Stephen Ravenscroft

Practice Areas

Stephen's practice area includes new charity registrations, incorporations, governance matters, mergers, trustee training, dealings with the Charity Commission and fundraising matters. He has particularly worked with large charities, including those which are publicly funded.

Stephen also has considerable expertise in advising on academy projects, as well as work for independent schools.

He has worked on over 75 sponsored and over 150 converter academy projects.

Stephen also deals with mergers between schools in both the academy and independent sectors, and has considerable experience in advising on governance and regulatory issues.

Career

Stephen has specialised in charity law for over 25 years and has a broad-based practice, acting for many large well-known charities as well as smaller and newly established organisations.

Stephen has also led a number of large projects to establish charities to take on services, such as leisure facilities, previously provided by local authorities and has dealt with the complex structural and funding and property relationships involved.

In addition, Stephen has long experience advising on fundraising techniques and regulation. His expertise includes lottery regulation – on which he has given evidence to the Parliamentary select committee, the Culture, Media and Sport Committee.

Professional Memberships

He is a member of the Charity Law Association and has previously served for nine years on its executive committee.

Personal

Reflecting his interest in education-related charities, Stephen is a trustee of Bridewell Hospital, a charity established to operate two schools. He sits on the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton’s Academies Performance Committee, a group which oversees education within the Diocese.

Expert in these Jurisdictions

England and Wales

Work Highlights

• Leading an in-depth governance review for a high-profile charity with well-known celebrity supporters

• Advice on the separation of a leading independent school from an associated higher education body

• Advice on a novel lottery fundraising scheme incorporating a free prize draw entry route