- Quality Service Putting our clients first and understanding their challenges, objectives and goals and delivering a tailored service that represents value in every sense.
- Heritage Taking pride in our history, embracing our legacy and taking responsibility for the future success of our firm.
- Forward Thinking Striving to be flexible, skilled, able to adapt to the needs of our clients and always thinking several steps ahead.
- Expertise To pursue the delivery of outstanding results in all we do and to be market leaders in our specialist sectors.
- Dynamic To be positive in attitude, energetic, responsive and always on the front foot.
Jane Grenfell
Charities Manager
Jane is our charities manager and works on our education, ecclesiastical and charities team.
She has an extensive knowledge of charity law and its application in England and Wales in particular in relation to schools, colleges and Universities and advises clients on all aspects of setting up, registering and operating a charity.
Jane specialises in governance reviews, trustee and senior officer training and updating governing documents as well as helping clients with understanding their trusts, dealing with their property and addressing risk.
She understands the importance of balancing legal and practical requirements and is able to quickly find solutions to often complex issues. She also has at her finger-tips a range of options for trustees to achieve their goals with minimal need for Charity Commission intervention.
Experience
Before joining LBMW, Jane worked for 28 years at the Charity Commission, where she was Head of Policy and Guidance, Head of Registration, Head of Outreach and Visits, Head of Schools and Education and deputy head of Armed Forces Charities. In her final post at the Commission she was responsible for delivering the Core Knowledge Programme to staff.
Jane has given lectures and provided training to lawyers and trustees on various aspects of charity law.
Some of her career highlights to date include:
- Working closely with DfE on the development of academies and multi-academy trust as charities and advised on the drafting of standard documentation for academies.
- Enabling the Colleges of Oxford and Cambridge (with their ancient foundation documents) to be registered with the Commission.
- Helping to set up and register novel charities including Badge of Many Colours (of which she is a trustee) which aims to provide a National Festival to celebrate the centenary of the Equal Franchise Act in 2028.
- Using her expertise in Reverter of Sites Act matters to secure funds for both reversioners and charities.
Career to date
After graduating from Keele University with a BA (hons) degree in History and Politics, Jane began her career in the Civil Service at the Home Office, moving to the Charity Commission in 1989. She Joined LBMW in 2018. Jane is a member of the Charity Law Association and the Ecclesiastical Law Society.
'Jane Grenfell has recent experience in the Charity Commission so is able to give particularly clear and nuanced advice'
'Jane Grenfell has unparalleled knowledge of the sector and the Charity Commission'
Legal 500