The chief executives of NCVO, NAVCA and the National Federation for Community Organisations (Community Matters) have all expressed their concern that despite the publication of the hard-hitting report, which called for major changes to the regulation of the sector, there has been little change in its wake.

Stuart Etherington, chief executive of NCVO, said: “On the anniversary of the publication of the Better Regulation Taskforce report we should be celebrating changes and achievements that have taken place since then, rather than waiting for the wheels to be set in motion.”

“A wall of red tape remains, which makes life difficult for charities and the individuals and communities they serve,” Etherington warned. “We are urging government to take action on these long overdue recommendations.”

NAVCA’s chief executive Kevin Curley echoed his fears. “All across England people running local voluntary organisations are wasting time and money meeting the unnecessary reporting requirements of some funders,” he said. “The government must implement the taskforce’s call for the reduction of this sort of nonsense.”

“Regulation has a disproportionate impact on small or volunteer led organisations and the effect is amplified for multi-purpose groups,” said David Tyler, chief executive of Community Matters.

The report’s key recommendations included reducing the VAT burden for charities, a reduction in the administrative burdens arising from regulation associated with contract funding and a separation of the Charity Commission’s legally binding obligations on trustees from its best practice guidance on how trustees should fulfil their role.