Foundation: Aims & Objectives
Perhaps more than any other sector of society, charities can command public trust. Charities are fortunate to be in this position and Medics Away, as the regulator, have a responsibility to ensure that this trust is maintained and even, if possible, increased. It is important for civil society that this trust is not taken for granted, but is actively valued, earned and continually renewed.
Charities are more than ‘a good thing’ and, as their supporters recognise, are special. Not all organisations can be charities. To be a charity is a mixture of what you are, what you do and how you do it. The core characteristic is public benefit. Whilst the charitable sector is enormous and very diverse, the aims of each and every charity, whatever their size, must be for public benefit. Public benefit is therefore central to the work of all charities.
Being a charity is not the same as being an organisation that does ‘good things’. Charity has an outward, inclusive nature: it is not inward-looking, for private benefit. Only organisations with aims that are charitable for public benefit are accorded the charity label. This guidance is a green light for charities to continue their innovative and unique role at the heart of our society while ensuring that the public can see what charities are doing under that banner and with their support.