spending funds or selling land

You and your co-trustees should put appropriate procedures and safeguards in place and take reasonable steps to ensure that these are followed. Otherwise you risk making the charity vulnerable to fraud or theft, or other kinds of abuse, and being in breach of your duty.

See section 7 for more information.

2.5 Act with reasonable care and skill

As someone responsible for governing a charity, you:

• must use reasonable care and skill, making use of your skills and experience and taking appropriate advice when necessary
• should give enough time, thought and energy to your role, for example by preparing for, attending and actively participating in all trustees’ meetings

See section 8 for more information.

2.6 Ensure your charity is accountable

You and your co-trustees must comply with statutory accounting and reporting requirements. You should also:

• be able to demonstrate that your charity is complying with the law, well run and effective
• ensure appropriate accountability to members, if your charity has a membership separate from the trustees
• ensure accountability within the charity, particularly where you delegate responsibility for particular tasks or decisions to staff or volunteers

See section 9 for more information.

3. Who can be a trustee and how trustees are appointed

You must make sure you are allowed to be a trustee:

• there are some restrictions on who can be a trustee – there are minimum age limits and some factors that automatically disqualify people from being trustees
• you must be properly appointed, and should know how long your appointment lasts
• if you are not properly appointed, the trustees’ decisions or actions may be invalid, potentially creating disputes or putting charity assets at risk
• if you are a trustee of a charity that provides ‘regulated activities’ for children or adults, be prepared for your charity to request a DBS check on you

3.1 Who can be a trustee

3.1.1 minimum age.

You must be at least 16 years old to be a trustee of a charitable company or a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO), unless the charity’s governing document says you must be older. You must be at least 18 to be a trustee of any other type of charity.

3.1.2 Disqualification

You must not act as a trustee if you are disqualified under the Charities Act, unless your disqualification has been waived by the Commission. Reasons for disqualification include if you:

• are disqualified as a company director
• have an unspent conviction for an offence involving dishonesty or deception (such as fraud)
• are an undischarged bankrupt (or subject to sequestration in Scotland), or have a current composition or arrangement including an individual voluntary arrangement (IVA) with your creditors
• have been removed as a trustee of any charity by the Commission (or the court) because of misconduct or mismanagement
• are on the sex offenders’ register

You can read the automatic disqualification guidance for charities in more detail.

If any of the current or new disqualification reasons apply to you, you may be able to get your disqualification lifted (or ‘waived’) by the Commission. The Commission will carefully consider whether granting a waiver is appropriate, although there are some situations where it has no power to grant a waiver – for example, where a trustee is disqualified as a company director.

Read more about trustee disqualification .

3.1.3 Fit and proper persons

Charities that want to claim UK tax reliefs and exemptions (eg Gift Aid) must meet the management condition in the Finance Act 2010. This requires all of the charity’s managers (including trustees) to be ‘fit and proper persons’.

Find out more - see the HM Revenue and Customs guidance .

3.1.4 Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks

There are legal restrictions under safeguarding legislation on who can be involved in working with children and adults at risk. In addition, the DBS undertakes criminal records checks of individuals, which charities can use to ensure that they are eligible and suitable for the trustee role. The type of check that can be made depends on the nature of the charity’s activities and the role that the trustee plays. For example, if you are a trustee of a charity that provides ‘regulated activity’ for children or adults, you should expect your charity to request an enhanced DBS check on you: where it is satisfied that the role is eligible, this will include a check against the relevant barred list.

Find out more about safeguarding and DBS checks

3.2 How trustee appointments begin and end

You must follow any rules in your governing document about:

• who appoints new trustees
• when, and how, new trustees are appointed
• who can be a trustee - the governing document may impose conditions
• how long appointments last and whether a trustee can be re-appointed
• how trustees can resign or be removed

If your governing document has no specific provisions for these things, your charity must comply with the relevant legal provisions:

• companies must comply with company law provisions for appointing and removing directors
• unincorporated charities must comply with Trustee Act 1925 provisions

CIOs must include provisions in their constitutions for appointment and removal of trustees.

The Commission can use its powers to appoint or remove trustees if the charity’s trustees (or members, if applicable) are unable to do so.

Read more about legal powers to remove and appoint trustees .

3.3 What to consider when recruiting trustees

When charities recruit new trustees, they should think about:

• the skills and experience the current trustees have, and whether there are any gaps
• ensuring new trustees are eligible to act
• ensuring new trustees do not have serious conflicts of interest , or getting Commission consent and putting procedures in place to manage the conflicts
• how to help new trustees to understand their responsibilities and the charity’s work

It’s also important for trustees to be interested in the charity’s work and be willing to give their time to help run it.

Members or beneficiaries on your board

Many charities’ governing documents allow or require:

• some or all of the trustees to be elected by the members (this is usual practice for charities with voting members other than the trustees)
• the trustee body to include beneficiaries
• other groups or organisations, such as local authorities, to appoint trustees

It’s important to listen to the views and perspectives of members, beneficiaries and other bodies with an interest in your charity. Having people as trustees is one way of obtaining these views. But all trustees, regardless of how they are appointed, must act solely in the interests of the charity; it’s not their role to act on behalf of any particular group. They must also manage conflicts of interest, including conflicts of loyalty to their appointing body.

Find out more:

Trustee board: people and skills - how to appoint the right people with the right skills

Finding new trustees: what charities need to know

Charity trustee: declaration of eligibility and responsibility

Avoid mistakes - make sure trustee appointments are valid

Be careful to follow the rules in your charity’s governing document and the law when appointing trustees. If trustee appointments breach these rules they are not valid. The validity of actions and decisions they were involved in could be called into question. But even if a trustee isn’t validly appointed, they can still be held liable for their actions and decisions.

Improper trustee appointments can often lead to disputes. In the worst cases this can harm the charity’s reputation, alienate supporters, put charity assets at risk (including by loss of funding) or ultimately leave the charity unable to function.

4. Ensure your charity is carrying out its purposes for the public benefit

You and your co-trustees must make sure that everything your charity does helps (or is intended to help) to achieve the purposes for which it is set up, and no other purpose. This means you should:

4.1 Understanding the charity’s objects and powers

You should read the objects clause in your charity’s governing document and ensure you understand:

• what the charity is set up to achieve (its purposes)
• who the charity is there to benefit (its beneficiaries)
• how they will benefit (what the charity will do for or with them)
• any order of priority to the services and benefits the charity provides
• any restrictions on what the charity can do or who it can help (geographical or other boundaries; or specific criteria that beneficiaries must meet)

The objects might be quite broad and general, or they might be quite narrow, specifying what services or activities the charity can provide in order to achieve its purposes.

You can find out more about governing documents in section 5 of this guidance.

The charity may have specific powers in its governing document. Charities also have powers from the Charities Act and other laws. You must only use these powers in ways that further your charity’s purposes.

Find out more about charitable purposes .

Some charities produce ‘mission statements’ or other summaries of their aims and activities. When checking the scope of your charity’s objects or powers, be careful not to rely on such statements instead of the charitable purposes set out in the governing document, as the wording may be less precise. If you need to check whether your charity can lawfully undertake a particular activity, you should check against the objects clause rather than any other statement of the charity’s mission or aims. Otherwise you could end up carrying out activities in breach of the charity’s governing document.

4.2 Public benefit

All charities must be for the public benefit. Trustees must have regard to the Commission’s public benefit guidance PB1, PB2 and PB3 when making decisions they are relevant to. This would include reviewing the charity’s activities or considering new ones.

Public benefit is essential to:

• charitable status - to be a charity an organisation must have only charitable purposes for the public benefit
• a charity’s operation - its activities must all be focussed on carrying out the charity’s purposes for the public benefit
• a charity’s accountability - trustees must be able to explain how their charity’s activities are or have been for the public benefit

This means that you should understand, and be able to explain:

• what the charity is set up to achieve - its purpose
• why the charity’s purpose is beneficial - this is the ‘benefit aspect’ of public benefit
• how the charity’s purpose benefits the public or a sufficient section of the public - this is the ‘public aspect’ of public benefit
• how the charity will carry out (or ‘further’) its purpose for the public benefit

4.3 Planning and reviewing your charity’s work

You and your co-trustees are responsible for deciding and planning how your charity will carry out its purposes.

All charity trustees should, therefore, decide together what activities the charity will undertake, and think about the resources it will need. Trustees of larger charities should take responsibility for setting the charity’s strategic aims and direction, and agreeing appropriate future plans.

Involving the charity’s staff, volunteers and others with an interest in the charity in the planning process can be helpful.

As part of your planning process, you should work out what funds and other resources the charity will need and where it will get them. See section 7 of this guidance for more detail.

You and your co-trustees should periodically review what the charity is achieving, and how effective the charity’s activities are. Thinking about the difference your charity makes may help you to explain more clearly how it benefits the public. It may also help you to decide whether it could be more effective in carrying out its purpose by changing what it does.

Inspiring Impact

Charity governance, finance and resilience: 15 questions you should ask

You and your co-trustees should also review the charity’s objects from time to time and make sure that they are still appropriate, relevant and up to date. Circumstances change over time and this could affect whether:

• the charity’s beneficiary group still exists, and is still a ‘ sufficient section ’ of the public
• the geographical ‘area of benefit’ in which the charity can operate is still relevant
• the need that the charity was set up to meet still exists, and meeting it is still for the public benefit
• there may be better ways of meeting the need for which the charity was set up

If your charity’s objects are no longer effective, you must consider how these could be changed or take other action to enable the charity’s resources to be applied for its purposes.

In the past many charities helped people by providing goods including food, clothing or fuel. Many charities have decided that they can meet current needs more effectively with cash payments or vouchers, and have updated their objects. Some charities still work effectively by providing goods (such as food or medical equipment).

Charities are often set up for a particular locality. Changes over time may mean that there are no longer enough people who need the charity’s services in that place. In these circumstances, charities can expand their area of benefit to include neighbouring areas.

Two charities providing similar (or complementary) services in the same area may decide to collaborate or merge for greater efficiency.

4.4 Updating your charity’s objects

Charities can modify or add to their objects if necessary, using powers in the governing document, company law or the Charities Act. They can’t usually change their objects completely; the governing document and charity law do not usually allow it. If your charity is planning to update its objects, you and your co-trustees should consider what the charity was originally set up to do, and how circumstances have changed. Most charities must obtain permission from the Commission before changing their objects.

You should also review the other provisions in your charity’s governing document and update them if they no longer meet the charity’s needs - see section 5 of this guidance.

Governing documents are legal documents. You must follow the correct procedures to amend them, and it’s important to word any changes correctly. You should consider taking appropriate advice about any changes. Use one of the Commission’s model governing documents or an approved governing document , to ensure that your governing document has all the provisions and powers you need.

How to make changes to your charity’s governing document

How to write charitable purposes

5. Comply with your charity’s governing document and the law

5.1 your charity’s governing document.

You and your co-trustees must make sure that the charity complies with the governing document, which usually contains key information about:

• what the charity exists to do (its purposes, as explained in its objects clause)
• what powers it has to further its objects
• who the trustees are, how many trustees there should be and how they are appointed and removed
• whether the charity has members and, if so, who can be a member
• rules about trustees’ (and members’) meetings; how they are arranged and conducted; how decisions must be made and recorded, and so on
• how to change the governing document
• how to close the charity down

There may also be rules limiting how powers can be used, who can vote at meetings, or which rules can be changed.

Every trustee should have an up to date copy of their charity’s governing document and regularly refer to it. If you do not have a copy, or do not know what it is, ask your fellow trustees. If they do not have a copy, the Commission can usually provide one (if your charity is a registered charity).

The governing document is essential to your charity. You and your co-trustees may need to review it from time to time to ensure that it continues to meet the charity’s needs. Governing documents are legal documents. You must follow the correct procedures to amend them, and it’s important to word any changes correctly. You should consider taking appropriate advice about any changes. Use one of the Commission’s model governing documents or an approved governing document , to ensure that your governing document has all the provisions and powers you need.

Read more about governing documents and charity purposes and rules .

5.2 Charity law - registration, accounting, reporting and other requirements

Charities set up in England or Wales must register with the Commission unless they are:

• exempt charities
• excepted from registering
• very small (below the annual income threshold for compulsory registration, currently £5,000) and not a CIO (all CIOs must register)

Find out whether your charity needs to register or is exempt or excepted .

Charities that operate in Scotland or Northern Ireland may also have to register there.

All charities must keep proper financial records and prepare annual accounts. Trustees must arrange for accounting books and records (including cash books, invoices and receipts) to be kept for a specified period. Read more: Retention of Accounting Records .

All registered charities:

• must inform the Commission of any changes to the information on the register of charities, including trustee details and changes to the governing document
• must send an annual return (or annual update) and other information to the Commission
• must comply with any additional accounting and reporting requirements such as filing annual accounts and reports with the Commission, depending on the size of the charity
• should report to the Commission any serious incident in their charity, as soon as possible after it occurs (see section 8.3 for more details)

Exempt charities may have to send accounting information to their principal regulator.

Find out more about accounting and reporting requirements for charities .

Charities whose income is over £250,000, and all charitable companies, must prepare their accounts and trustees’ annual report in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting and Reporting by Charities (Charities SORP).

Find out more about the Charities SORP .

A registered charity with an income over £10,000 in its last financial year must state that it’s a registered charity on any fundraising documents and on many of its financial documents, including cheques, invoices and receipts. This includes electronic documents such as emails and websites. You do not have to state the charity’s registration number, but it’s good practice to do so.

5.3 Other laws and regulations

Charities and their trustees may be subject to a range of other laws and regulations depending on what the charity does, where it works and how it is set up. Some laws apply to all charities, such as equality, data protection and copyright law. It is important to be aware of the laws that apply to your charity, for example if it:

• is a company, CIO or community benefit society
• employs staff
• owns or rents premises
• operates vehicles
• legal, financial or other regulated advice
• housing or accommodation
• medical or care services
• works with children or adults at risk
• undertakes activities that are subject to regulations, such as fundraising
• wants to benefit from Gift Aid or other tax reliefs
• works in Scotland, Northern Ireland or outside the UK

The Commission doesn’t expect every trustee to be a legal expert. You and your co-trustees should take reasonable steps to find out about legal and regulatory requirements and keep up to date, for example by getting mailings from the Commission and other sources, reading relevant guidance and attending appropriate training. The charity should also have systems and procedures to ensure that it complies with legal requirements.

Where there is concern about a specific issue, the trustees may wish to consider taking independent advice from a suitably qualified person.

Find a solicitor - Law Society

Legal advice for small charities - LawWorks

5.4 Avoid mistakes - know your governing document

If the trustees do not comply with the governing document, the charity might undertake activities outside its objects. It might fail to follow the correct procedures, or take actions it has no power to take. Actions and decisions could be invalid and have to be reversed as a result.

If you do not follow rules about who can be a member or a trustee, or how to arrange and run meetings, it often leads to disputes, which can prevent the charity from operating effectively.

6. Act in your charity’s best interests

6.1 understanding the charity’s interests.

Acting in the charity’s best interests means always doing what the trustees decide will best enable the charity to carry out its purposes, both now and for the future. It’s not about serving:

• the interests of trustees or staff
• the personal interests of members or beneficiaries
• the personal interests of supporters, funders or donors
• the charity as an institution in itself, or preserving it for its own sake

Sometimes trustees need to consider collaborating or merging with another charity , or even spending all of the charity’s resources and bringing it to a close .

6.2 Making decisions

You and your co-trustees are ultimately responsible for deciding what activities the charity will undertake, what resources it will need, how it will obtain and use them. Collective decision making is one of the most important parts of the trustee role. Some decisions are simple and straightforward; others can be complex or far reaching in their consequences. When you and your co-trustees make decisions about your charity, you must:

• act within your powers
• act in good faith, and only in the interests of your charity
• make sure you are sufficiently informed, taking any advice you need
• take account of all relevant factors you are aware of
• ignore any irrelevant factors
• deal with conflicts of interest and loyalty
• make decisions that are within the range of decisions that a reasonable trustee body could make in the circumstances

You should record how you made more significant decisions in case you need to review or explain them in the future.

Read more about decision making .

6.3 Avoid mistakes - be prepared to challenge assumptions

Trustees must make decisions solely in the charity’s interests, so they shouldn’t allow their judgement to be swayed by personal prejudices or dominant personalities.

Trustees must act collectively (jointly). Part of their role is to critically and objectively review proposals and challenge assumptions in making decisions. No one should be able to direct the trustees or drive decisions through without sufficient consideration. Trustees who simply defer to the opinions and decisions of others aren’t fulfilling their duties.

Decisions do not usually have to be unanimous (depending on your governing document), but once the trustees have made a decision, they must all comply with it, including any who disagree. If you strongly disagree with your fellow trustees’ decision, you can ask for your disagreement to be recorded in the minutes of the meeting. If you think that your fellow trustees are acting in breach of their duty, you should discuss the matter with the chair or your fellow trustees. If you are still concerned, contact the Commission. Ultimately, you may feel that you have to resign in order to distance yourself from the decision.

The Commission can only advise or intervene in relation to trustees’ legal duties; it can’t arbitrate in disputes between trustees.

6.4 Dealing with conflicts of interest and conflicts of loyalty

You can only comply with your duty to act in the charity’s best interests if you prevent your personal interests from conflicting (or appearing to conflict) with the best interests of the charity. This means recognising and dealing with conflicts of interest.

A conflict of interest is any situation where your personal interests could, or could appear to, prevent you from making a decision only in the charity’s best interests. For example, if you (or a person connected to you, such as a close relative, business partner or company):

• receive payment from the charity for goods or services, or as an employee
• make a loan to or receive a loan from the charity
• own a business that enters into a contract with the charity
• use the charity’s services
• enter into some other financial transaction with the charity

Even when you receive no financial benefit, you could have a conflict of loyalty. For example if your charity has business dealings with your employer, a friend, family member, or another body (such as a local authority or charity, or a charity’s trading subsidiary) that you serve on.

This means you and your co-trustees:

• should identify, and must declare conflicts of interest (or loyalty)
• must prevent the conflict of interest (or loyalty) from affecting the decision
• should record the conflict of interest (or loyalty) and how it was dealt with

How you prevent a conflict of interest from affecting a decision will depend on the circumstances and the seriousness of the conflict of interest. You must follow any specific conflict of interest provisions in your governing document. If a trustee (or a person connected to a trustee) stands to benefit directly or indirectly, the conflicted trustee(s) should withdraw from the discussion and decision making process. If the non-conflicted trustees can demonstrate that a conflict of loyalty involves no material benefit and poses a low risk to decision making in the best interests of the charity, they may permit the affected trustee to participate. Directors of charitable companies must have specific authority in the company’s articles to do this. For the most serious conflicts of interest it may mean obtaining permission from the Commission, deciding not to proceed with a proposal or even resigning as a trustee.

6.5 Avoid mistakes - deal with conflicts of interest

Conflicts of interest (and conflicts of loyalty) are more common than people often think. If one of your fellow trustees appears to have a conflict of interest you should say so; you are not calling their integrity into question by doing so.

In deciding how to deal with a conflict of interest, trustees should be mindful of what feels right, and also how others might view the trustees’ actions.

Where conflicts of interest have not been identified or properly dealt with, it can have negative impacts on both the charity and individual trustees including financial cost and reputational damage. Because the trustees have acted in breach of their duty, decisions may be called into question or legally challenged. The Commission may have to take regulatory action to protect the charity from further harm or to deal with any misconduct or mismanagement by the trustees.

Read more about conflicts of interest .

6.6 Payments and other benefits to trustees

Charities can’t usually pay their trustees. When you become a trustee, you usually volunteer your services and receive no payment for your work. This is called the voluntary principle. You can, however, reclaim reasonable expenses that you incur such as travel and childcare - being a trustee shouldn’t mean being out of pocket.

These restrictions apply to trustees (or someone with a financial connection to a trustee, such as their partner, dependent children or a business partner) benefiting by:

• supplying goods or services to the charity eg building work or specialist services, even if the trustee offers better value or expertise than other suppliers
• being employed by the charity or by a trading subsidiary owned by the charity
• receiving material benefits as a beneficiary of the charity
• being paid to act as a trustee; this is very unusual and only permitted in exceptional circumstances
• entering into a property transaction (or any other financial transaction such as a loan) with the charity - this is called self-dealing

In some circumstances, one or more trustees (or persons with a financial connection to a trustee) do receive payments or other benefits from their charity. This is only permitted if:

• the benefit is specifically authorised by the governing document, the Charities Act (or other relevant legislation), the Commission or the courts; any specified procedures must be strictly followed
• even if the benefit is authorised, the non-conflicted trustees are satisfied that allowing it is in the charity’s best interests
• the conflict of interest is managed; so in most cases the conflicted trustee(s) can’t be involved in the decision and only a minority of trustees can benefit

Read more about payment of trustees .

Find out whether you need permission, and how to apply .

7. Manage your charity’s resources responsibly

7.1 managing risks.

A risk is anything that could, if it happened, affect your charity achieving its purposes or carrying out its plans. All charities face some risks. The risks your charity might face will depend on factors such as its size, funding and activities. For example, managing property, employing staff, using volunteers, using IT, working with children or people at risk, or implementing change all involve elements of risk.

You and your co-trustees should manage risk responsibly. You have a duty to avoid exposing your charity to undue risk. This doesn’t mean being risk averse. Risk management is the process of identifying and assessing risks, and deciding how to deal with them. It may involve an element of responsible risk taking, and is central to how trustees make decisions.

The Commission’s guidance on risk management sets out the basics of dealing with risks and includes a risk management model, made up of the following steps:

• Establish a risk policy.
• Identify risks (what could go wrong).
• Assess risks (how likely is it, and how serious would it be).
• Evaluate what action to take (eg avoid it, transfer it, insure against it, accept it).
• Review, monitor and assess periodically.

How to manage risks in your charity

Institute of Risk Management guide for charities

Charities: how to protect vulnerable groups including children

Some charities work in areas or undertake activities that involve greater exposure to risks such as fraud, financial crime, extremism or terrorism. Charities should assess their exposure to these risks and take proportionate action. If your charity needs to address these risks, you may find the Commission’s toolkit on protecting charities from harm helpful. Chapter 2 of the toolkit includes a practical guide to due diligence, based on 3 principles:

• know your donor (for example, if your charity receives large donations, particularly anonymous or cash donations or with conditions attached)
• know your partner (if your charity relies on partners or intermediaries to carry out any of its work)
• know your beneficiaries (for example if your charity makes grants of cash or other financial support directly to individuals)

Charities must also assess and manage safeguarding risks. For example, they must ensure that their beneficiaries or others who come into contact with their charity do not, as a result, come to harm. For example, many charities come into contact with or provide activities for those who may be experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect. This includes:

• children and young people under 18 years of age
• adults (aged 18 and over) at risk

Even where work with children or adults at risk does not form part of the core business of the charity, trustees must be alert to their responsibilities to protect from risk of harm those with whom the charity comes into contact. Read more about protecting vulnerable groups

These principles will help you and your co-trustees to carry out their legal duties and manage the risks to the charity’s assets and services.

7.2 Budgeting

You and your co-trustees need to work out what funds and other resources your charity will need and where the charity will get these from. A charity can only succeed in meeting its aims if it manages its money and other resources properly. You will need to plan and monitor its income and outgoings so that it can meet its short, medium and long term goals.

Managing charity finances

Financial difficulties in charities

7.3 Getting the funds your charity needs (income generation)

Most charities get their funds through one or more of the following methods:

• fundraising (asking for donations, legacies or grants)
• trading (selling goods or services)
• leasing or letting land or buildings

In practice, it’s best to avoid relying on a single source of income. You and your co-trustees are responsible for deciding how your charity will obtain funds. You should think about:

• how much money the charity needs
• the costs, benefits and risks of different methods of generating income
• any legal requirements that the charity must comply with, including fundraising regulations, and restrictions on commercial trading
• any potential reputational issues
• whether you need advice

If your charity is already bringing in funds, you and your co-trustees should ensure that its income generation is on target, complies with the law and is not exposing the charity to undue risk.

Fundraising legally and responsibly

Institute of Fundraising code of fundraising practice and good practice guides

Charity trading: selling goods and services

How to invest charity money

7.4 Charities and their trading subsidiaries

Charities need to use a trading subsidiary if they carry out commercial (non-charitable) trading which exceeds the threshold for paying income or corporation tax, or involves significant risk.

A trading subsidiary is a separate company controlled by the charity. The charity can raise money from trade without exposing its assets to risk or being liable for income or corporation tax.

There are, however, risks which trustees need to be aware of and manage:

• the charity exists for charitable purposes, but the trading subsidiary exists to generate income; their aims and interests are different; you need to distinguish between them
• if the trading subsidiary starts to fail, the charity must not bail it out; this would be putting the charity’s funds at risk
• charity trustees who are also directors of the subsidiary have a conflict of interest
• if a charity trustee is also a director of the trading subsidiary, the restrictions on payments and benefits to trustees also apply to any payments or benefits as a director

7.5 Managing funds and keeping them safe

You and your co-trustees are responsible for your charity’s money. Your charity should have effective processes for handling money, to help avoid poor decisions and accidental errors, as well as theft and fraud. Failure to do so is likely to result in a breach of your duty. You should:

• set a budget and keep track of it
• put in place clear policies and procedures to deal with income and expenditure
• ensure the charity keeps accurate records of income and expenditure
• have robust and effective financial controls in place
• protect the charity from financial crime such as theft or fraud
• put appropriate safeguards in place for money, assets and staff if the charity operates outside of the UK
• have an appropriate reserves policy
• ensure the charity receives tax reliefs to which it is entitled

If something does go wrong, you should inform the Commission and (if appropriate) the police. See the section on what to do if something goes wrong in section 8 of this guidance.

Charity money: how to keep it safe

Charities: due diligence checks and monitoring end use of funds

7.6 Managing property (land and buildings)

If the charity owns or rents land or buildings, you and your co-trustees should:

• make sure the property is recorded as belonging to the charity - see section 11 of this guidance
• know on what terms it’s held
• ensure it’s properly maintained and being correctly used
• make sure the charity has sufficient insurance

You should regularly review whether the property is suitable for the charity’s purposes, and whether any property the charity lets to generate income is still a good investment.

Decisions about property are important, so think about the advice and information you may need in order to make decisions in the charity’s interests.

Most charities can buy, sell or lease land when they need to. When selling or leasing land, trustees must try to get the best deal for the charity (unless they are making the disposal to further the charity’s purposes). So all charities should, and registered charities must:

• obtain written advice, including a valuation, from a qualified surveyor before agreeing a sale or granting a lease for more than 7 years
• advertise the sale or lease, unless the surveyor advises otherwise

Otherwise, you are likely to need permission from the Commission for the sale or lease.

A charity’s governing document may specify that land or buildings must be used for a particular purpose. This is called designated land (or ‘specie land’). Special conditions apply to leasing or selling designated land.

Land belonging to a charity (particularly designated land) might be permanent endowment. This restricts how you can use the proceeds of sale.

You must get permission from the Commission to sell or lease property to or from a trustee, someone closely connected to a trustee, or an employee of the charity.

Before taking out a mortgage or loan secured against your charity’s land you must get written financial advice and ensure that:

• the loan is needed and used for an activity that fits with your charity’s purposes
• the terms of the loan are reasonable
• the charity will be able to repay the loan

Otherwise you will need permission from the Commission to proceed.

Find out more about buying, selling, leasing or mortgaging charity property , including designated land and permanent endowment .

7.7 Staff and volunteers

As part of your overall responsibility for the charity, you and your co-trustees have responsibilities towards any volunteers or staff.

You must ensure that:

• the charity complies with relevant law including employment, pension, equality and health and safety law
• volunteers are clearly distinct from employees in terms of responsibilities and rights; for example by not requiring volunteers to work set hours, nor paying them more than expenses they actually incur

You should ensure that:

• people are clear about what they are supposed to do, through appropriate job descriptions for staff or role descriptions for volunteers
• people are aware of the rules and boundaries within which they must work, for example, when representing or speaking on behalf of the charity
• people work safely
• people know what to do if there’s a problem
• people know what they need to report and who they report to
• senior managers are not disqualified (see below)

You and your co-trustees should ensure that the charity has appropriate procedures and policies in place, staff and volunteers get appropriate training, and people know they must comply with policies and procedures. You also have an important role in promoting effective working relationships between trustees, senior staff (if any), staff and volunteers.

If your charity has senior managers – typically carrying out chief executive or finance director roles – you and your co-trustees should ensure that you have procedures in place to check if they are disqualified by law from acting in that role. The reasons for disqualification are the same as for trustees - see section 3.2.1.

You can read the automatic disqualification guidance for charities which explains the disqualification in more detail..

How to manage your charity’s volunteers

Charity staff: how to employ paid workers

Pension rules for charities

Charity Finance Group guidance about pensions

7.8 Avoid mistakes - do not rely too much on individuals

Things can go wrong when trustees place too much reliance on individuals, and do not implement sufficient safeguards to ensure accountability. This can result in the charity falling victim to fraud or theft, or beneficiaries suffering abuse. These kinds of occurrences could cause the charity serious reputational and other damage.

All charities should have appropriate financial controls which ensure that more than one person is involved in receiving income and authorising expenditure. These should cover all payment methods that the charity uses - cheque, cash, credit card, charge card, debit card, prepaid card, telephone or internet banking or other electronic means. Handling cash brings increased risk, so try to avoid cash payments wherever possible.

When other people raise funds on behalf of the charity, whether they are volunteers or paid professionals, you should ensure there are proper controls over the funds raised. This is to make sure that the charity receives the full amount due to it.

Read more about financial controls .

If something does go seriously wrong, you should take prompt action to deal with it and report it to the Commission. Find out more in section 8.3 of this guidance.

8. Act with reasonable care and skill

• must use reasonable care and skill, making use of your skills and experience and taking advice when necessary

This is sometimes called the duty of care.

8.1 Using your skills and experience

As a trustee, you must use your skills and experience to inform decision making and benefit your charity. For example, the Trustee Act 2000 says that trustees must “exercise such care and skill as is reasonable in the circumstances”. What is reasonable in the circumstances will depend on any special knowledge or experience that the trustee has or claims to have. It also depends on whether a trustee is acting in a professional or paid capacity, and what it would be reasonable to expect such a person to know.

The Trustee Act 2000 applies to trustees of unincorporated charities. Company law and the Charities Act impose similar duties on directors of charitable companies and trustees of CIOs (see section 11 of this guidance). In addition, all trustees have a general duty of care which they must apply to all aspects of their role.

8.2 Taking advice when you need to

Trustees should recognise and acknowledge when they need advice. This is particularly important if the charity (or its property) may be at risk, or if they could act in breach of their duties, for example, when:

• buying or selling land (most charities must take advice from a surveyor or other qualified person when selling charity land)
• investing charity funds
• entering into novel, long-term, complex or high-value contracts
• considering legal action

Some larger charities employ their own professional advisers; most charities are more likely to obtain advice externally.

Making decisions at a charity

Other sources of help and advice

8.3 What to do if something does go wrong

Most problems in charities can be resolved by the trustees themselves, sometimes with some advice. However, in serious cases the Commission may need to advise the trustees or take action to protect the charity.

If something does go wrong, you should take prompt and appropriate action to:

• prevent or minimise any further loss or damage
• if appropriate, report it to the Commission, the police if a crime has been committed, and any other regulators that the charity is accountable to
• plan what you will say to your staff, volunteers, members, the public or the media
• take reasonable steps to prevent it from happening again - review controls and procedures, take appropriate advice

The Commission requires charities to report serious incidents. A serious incident is an adverse event, whether actual or alleged, which results in or risks significant:

• loss of your charity’s money or assets
• damage to your charity’s property
• harm to your charity’s work, beneficiaries or reputation

The most common type of incidents are frauds, thefts, significant financial losses, criminal breaches, terrorism or extremism allegations, and safeguarding issues.

If a serious incident takes place, you need to report what happened and explain how you are dealing with it, even if you have reported it to the police, donors or another regulator.

The Commission can then decide what action, if any, is appropriate. Trustees must avoid exposing their charity to undue risk and should take reasonable steps to assess and manage risks to its activities, beneficiaries, property and reputation. Reporting serious incidents to the Commission demonstrates that you have identified a risk to the charity and that’s its trustees are taking appropriate and effective action to deal with it. It also means the Commission can respond positively to any enquiries from the public or media.

If trustees fail to report a serious incident that subsequently comes to light, the Commission may consider this to be mismanagement and take regulatory action, particularly if further abuse or damage has arisen following the initial incident.

How to report a serious incident in your charity

8.4 When the Commission would become involved

The Commission will get involved if it is concerned that trustees are not fulfilling their duties towards their charity, either because they do not understand them or are unwilling or unable to fulfil them.

In some cases, the Commission may decide that it’s sufficient to advise the trustees about their duties. In more serious cases, when charities’ assets, reputation, services or beneficiaries have been harmed or are at significant risk, the Commission may open a statutory inquiry, which will allow it to:

• obtain and assess evidence
• use enforcement powers to protect the charity’s assets or secure their proper application

Opening an inquiry does not always mean the Commission suspects wrongdoing. The Commission’s aim in such cases is to stop abuse or damage and put charities back on a proper footing for the future.

Read about the Commission’s work to prevent, detect and tackle abuse and mismanagement in charities and promote charity law: Tackling abuse and mismanagement in charities .

9. Ensure your charity is accountable

9.1 complying with accounting requirements.

All charities must produce accounts and provide a copy of the most recent to anyone who asks. (You can charge to cover your costs.) The Commission will take regulatory action against charities that persistently fail to provide copies of accounts when asked by members of the public or a regulator.

Exactly what accounts your charity must produce depends on whether the charity is a company and how much income it receives. Different rules apply to exempt charities. Find out more about accounting and reporting requirements for charities .

All registered charities must also provide information annually to the Commission. The rules vary according to your charity’s size and structure. Registered charities with:

• income up to £10,000 should complete the relevant sections of the annual return, which include updates to trustees
• income above £10,000, and all CIOs, must prepare and file an annual return form
• income above £25,000, and all CIOs, must also file copies of their trustees’ annual report and accounts

Failure to submit accounts and accompanying documents to the Commission is a criminal offence. The Commission also regards it as mismanagement or misconduct in the administration of the charity. Providing timely, accurate and informative financial information that will help funders, donors, beneficiaries and others to understand your charity and its work will encourage trust and confidence in it.

Remember, those trustees who sign the trustees’ annual report and accounts are signing on behalf of the whole trustee body so all of the trustees are responsible for the accounts.

Find out more about annual returns .

Your charity may also have to report to other regulators, for example, if its activities include providing social housing, education or social care. Companies must also submit accounts and annual returns to Companies House annually.

9.2 Being accountable to people with an interest in the charity

It’s important to take account of what your members, beneficiaries, supporters and funders say. Use this information to inform decisions and improve the charity’s services. If your charity has a wider voting membership in addition to the trustees, your governing document may contain specific provisions about when to involve members in decisions, for example through general meetings.

Charities should consider the benefits of having appropriate procedures for dealing with complaints , and ensuring they are easy to find and easy to follow.

You and your co-trustees must ensure that your charity complies with the law, and should be able to demonstrate that it is legally compliant, well run and effective in carrying out its purposes. If you can’t demonstrate these things, you should be able to explain what steps you are taking to address any difficulties.

You may find it helpful to review your charity’s compliance and good practice using:

• the Charity Governance Code
• a quality standard, such as PQASSO , or another standard that is suitable for your charity
• benchmarking (comparing and learning) with another organisation
• an independent review by a suitably qualified adviser

Read about public trust and confidence in charities .

9.3 Trustees and delegation

Trustees often delegate day to day activities to particular trustees (such as the chair), volunteers or staff. Many charities also have power to delegate decision making to sub-committees or senior staff. Delegation can help trustees to govern more effectively, but they cannot delegate their overall responsibility. Trustees always remain collectively responsible for all decisions that are made and actions that are taken with their authority.

You and your co-trustees should set out in writing the limits of any delegated authority. You should also put clear reporting procedures in place, so you can ensure the delegated authority is exercised properly. This could include staff job descriptions, volunteers’ role descriptions and committees’ terms of reference. A periodic review of any delegated authorities can help to ensure that those authorities are properly managed.

The trustees should consider and decide what decisions they will not delegate. High risk and unusual decisions should not be delegated. You should agree appropriate guidelines to help assess what is likely to be high risk or unusual. Staff, particularly senior staff, can have an important role in informing trustee decision making by providing information and advice.

Trustees might be told that they should not interfere in day to day operations. You should allow staff and volunteers to carry out any functions that have been delegated to them. But you and your co-trustees must be able to ensure that delegated authority is being properly exercised, through appropriate monitoring and reporting procedures (and, where appropriate and possible, independent checking).

It’s important to have clear and appropriate channels of communication between staff and trustees and ensure these are followed.

9.4 Avoid mistakes - ask questions (even ones that seem ‘awkward’ or ‘stupid’)

Part of your role is to hold people (including staff, volunteers and fellow trustees) to account for how they carry out their role or use the charity’s resources. This can mean asking probing or challenging questions about information at trustee meetings, or being prepared to say ‘I do not understand what this means’. You should receive timely information in a format that you can understand and use, and if necessary ask for explanations, training or a different presentation. For example, all trustees, not just the treasurer, are responsible for the charity’s finances and should be able to understand, consider and comment on financial information.

10. Reduce the risk of liability

It’s extremely rare, but not impossible, for charity trustees to be held personally liable:

• to their charity, for a financial loss caused by them acting improperly
• to a third party that has a legal claim against the charity that the charity can’t meet

Understanding potential liabilities will help you to protect yourself and your charity by taking action to reduce the risk. This includes complying with duties covered in this guidance. It also includes deciding whether your charity should become incorporated.

10.1 Personal liability to the charity

Trustees can be held liable to their charity for any financial loss they cause or help to cause. This applies to any type of charity whatever its legal form.

The law generally protects trustees who have acted honestly and reasonably from personal liability to their charity. The Commission and the courts:

• can relieve trustees from liability if they have acted honestly and reasonably and have not benefited from their actions
• rarely enforce liability on an unpaid trustee who has made an honest mistake
• expect higher standards from trustees who act in a professional capacity or are paid for being trustees

Trustees who receive an unauthorised payment or benefit from their charity have a duty to account for (ie repay) it. The Commission can’t relieve trustees from this duty.

There is no legal protection for trustees who have acted dishonestly, negligently or recklessly. However, there may be financial protection for those trustees who have made an honest mistake and can rely on the indemnity provisions in the charity’s governing document, insurance cover or relief from the Commission or the court.

Charity Commission policy on restitution and the recovery of charitable funds misappropriated or lost to charity in breach of trust

10.2 Liability to third parties

Charities or their trustees can become liable to a third party who has a claim against the charity such as:

• breaches of an employee’s terms, conditions or rights
• failing to pay for goods or services, or to fulfil the terms of a contract
• a member of the public being injured on the charity’s premises
• liability to any staff pension scheme

If the charity is incorporated, the charity itself will be liable for the claim. Some types of incorporated body (companies, CIOs and Community Benefit Societies) can specifically limit the liability of their trustees and members.

If the charity is unincorporated, the trustees have to sign contracts and other agreements personally, and will have to meet any claim. The charity can normally meet any liabilities that you incur as a trustee provided you have acted honestly and reasonably. (Some charities also have power to indemnify trustees against liability arising from an honest mistake.) But if you incur liabilities that exceed the value of the charity’s assets, you could be liable for any amount that the charity can’t cover.

Find out more about your charity’s legal structure - see section 11 of this guidance.

Vicarious liability of a charity or its trustees

10.3 Criminal liability

In some cases, the charity or its trustees can become liable for offences committed by the charity’s staff (for example, under the Bribery Act or corporate manslaughter law).

Find out more about the Bribery Act (Transparency International guidance).

10.4 Reduce the risk of personal liability

To reduce the risk of becoming personally liable, you should:

• ensure trustees understand their responsibilities
• ensure the charity can meet its financial obligations, particularly before agreeing to any contract or substantial borrowing
• ensure the charity can meet any obligations to staff pension schemes
• hold regular trustee meetings and keep proper records of decisions made and the reasons for those decisions
• ensure you prevent conflicts of interest from affecting decisions
• ensure any transactions with and benefits to trustees or connected persons are properly authorised
• take appropriate advice from a suitably qualified person when you need to
• if you delegate any powers, give clear written instructions and make sure the instructions are being followed
• keep receipts and records of income and expenditure
• receive regular financial reports
• file accounts on time
• ensure the charity is complying with other laws that apply to it
• consider whether the charity needs additional insurance or needs to become incorporated

If your charity is unincorporated and employs staff or enters into other contracts, the trustees should seriously consider changing the charity into an incorporated form. You may need to take professional advice about this, particularly in relation to any pension liabilities which could be triggered by incorporation.

Read more about:

Charities and insurance

Changing your charity into a company or CIO

11. Your charity’s legal structure and what it means

It’s important to know your charity’s legal structure (eg trust, association, CIO, company) because it affects whether:

• the charity itself can enter into contracts or employ staff, or the trustees must do these things personally
• land is held by the charity itself or by the trustees (or someone the trustees appoint for that purpose)
• trustees’ liability is limited
• trustees have specific legal duties that go with that legal structure

11.1 Different legal structures for charities

An ‘incorporated charity’ is one that’s set up in a legal form which makes the charity itself a legal entity. This is called ‘legal personality’, and means the charity can own property or enter into contracts in its own name. Incorporation gives trustees more protection from personal liability. Some incorporated forms can limit trustees’ liability to third parties. The law places duties on board members to prevent the abuse of limited liability.

An ‘unincorporated charity’ doesn’t have legal personality, so can’t hold property or enter into contracts in its own name. Trustees’ personal liability is unlimited.

This table summarises the characteristics of different legal forms and what they mean for trustees.

Charity types: how to choose a structure

Running a limited company: Directors’ responsibilities

Royal Charter charities

11.2 Unincorporated charities (trusts and unincorporated associations) - holding land

Charities set up by a trust deed, constitution or similar governing document are unincorporated. This means they are not legal bodies in their own right and can’t hold property in their own name; it must be held for the charity by trustees.

If the charity trustees do not want to hold legal title for any land or other property themselves, they can appoint a nominee, holding trustees (other individuals) or a custodian trustee (a company or other corporate body that has power to hold property for the charity). The governing document may explain how to do this.

Holding and custodian trustees aren’t charity trustees; they can’t make decisions about the management of the charity or its property, and must follow the lawful directions of the charity trustees.

You may find it simplest to vest the land in the Official Custodian for Charities. Read about The Official Custodian for Charities’ land holding service .

Apply to transfer land or property to the Official Custodian .

12. Charity officers - the chair and treasurer

Some trustees have special roles, such as the chair and the treasurer. They are known as officers. You must comply with any specific provisions for officers in your governing document. Trustees can also nominate a trustee to take the lead on a particular matter.

Charity officers do not automatically have any extra powers or legal duties than their co-trustees, but may carry out specific roles or have specific responsibilities delegated to them. However, all trustees remain jointly responsible for the charity. For example, all trustees share responsibility for finances (not just the treasurer). A chair can only make decisions in accordance with any provision in the governing document or delegated authority agreed by the trustees, and should notify the other trustees of any decisions made.

12.1 The treasurer

The treasurer usually takes the lead at board level on:

• making sure the charity keeps proper accounts
• reviewing the charity’s financial performance
• drawing up or reviewing policies for finance and investment
• ensuring that the charity has robust and effective financial controls in place
• liaising with finance staff and with the charity’s independent examiner or auditor
• reporting on financial matters to the members, in a membership charity

In larger charities the treasurer may share these responsibilities with a finance committee, and staff may carry out day to day finance functions.

The Honorary Treasurer’s Forum

12.2 The chair

The role of the chair may vary depending on the charity’s circumstances. The chair usually:

• helps plan and run trustee meetings (and in a membership charity, members’ meetings)
• takes the lead on ensuring that meetings are properly run and recorded
• takes the lead on ensuring that trustees comply with their duties and the charity is well governed
• might have a second or casting vote if a vote on a trustees’ decision is tied, but only if this is specified in the charity’s governing document
• may act as a spokesperson for the charity
• acts as a link between trustees and staff
• line manages the chief executive on behalf of the trustees

A Chair’s Compass - A guide for chairs of charities and non-profit organisations .

13. Technical terms used in this guidance

This section explains some legal and technical terms used in this guidance.

‘Beneficiary’ or ‘beneficiaries’ means a person or group of people eligible to benefit from a charity. A charity’s beneficiary group is usually defined in its governing document. Some charities call their beneficiaries clients or service users.

The ‘Charities Act’ is the Charities Act 2011. This guidance occasionally refers to specific powers under this Act.

A ‘charitable incorporated organisation’, or ‘CIO’, is an incorporated legal form designed specifically for charities. See section 11 of this guidance for more detail.

A ‘charity’ is any organisation set up under the law of England and Wales for solely charitable purposes.

The ‘Commission’ means the Charity Commission, the regulator for charities in England and Wales.

A ‘community benefit society’ is an incorporated legal form in which charities can be set up. It is similar to a limited company. Community benefit societies are registered by the Financial Conduct Authority. Charitable community benefit societies are currently exempt charities.

‘Excepted charities’ do not have to register with the Commission or submit annual returns. Apart from that, the Commission regulates them and can use any of its powers if it needs to. This only applies to specified churches, Scout and Guide groups and armed forces charities whose income is below £100,000. Read more about excepted charities .

An ‘exempt charity’ is exempt from registration and direct regulation by the Commission. Most exempt charities have a different charity regulator (or ‘principal regulator’). Trustees of exempt charities have the same basic duties as other charity trustees. Read more about exempt charities .

The ‘governing document’ is the legal document that sets out the rules that govern a charity. These include the charity’s objects and, usually, how it must be administered. It’s usually a trust deed, constitution, CIO constitution or articles of association. Some charities have a different type of document such as a conveyance, will, royal charter or Commission scheme. Find out more about governing documents .

‘Have regard to’ does not have a strict legal definition, but generally means ‘take into account’ or ‘consider’, rather than ‘comply with’.

‘In the charity’s best interests’ means what the trustees believe will best enable the charity to carry out its purposes for the public benefit. See section 6 of this guidance for more detail.

An ‘incorporated charity’ means a charity formed as a company, CIO, royal charter body, community benefit society or a corporation created by Act of Parliament. Being incorporated means the charity itself is a legal body. It can own property or enter into contracts in its own name. Incorporation gives trustees more protection from personal liability. See section 11 of this guidance for more detail.

Misconduct includes any act (or failure to act) that the person committing it knew (or ought to have known) was criminal, unlawful or improper.

Mismanagement includes any act (or failure to act) that may cause charitable resources to be misused or the people who benefit from the charity to be put at risk.

A charity’s ‘purpose’ is what it is set up to achieve (for example, relieving poverty or promoting health). A charitable purpose is one that:

• falls within one or more of 13 ‘descriptions of purposes’ listed in the Charities Act
• is for the public benefit (the ‘public benefit requirement’)

A charity’s ‘objects’ are a written statement of its purposes - they must be exclusively charitable.

A ‘registered charity’ is a charity registered with the Commission.

A ‘suitably qualified person or adviser’ is someone who the trustees could reasonably expect to be competent to advise them about a particular matter. This includes professional advisers (such as solicitors, accountants and surveyors). It could also include (for example) a member of the charity’s staff, a suitably qualified trustee or an adviser from another organisation.

‘Trustee’ means a charity trustee. Charity trustees are the people responsible for governing a charity and directing how it is managed and run. The charity’s governing document may call them trustees, the board, the management committee, governors, directors, or something else. The Charities Act defines the people who have ultimate control of a charity as the charity trustees, whatever they are called in the charity’s governing document:

• a ‘custodian trustee’ is a corporation appointed to hold property for a charity; it isn’t a charity trustee and must act on the lawful instructions of the charity trustees
• ‘holding trustees’ are individuals appointed to hold property for a charity; they aren’t charity trustees, they must act on the lawful instructions of the charity trustees and in accordance with any provisions in the governing document

An ‘unincorporated charity’ is a charity set up as a trust or association. Being unincorporated means the charity isn’t a legal body (so it can’t hold property or enter into contracts) in its own right. Trustees’ personal liability isn’t limited. See section 11 of this guidance for more detail.

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