I am delighted that we are here at the Florrie, in the heart of Liverpool, a city that is also very much at the heart of the Commission.
This is where most of our staff are based, with many travelling from Merseyside, the Wirral, North Wales, and the Northwest to our Bootle office. It is where we do much of our core regulatory work - registering charities, supporting trustees through the Contact Centre, undertaking compliance case work, and our digital communications and campaigns.
In a way, coming to Merseyside is like coming home. Our team here work hard to make the Bootle office homely - coffee mornings, charity fundraisers, retirement picnics. All involve plenty of cake which makes the place have a true sense of community (albeit divided between Everton and Liverpool fans).
So hosting today's meeting here feels appropriate at this my seventh and last Annual Public Meeting as the Commission's Chief Executive.
It's certainly been an eventful almost seven years.
Not just for the Commission as an institution, but for the sector we regulate, and the society we serve.
But more on that later.
The Commission has been in continuous existence for 170 years and our core mission has remained unchanged throughout that century and a half: protecting and promoting the special bond of trust between the public and charities. Enabling and encouraging people to work together to improve lives and strengthen communities.
But how we do that, and therefore what we do, has evolved over time - reflecting sometimes subtly, sometimes directly, the hopes, needs, values, and expectations of the public.
This, of course, is because the sector itself serves as a mirror on society - what matters to individuals, communities of place and interest, and what matters to us collectively in society is so often expressed in and through charity.
I've seen that truth confirmed many times during my time with the Commission.
Service and support
When I started, I was determined that we nurture the right relationship with the trustees we regulate.
We are neither a loyal friend, championing individual charities or trustees - nor are we a fearsome foe - and engaging with us should not feel like riding into battle.
We are not influenced but informed by the sector we regulate - with our ambition to be the expert, trusted regulator that enables charity to thrive.
To be the effective regulator that the sector deserves - and indeed requires - I have always been clear that the Commission must place an equal emphasis on being a source of support to trustees, but also a tough enforcer, prepared to tackle wrongdoing and harm, robustly and swiftly.
In large part, it is through investing in our people and our systems that we've been able to do so.
It is our staff who work tirelessly to articulate the legal framework we are the guardians of, to get charities back on track. Where they need to deliver sanctions to limit harm, they do so with professionalism and integrity and true commitment to the mission of many in the sector - to help others.
We have also invested hugely in the support we offer charities. Not least in the fundamental review of the tools and support we provide trustees.
For example, in recent years we have transformed the guidance we produce. Today, I am confident that it far better meets the needs of busy trustees - it is clear, and as simple as the law allows, and structured in a way that is accessible and easy to understand.
You will no doubt have heard me say before how proud I am of our suite of 5-minute guides - and that's something I'll say again today!
These bite-sized guides which provide the basic syllabus of issues trustees need to know about have made it so much easier for them to develop a foundation of knowledge and understanding from which to build as and when they need to.
We've also focused on making our more in-depth guidance shorter, and, I hope, clearer.
Over the summer, we published an updated version of CC14 - about charities and investments.
We thoroughly redesigned this guidance not only to make sure it was easier to understand but also to give trustees confidence to make investment decisions that are right for their charity. We made sure the language we use is clearer and the structure easier to follow. I hope if you've used CC14, you have felt the benefits of this approach and found the information you need more quickly.
In his opening remarks, Orlando referred to our new social media guidance, published in September. This was commissioned to meet demand from the sector who sought advice on this ever-evolving communications tool. It was widely consulted on and crafted - from the outset - with trustees' needs in mind.
I'm delighted that the final product has been well received across the sector and also that our motivation in preparing it has been understood and welcomed.
For many people, I know that being a trustee comes on top of a busy day job and a number of other commitments. So it is important that the Commission can meet you halfway - whether that means through easier to digest information, or more accessible services.
Earlier this year, we launched My Charity Commission Account. This new system represents a long-term investment on our part as regulator, to change the way we interact with trustees as individuals rather than charities as organisations.
Over the summer we've worked tirelessly to launch the system. We've invited trustees to sign up and made our new annual return available through the portal.
Now, I know that some charities are experiencing difficulties with the system. And that with increased demand for
