Thousands of charities face threats and intimidation, regulator warns

Staff at thousands of charities across England and Wales may have been threatened in person because of the work they do, according to new research from the Charity Commission.

The regulator surveyed 2,947 charity trustees and found that more than a quarter said their organisations had been affected by what it described as a challenging social environment.

Some charities reported threats against staff, damage to property and a fall in public support. Others said they had changed or stopped services as a result.

Two per cent of those surveyed said staff had been threatened in person. The Charity Commission said that, if reflected across the wider register, this could amount to around 3,000 charities.

The estimate is based on the survey findings rather than a confirmed total, but the regulator said the results showed that hostility towards charities was not limited to a handful of isolated cases.

The findings are set out in the Charity Commission’s research with charity trustees for 2026.

Rachel Wenstone, assistant director of policy at the Charity Commission, said staff were being threatened and intimidated simply for doing their jobs.

She said the impact went beyond those working or volunteering for charities, because some organisations were being forced to reduce or alter the support they provided.

Charities working in areas including human rights, racial and religious harmony, and equality and diversity were among those most likely to report negative experiences.

The Commission has previously raised concerns about abuse directed at organisations working with refugees and migrants. Reports have included verbal and physical abuse, death threats, threats of sexual violence and vandalism of charity premises.

The latest survey found that 11 per cent of charities had experienced a drop in support, while 4 per cent reported vandalism or property damage.

Five per cent said they had changed or stopped services.

That finding is likely to be of particular concern to trustees, because any decision to scale back services can directly affect the people a charity was set up to support.

It also raises questions about how well prepared charities are to deal with threats against staff and volunteers.

Larger organisations may have access to security advice, legal support and dedicated human resources teams. Smaller charities are less likely to have those resources, even when they work in areas that attract strong opposition or public controversy.

Trustees may need to consider whether staff know how to report threats, whether incidents are being properly recorded and whether support is available for people who experience abuse.

They may also need to review security around offices, events and public-facing work.

The Commission said charities should not be protected from legitimate criticism or scrutiny, but warned that disagreement should not cross into intimidation, abuse or threats of violence.

The regulator’s announcement accompanying the research said some charities were changing or curtailing services because of the hostility they faced.

Despite the findings, separate research from the regulator showed that public confidence in charities remained relatively strong.

Charities were the second-most trusted group in the survey, behind doctors.

The findings suggest that hostility towards charities is coming from a minority, but its effects can still be serious.

For some organisations, the pressure is no longer limited to hostile comments online or public disagreement. It is affecting staff safety, damaging property and, in some cases, changing the services available to beneficiaries.