Dame Julia Unwin confirmed as Charity Commission chair

The UK government has confirmed Dame Julia Unwin as chair of the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Her three‑year term runs from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028, following a pre‑appointment hearing with MPs. The confirmation was published on 3 December 2025.

If you’ve ever donated to a local fundraiser or volunteered at a national charity, you’ve felt the Commission’s influence. It registers and regulates charities in England and Wales so the public can give with confidence, and it is an independent, non‑ministerial department accountable to Parliament. In 2024–25 it oversaw around £101bn of charity income across just over 170,000 registered organisations.

Dame Julia’s CV explains why her name rose to the top. She led the Joseph Rowntree Foundation from 2007 to 2016; previously served five years as a Charity Commissioner; chaired the Civil Society Futures inquiry that reported in 2018; and received a DBE in 2019 for services to civil society. She has also held senior roles at the Financial Reporting Council, chaired its Codes and Standards Committee, chairs the Board of Governors at York St John University, and is the inaugural chair of Smart Data Foundry linked to the University of Edinburgh.

So what does a chair actually do? The role is to lead the Commission’s board: shaping strategy, setting the agenda on performance and risk, and ensuring the regulator uses its legal powers properly and fairly. The chair also upholds the Nolan principles of public life and maintains key relationships with government and the sector while protecting the Commission’s operational independence in law.

Public appointments are not handed out behind closed doors, and this one followed the standard process. Ministers choose a preferred candidate, Parliament’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee holds a public hearing, and the Secretary of State makes the final decision under the Charities Act 2011. The process is governed by the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments, overseen by the independent Commissioner for Public Appointments.

For this appointment, MPs questioned Dame Julia on 25 November 2025. Two days later, on 27 November, the Committee endorsed her for the role and published its report. The government then confirmed her appointment. If you’re teaching or studying public policy, this is a clear case study of scrutiny in action.

The government’s notice also sets out key terms you should always look for. The chair is paid £62,500 per year for an expected commitment of two and a half days a week, and the appointee must declare any significant political activity from the last five years; Dame Julia declared none. These details help you assess independence and time available for the job.

What this means for you if you work with or study charities: expect steady attention on public trust, proportionate enforcement, and clear guidance for trustees. The Commission’s own strategy commits to being fair and balanced while acting robustly where there is wrongdoing, which sets the tone for the next three years under a new chair.

Media literacy tip for your classroom or team meeting: when you read an appointments notice, scan for five anchors-start and end dates, pay and time expectation, the legal basis for the decision, the parliamentary hearing, and the political‑activity declaration. Those five tell you most of what you need about accountability and independence.

If this announcement has you thinking about public service, DCMS says there are around 400 regulated public appointment roles across 42 bodies, from Arts Council England to UK Sport and the Gambling Commission. Applications come from across the UK and from people of many backgrounds-useful context for students and early‑career professionals planning their next step.