Legal Requirements for Events

Depending on the nature of your event, you may need to consider the following legal requirements:

When choosing a venue you may need to consider:

• Equality Regulations, to ensure equal access:
  • The Equality Act 2010 applies in England, Wales and Scotland. You can find more information from The Equality and Human Rights Commission
  • In Northern Ireland information is available from The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland
• Health & Safety Regulations
  • Health and Safety at Work, etc Act 1974
  • Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 

Events involving travel may be subject to:

• The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangement Regulations 2018
  • This may apply to challenge events which take place over more than 24 hours or include overnight accommodation, and the price includes at least two of:
    • Transport;
    • Accommodation;
    • Other significant “tourist services”.
• Civil Aviation Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing Regulations 1995 (the ATOL Regulations)
  • The Civil Aviation Authority (the CAA) provides ATOL Guidance for Charities and Fundraisers.
  • You may also need to contact the CAA if you plan to use drones, balloons, fireworks displays as part of an event, or if you wish to offer a private flight as a prize.

When selling or distributing products or food at your event:

• You may be subject to The General Product Safety Regulations 2005.
• If the products are subject to VAT you should follow the UK Government guidance on VAT for charities and VAT record keeping
• The Foods Standards Agency (FSA) provides guidance on Providing Food at Community and Charity Events. You should check whether your event is subject to the following legislation:
  • The Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006
  • The Food Hygiene (Wales) Regulations 2006
  • The Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations 2006
  • The Food Hygiene (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2006)
• UK Government guidance on Alcohol at Charity Meetings and Events explains the requirements for alcohol licenses at events.  Relevant laws to consider include:
• Licensing Act 2003 in England and Wales
• Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 in Scotland
• The Licensing (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 and Licensing and Registration of Clubs (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2021 in Northern Ireland.

If you are unsure what legislation applies to your event, you should seek appropriate legal advice.