Martyn’s Law: four questions before your fundraising event
Ask four practical questions about your venue, attendance and emergency plan before you confirm a community fundraising event.
The Fundraising Regulator updated its fundraising events guide on 3 November 2026 to include Martyn’s Law, the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. The guide is aimed at charitable institutions, trustees and third-party fundraisers. It may also interest in-aid-of volunteers.1
The Act received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025 and applies across the UK. Section 27 is in force for statutory guidance, while the substantive duties for responsible persons are not. Home Office guidance published in September says those duties are not expected before spring 2027.2
Use the current guidance and ask the charity, venue and organiser these four questions. Seek specialist advice if scope or responsibility remains unclear.
1. Who controls the premises for this event?
When the substantive duties commence, the responsible person for qualifying premises will be whoever controls them for the relevant Schedule 1 use, meaning a public use listed in the Act. For a qualifying event, it will be whoever controls the premises for that event.2
Ask whether the premises or event is expected to be in scope and who has the relevant control. Record the answer with your booking agreement and share it with the charity.
A responsible person can give tasks to others. It remains responsible for meeting its own duties. Write down the roles agreed by the venue, organiser and volunteers.
2. How many people could be present at once?
Crowd size is one part of the scope test. Premises qualify only when all four statutory criteria are met: the site definition, a Schedule 1 use, at least 200 people reasonably expected at the same time from time to time, and no applicable exclusion. The count includes staff. Most qualifying premises enter the enhanced tier at 800 people, subject to exceptions in the guidance.2
A separate public event qualifies only when all six criteria are met. These include at least 800 people reasonably expected at the same time, an entry condition such as payment, a ticket, pass, membership or guest status, and the premises and exclusion rules.2
Ask for the venue’s safe capacity and expected figure. Include volunteers, performers, contractors and venue staff. Record how the estimate was reached.
For every event size, the Health and Safety Executive recommends planning for fire, first aid, evacuation, traffic, accessibility, equipment and essential services.3
3. What should people do in an emergency?
After commencement, responsible persons for standard-tier premises must, so far as reasonably practicable, have appropriate procedures for evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication. Invacuation means moving people away from danger to a safer place within the premises or event.2
Ask the venue to explain the procedures for your event. Check who can make a decision, brief volunteers and communicate instructions, and which routes remain accessible. Include setup and pack-down.
Give volunteers a short briefing before doors open, with a clear contact and action to follow.
4. What will be agreed in writing?
For the charitable institutions and third-party fundraisers it addresses, the Fundraising Regulator guide says a risk assessment must be conducted before the event and should be documented and kept. It also says written agreements should be used for paid or in-kind third-party contributions, covering legal requirements, risk, insurance and delivery.1
Ask for the relevant risk assessment, insurance position and emergency plan. Give each action an owner and deadline. Update the record when the location, attendance or format changes.
If you are fundraising independently in England and Wales, joint public guidance recommends describing the activity as “in aid of” the charity and says you are responsible for the fundraising.4 Share your plan with the charity. In Scotland or Northern Ireland, check the relevant regulator’s guidance.
Send four questions today
Email the venue and charity with your expected attendance, entry arrangements and timetable. Ask about expected scope after commencement, the responsible person, emergency procedures and the written record of responsibilities.
This article provides general information for fundraisers. It does not provide legal or security advice. Check the current guidance and seek professional advice if responsibility or scope is unclear.
Footnotes
- Fundraising Regulator, fundraising events guide, updated 3 November 2026. Read the event guidance.
- Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 and current Home Office guidance. Read the Act, statutory guidance and principal-use guidance.
- Health and Safety Executive, fundraising event safety guidance. Read the HSE guidance.
- Charity Commission and Fundraising Regulator, public guidance for people raising money for charity, published 12 June 2026. Read the public guidance.
Further reading
