Charity regulator reveals Scottish people trust charities more now than they did three years ago

Public confidence in Scottish charities has grown, according to research from Scotland's charity regulator.

Debunking recent findings from UK-wide thinktank, NFP Synergy, which suggested public trust in charity was falling, the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) has revealed that Scottish people now trust charities more than in 2011.

A survey commissioned by regulator polled 1,000 members of the public and over 1,300 charities. A total of 68% of the public said they trust charities compared to 60% in 2011.

However 87% of the Scots called for charities to state more clearly they were regulated by OSCR and to be more explicit about the impact they made.

More than half of people said access to charity accounts would encourage more trust while 71% said seeing what a charity had actually achieved reinforced confidence.

Elsewhere, the survey revealed 90% of charities believe charity status was integral to securing public trust and funding. A total of 92% of charities also said the regulator treated them fairly.

Charities themselves can encourage confidence by highlighting the fact that they are regulated and checked

Charities also commented on their financial status with 74% saying funding and running costs were a cause for concern.

OSCR’s head of engagement, Dr Judith Turbyne, said: “The results confirm our increasing efforts as regulator to reach out and support the sector through our engagement programme,” she said.

“It’s clear that regulation matters to the public, and that charities themselves can encourage confidence by highlighting the fact that they are regulated and checked.

“We will continue to reinforce public confidence by publishing more information about charities and the work that we do as regulator.”