CHERT and CHE – an explanation

Why are there two separate organisations?

When we began the process of investigating charitable status, the thought was that CHE itself might become a charity. But it soon became clear, and was confirmed by legal advice, that we would do better to leave CHE in existence, with a reduced role, and create a new body (now called CHERT) with charitable status. This will cover the possibility that someone might leave money in their will specifically to CHE; such a legacy might be lost if CHE were no longer in existence.

So on balance we decided on the recommended new arrangement, with CHERT sitting alongside CHE, but sharing the same management team, with the CHERT Board of Trustees also acting as the Executive Committee of CHE. We can envisage that at a certain point in a Board meeting we will metaphorically put on different hats, to discuss CHE matters. There are ample precedents for that.

We intend that CHE will transfer the bulk of its funds to CHERT to fund a research programme including the continuing Amiable Warriors project, and other projects which fall within our charitable objects. But CHE will retain certain limited funds of its own, to undertake any activities that may fall outside of CHERT’s charitable objectives, and for which it feels it has the capacity. CHE will continue to receive income, in the shape of continuing standing order payments from some of our long-standing members. CHE members will also become Associate Members of CHERT and thereby entitled to be kept informed of what CHE/CHERT is doing.

In our submission to the Charity Commission we undertook that CHE and CHERT will have separate websites: c-h-e.org.uk and chert.org.uk. CHERT now has a separate logo, based on the CHE logo but with the ‘rt’ designed to look like the same font, and will incorporate the Progress Pride Flag in its branding – the intersex-inclusive version used at the Mayor of London’s Pride reception in June 2022 and at the opening of the Commonwealth Games.

CHE's wishes for CHERT

The CHE Transition Team have prepared a Memorandum of Wishes as part of the handover process from CHE to CHERT

The Progress Pride Flag

The basic six-colour Rainbow Flag has been around since 1979, and there have been several proposals at making it more inclusive.

In 2018 Danial Quasar introduced the Progress Pride Flag, including a chevron in black and brown (representing peo-ple of colour) and pink, white and light blue (as in the transgender flag). This version was used at the Burnley plaque unveiling in July 2021.

The intersex-inclusive version was created by Valentino Vecchietti of Intersex Equality Rights UK, it enhances the Progress Pride Flag by incorporating the Intersex Flag elements of a purple circle on a yellow background.