A House of Lords committee set up to investigate the sustainability of the third sector has put out a call for evidence

A House of Lords committee carrying out an inquiry in to the charitable sector in England and Wales has launched its call for evidence.

The Lords Select Committee on Charities has been set up to investigate the sustainability of the charity sector, and the challenges of charity governance.

It was formally appointed on 25 May after a number of recent instances of mismanagement, the most high profile of which was Kids Company, left the sector open to further scrutiny.

We are looking to understand the pressures faced across the sector and the opportunities that exist for charities of all sizes

Some of the topics the committee is looking to hear about include the pressures faced by charities, the skills required to manage a charity, and the role of trustees, government and the Charity Commission.

The committee’s call for evidence was launched on Wednesday by its chair Baroness Pitkeathley, who said the inquiry is intended to be an opportunity for parliament to engage positively with charities and the voluntary sector.

She added: “We are looking to understand the pressures faced across the sector and the opportunities that exist for charities of all sizes.

“We will make recommendations to the UK government, and to others, which we hope help ease these pressures and support these opportunities and to make sure that the charitable sector in England and Wales is sustainable for many years to come.

“We consider sustainability, that is to say charities having the appropriate resources to meet their charitable purposes, as a key theme in our investigation.”

The full call for evidence can be viewed here. The deadline for submissions is 5 September.