Becoming a charity
Our intention: Rooted Common Ground Wellbeing
Where we are today
Right now, Rooted Common Ground is operated by Neil Donnelly-Swift as a sole trader, based in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom.
We are not yet a registered charity. Because of that, donations are not currently Gift Aid eligible, and we do not yet have a Charity Commission registration number.
This page is about Rooted Common Ground Wellbeing — the charity that runs the platform and programmes. The land itself is held separately by Rooted Common Ground Land Trust (governed by a small Stewardship Council), and the money is raised separately by Rooted Common Ground Community, a non-charitable Community Benefit Society — not by Wellbeing directly. Wellbeing uses land leased or licensed from the Land Trust on favourable terms. See the full picture.
Our intention is to establish Rooted Common Ground Wellbeing as a registered charity — most likely as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) — once we have the foundations in place.
A registered charity would give us:
- Full charitable status and all the benefits that brings
- The ability to receive Gift Aid on donations
- Credibility with grant bodies and funders
- A clear legal structure that protects trustees
- A constitution that locks the mission in permanently
Our intended charitable objects
The purposes we plan to write into the charity's constitution
The relief of hardship, including fuel and food poverty, among local people.
The advancement of the education of the public through land-based skill-building and learning opportunities.
The advancement of environmental protection and improvement through the sustainable management of land-based ecological and growing systems operated on land held by the Land Trust, for public benefit.
The advancement of community development by establishing and operating community-rooted programmes and connected support networks that provide inclusive spaces for local people to connect, grow, and thrive.
- Charity Commission registration
- Not yet registered
- Registered address
- Once registered
- Trustees
- Once registered
Gift Aid
Gift Aid is only available to registered charities. Because we are not yet registered, we cannot currently claim Gift Aid on donations. Once Rooted Common Ground Wellbeing is a registered charity, we intend to claim Gift Aid on eligible donations from UK taxpayers — adding 25p for every £1 donated at no cost to the donor.
Accounts and reporting
As a sole trader, Neil Donnelly-Swift keeps records for tax and accounting purposes. Once the charity is registered, Rooted Common Ground Wellbeing will file annual accounts and a trustees' report with the Charity Commission, which will be publicly available.
Contact
hello@rooted-common-ground.world
rooted-common-ground.world