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no active members in this country? How does the religious institute wish the work that it has established over the decades and centuries here in the UK to continue?
Traditionally, religious institutes have been responsible for some very important charitable works or missions such as schools, hospitals and homes. Many have already given a lot of consideration to the future of these institutions and will have made decisions and taken action regarding them already. It is these works that will form part of the institute’s lasting legacy and so in many cases there will be a real desire to safeguard their future and retain some involvement in them for as long as possible, if only at a governance level. Different religious institutes will have dealt with such works in different ways.
A small number of religious institutes will have closed their institutions. Others will have gone through a process of hiring more and more lay people, creating a cadre of staff who have assimilated the charism and ethos of the institute. Gradually, however, this process has led either to the sale of the works to commercial or charitable operators as going concerns or, more often, to the legal separation of the school, home or hospital from the religious institute charity by “hiving” it off to a separate charity in which the laity take part in management and governance and, to some extent, the religious institute retains in uence over the charism of the institution.
Having thought about the future of institutions, it is important for religious institutes and the trustees of the religious institute charity to give thought also to the future work of the members of the institute. In most cases this will be what might generally be described as social and pastoral work. What type of work members are going to become involved in is important as this may impact on training requirements and, depending on where the work is to be carried out, it may have implications for future property requirements.
Inevitably, some members of the institute will need care as they grow older and this is likely to have a signi cant impact on the nances of the institute and its associated charity going forward. Decisions such as to care for elderly members and where such care will be provided need forward planning. There will be a need to investigate the different options and decide on what is best for the charity and for the individuals concerned. Will they be cared for in their own communities, in care homes – either owned and managed by the institute or by specialist charities, or operated by other religious or by independent organisations both charitable and commercial? All of these options will
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