Useful Information – October 2022
September 28, 2022
Events, charity news, surveys, feedback, reports, services and much more – in one handy place!
This page will be updated with new information as we receive it during October. Please check back regularly. (Last update: 24/10/22)
You can view September’s Useful Information here to catch up on new information added during September ’22.
If you’ve seen something you think we should be sharing, let us know! Email us: info@cumbriacvs.org.uk
Training and Events
Getting on Board’s Festival of Trusteeship
A week-long online series of events, 7-11 November, during Trustees Week, stuffed with exciting options for people who want to become trustees, trustees who want to keep learning and developing, and for charity leaders who want to understand best practice in trustee recruitment and diversity.
Four different content strands will cover all aspects of trusteeship: Aspiring Trustees, Trustee Recruitment, Good Governance and Thought Leadership delivered in a mix of interactive webinars, clinics and panel discussions about the topics that matter to trusteeship diversity and beyond, today.
Find out more and book here
ARC NWC Seldom Heard Forum
Monday 7 November, 1pm – 3pm, on-line. The forum discussion will focus on ‘Seldom Heard refugees and asylum seekers’ wellbeing’.
Refugees and asylum seekers can have complex health needs. However, in the UK they often have difficulty accessing healthcare and other public services. In many cases, they may be unfamiliar with the way these services are organised. In 2017, NHS charges for overseas visitors were extended to include some community care for refused asylum seekers. There is growing concern that this will increase access difficulties.
Find out more and book here
Veterans’ Places, Pathways and People North East Roadshow
Come along to Blyth Battery between 11am and 3pm on Thursday, 27 October. We’ll be hosting a range of activities with exhibitors from across the region.
Find out more in the attached VPPP Roadshow flyer
Multicultural Cumbria – Race 2B Conference
Thursday October 20 2022, Carlisle. We have a range of speakers and workshops to explore different perspectives impacting diasporas in the modern day so expect a truly fascinating day. For those of you with limited time you can book a half day or full day ticket.
The event is free but we do ask for a £10 to £20 donation from people and organisations who wish to contribute. There is a donation button on Eventbrite.
Find out about Race 2B Conference 2022 and our speakers and topics.
Book your free tickets on Eventbrite
North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust – Back To Basics local community event
We are delighted to tell you about our upcoming free local community ‘Back to Basics’ event, at Harraby Community Campus, Carlisle, on Thursday 24 November. This will be an opportunity for us to engage with you in a fun and interactive environment about the services that we provide, and hear your feedback and experiences of using North West Ambulance Service.
This event is free and there will be food and refreshments available with no cost. Please see attached the invitation, with more details.
You can book for the event here
Reducing Family Conflict Training
Arguing is a normal part of family life, but sometimes arguments happen too often and are not always positively worked out. When there is conflict in a family, whoever it is between, it is often the children that are most affected.
Family Matters Cumbria is raising awareness of family conflict and offering training, resources, and signposting to those working with or have regular contact with children and families.
Next Level 2 – Low Level Intervention sessions are on 3, 7 & 8 November. See attached for more information.
Inter Faith Week events
Inter Faith Week is 13 – 20 November 2022. Details of local events can be found in the attached PDFs.
Retired RC Priest IF Week 2022 event
SLEDP IFWk 2022 athome event
SLEDP IFWk 2022 QT event
‘Adapting Together: How can we all play a part in climate action?’
A symposium focussing on design for equitable climate action. Tuesday 22 November 2022, 10am – 1pm, Lancaster House Hotel, Lancaster.
Climate change affects everyone but not everyone is able to take effective action against the climate crisis. With systemic change slow, and the public encouraged to shoulder individual responsibility, the majority are faced with an unrealistic burden. How can design create accessible opportunities to engage with the climate crisis? How can design work for the benefit of both our community and climate?
This symposium explores pathways to equitable climate action through design-led research, community and environmental projects, across four themes of repair, adapt, collaborate and transition.
Find out more and book here
Reverse Mentoring Programme
Opportunity to join a Reverse Mentoring programme through the Community Research and Engagement Network (CoREN), with initial online sessions on Weds 12 October from 9.30-11.30 OR Thurs 13 October from 9.30-11.30.
Reverse mentoring uses all the same skills as traditional mentoring. The key difference is that this is not about someone who is the ‘expert’ or in a position or ‘power’ guiding someone who is ‘learning’. It is all about someone who has first-hand experience in a community mentoring a researcher in a position of power to share a different perspective, build empathy for the different positions and collaboratively problem solve on real challenges. It allows both people involved to gain a different perspective and learn together. More information here
Please contact Claire Selby on c.selby@lancaster.ac.uk or 07846373242 to register on one of these sessions or to find out more.
What Fuel Poverty means for health and wellbeing
The NIHR ARC NWC project (Community Research and Engagement Network – CoREN) would like to invite you to attend an online lunchtime workshop on What Fuel Poverty means for health and wellbeing, on Tuesday 11 October from 1.30-2.30pm.
The event will be led by Dilwara Ali, Chief Officer of Blackburn with Darwen Healthy Living, who will be speaking about their work to address these issues and how it contributes to the wider health and wellbeing agenda.
For further details and to register your interest, click here
For any queries, please contact c.selby@lancaster.ac.uk
Get Grants 10th Anniversary, October Events
Throughout October 2022, we are offering a programme of FREE online events, discounts, and giveaways. This includes 10 Introductory Fundraising Workshops, Mentoring Clinic, Meet the Funder, Meet the Expert, and our popular Virtual Fundraisers Networking event, plus 25% off across all Training Course bookings throughout September and October.
All of our Get Grants 10th Anniversary events are FREE and can be booked via Eventbrite.
Find out more and book here
#BeMoreDigital Fundraising Day 2022
15 November 2022
For charity professionals and fundraisers in particular, the cost-of-living crisis adds questions and concerns to what is already a challenging fundraising arena.
But we’re the charity sector. We’re resilient, responsive, and thrive in the face of adversity.
To help support the sector, Charity Digital are bringing back their #BeMoreDigital Fundraising Day for a 3rd year. The event is free for all charities to attend, will be held online, and will focus on new ideas and technologies to help overcome their digital fundraising challenges of 2022, and build the skills needed to maximise your fundraising potential.
Find out more and register here
Free Link Up Event and lunch in Whitehaven
Thursday 6 October 10.30am-1.30pm
We’re holding a get together for everyone taking part in the Let’s Get Digital programme and any third sector organisations based in Allerdale or Copeland who would like to find out more about the free training and support for Digital Champions that is available.
This informal gathering is an ideal opportunity for you to understand more about Let’s Get Digital, how a Digital Champion approach can work and how fellow organisations are tackling digital exclusion.
Find out more and book here
National Inclusion Week: 26 Sept – 2 October
National Inclusion Week (NIW) is a week dedicated to celebrating inclusion and taking action to create inclusive workplaces. This year’s theme is ‘Time to Act: The Power of Now’ progressing on last years theme #UnitedForInclusion which connected 60 million people to celebrate diversity and inclusion.
Atos ANTZ New Beginnings Programme 2022 – Supporting Communities
ANTZ is business led and community driven with over 400 organisations in its Network across 26 regions in the UK. Our purpose is to reduce costs to society and change people’s lives.
We are delighted that through the support of one of our partners we will be delivering a series of fully funded online workshops that will be accessible, free of charge, to organisations and people in the community.
The New Beginnings programme offers support to those who have been adversely affected by the pandemic, through unemployment, job insecurity or mental health problems and provides practical advice and support to help people get their lives back on track after the unexpected disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Next workshop: New Beginnings Health and Wellbeing Online Workshop – Tuesday 08 November ’22 (between 11:00-13:00)
Find out more about ANTZ here, which will tell you about our organisation and the work that we do across the UK.
Light up Carlisle as part of Eden Valley Hospice’s Lantern Walk
People are invited to join Eden Valley Hospice and Jigsaw, Cumbria’s Children’s Hospice on their new Lantern Walk through Carlisle this autumn and help raise vital funds while remembering someone special.
The Lantern Walk on Saturday, October 22 will coincide with Carlisle’s City of Lights, a sound and light experience organised by Discover Carlisle.
Supporters will form a legion of lanterns, each representing a loved one, and walk from Carlisle Racecourse to the cathedral, Tullie House and Carlisle Castle for the light show, circling back to the racecourse. The approximate six-mile route is suitable for all ages. A minimum donation/sponsorship of £50 per adult is suggested.
Sign up to the Lantern Walk here
Learning from our practice 2018–2022: Lloyds Bank Foundation event
Monday 3 October 2022, London SE1 9NH – Also available to join online
Lloyds Bank Foundation is delighted to invite you to join them at their hybrid learning event in the Coin Street Neighbourhood Centre, as they share lessons in funder practice learned over the course of their 2018–2022 strategy.
Their five-year strategy, Reaching Further, focused on strengthening small and local charities so they can help people overcome complex social issues. As this strategy comes to an end, they’re sharing eight key lessons the Foundation learned during this period.
This event is aimed at all those who fund and support charities.
To register please click here
NAVCA Thinking Space Conference, 17 November 2022
The NAVCA Annual Conference and AGM is designed to be a Thinking Space – a space for our members to network, hear from keynote speakers and attend workshop sessions. This year’s theme is ‘Tackling poverty locally’.
With the cost of living crisis impacting increasing numbers of people in the communities that our members work with, our conference aims to create a space where we can learn about this issue from different perspectives. From the ways in which poverty affects health, to the disproportionate impact of poverty on marginalised communities, we will explore different issues through facilitated workshop sessions and keynote speeches
Host an event for Great Big Green Week!
Community groups can be awarded up to £300 to host community events during Great Big Green Week, 24 September – 2 October 2022.
This week is coordinated by The Climate Coalition as a way of raising awareness of climate change and getting more people involved in taking action. They have made resources available for events which are targeted at geographic areas or communities of interest which haven’t previously been supported to promote awareness on climate change.
Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS) can provide up to £300 of funding for venue hire, publicity materials, speaker expenses, film hire, other activities and equipment. Find out more here
Multi Agency Response to Flooding
A full day training and tabletop exercise event for Category 1 & 2 responders, elected members, voluntary agencies and community groups who respond at the tactical and operational levels in the acute phase of a flooding incident in Cumbria. No charge for attendance. A buffet lunch is courtesy of Cumbria Local Resilience Forum.
To increase knowledge of the Forecasting, Warning/Informing and Pre-Planning for flooding
To increase the awareness of the planned flood response arrangements for Cumbria (multi agency & community) and the specific issues rapid onset flooding raises
To enhance relationships between local responders at all levels in responding to flooding events in Cumbria.
Wednesday 12 October 2022 – Kendal
Friday 21 October 2022 – Carlisle
Wednesday 2 November 2022 – Workington
Eden Project Communities Camp applications are open
Community Camp is the Eden Project’s annual immersive learning experience for people who are interested in, or new to, community action. If you want to make a positive change in your community but don’t know where to get started, this is for you. There are four Community Camps coming up between now and March 2023, two of these are face to face camps at the Eden Project and two of them will take place online.
Find out more and apply
VCFSE News and Information
‘Kick up biggest stink possible’ over cost-of-living crisis, charities urged
Charities should be vocal about the possible impact of welfare cuts and the cost-of-living crisis, delegates heard at the Directory of Social Change (DSC’s) annual online conference last week.
Duncan Shrubsole, director of policy, communications and research at The Lloyds Banks Foundation said “we need government to play its part” during the cost-of-living crisis, by giving more funding to charities and offering better help for individuals, such as upping benefits.
Read the full article here
Treasury unclear how it will use charities’ views on energy bills support
The Treasury is unclear on how it will consider responses from charities, businesses and other organisations to a government consultation on energy bills support.
The Department for Business, Enterprise and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) recently opened a consultation with organisations including charities on how the government should support them with energy bills from next March.
Read the full article here
Charities closing services due to EU funding gap
Charities have warned that employability programmes funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) are likely to end, with some already closing, as funding comes to an end next year.
Career Connect, the Salvation Army and Groundwork are among the many charities in the country that have benefited from ESF funding over the last few years.
Read the full article here
The virtues of an unpolished video
A highly polished video with great imagery can look impressive but it may not be the best way to engage supporters.
Find out why here
One in eight charities had a cyber attack last year, data shows
One in eight charities were victims of a cyber attack last year, according to data released by the Charity Commission.
The survey, conducted by IFF Research and published recently, found that 12% have experienced cybercrime over the past 12 months.
Read the full article here
How to confront flagging staff performance
Avoid the awkwardness and address underperformance with these tips.
Exploring the latest fundraising regulation
The Fundraising Regulator has published its five-year strategy for fundraising regulation. Charity Digital looks at the changes charities can expect.
Charity sector bodies react to Hunt emergency statement
Charity sector organisations have shared concerns over chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s emergency statement, which effectively reversed many of the measures of his predecessor’s recent “mini-budget”.
Hunt announced that the basic rate of income tax, which former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng said last month would reduce to 19%, will now remain at 20% “until economic conditions allow for it to be cut”.
Read the full article here
Latest News from Cumbria County Council
You can view Cumbria County Council’s newsletter from 14 October here, including:
- County Council waste reduction project wins national award
- Earnse Bay Outdoor Centre – have your questions answered!
- Heaps of information at new Compost Demonstration Site
Supporting staff through the cost-of-living crisis
Your charity can’t prevent inflation, but taking these steps can make it easier for your staff to cope with increasing bills and rising food prices.
How to tackle bullying in the workplace
Charity Digital takes a look at how charities can create safe and welcoming working environments that ensure the happiness of their employees.
Many trustees unaware of their responsibility for basic duties, says regulator
Charity Commission research suggests some trustees are not aware of their individual and collective responsibilities, the regulator has said.
Speaking at the Commission’s AGM recently, chief executive Helen Stephenson said the regulator aims to tackle this through its new online service.
Read the full article here
Charity Commission rejects concerns that it has changed campaigning rules
Campaigning guidance for charities has not changed, the regulator has said, after some in the sector expressed concern over new advice it has issued.
One sector lawyer said the Charity Commission’s five-minute guide, published recently, “appears to be sowing the seeds of confusion by providing contradictory advice” to the longstanding guidance on which it is based.
Read the full article here
Neighbourly: connecting charities and businesses
Neighbourly connects over 20,000 small charities and good causes across the UK and Ireland with local businesses that want to give back to their community. Through three giving streams: food and product surplus, volunteer help and financial grants, the platform is free to use for charities, schools and good causes.
Visit their website to find out more
Foundations failing to address high grant application costs, say researchers
The cost of applying for grants is a significant problem in the charity sector, but many foundations are failing to recognise it, newly published research suggests.
A research project explored the costs incurred by both charities and funders in the processes of making and administering funding applications.
Read the full article here
‘Never stray into party politics,’ Commission warns charities
The chair of the Charity Commission has warned the sector never to “stray into party politics, promote or be seen to promote, a political party or candidate”.
Speaking at the Commission’s annual public meeting in Cardiff, Orlando Fraser urged charities to campaign with “tolerance and kindness” and ensure their activity reflects the interests of the causes they support.
Read the full article here
Listen to the Charity Impact Podcast
The purpose of the Charity Impact podcast, delivered by Alex Blake, Director of Keda Consulting, is to learn more about how effective charities and individuals achieve social change or social impact.
Each episode features an interview covering a variety of areas, including strategy, tactics, resources, motivations, learning and more. This podcast is for anyone who wants to make a difference, but particularly those who are working for social change / impact; including charity trustees, CEOs, staff, volunteers, advisors, philanthropists and public service professionals.
Find out more and listen here
10 Actions to improve charities funding experience
In this blog, charity IVAR, an independent research charity working with people and organisations for social change, summarise their findings about what 1,200 charities want from funders when they apply for and manage grants and outline the 10 actions to ‘get the basics right’ and improve charities funding experience.
Cost of Living Support
With the cost of living on the rise, there will be people in Cumbria who are struggling, whether that’s emotionally, financially or just because they need practical help to get in touch and seek support.
It can be daunting to search through what is on offer and to find what you need. This website section from Cumbria County Council provides local information for Cumbrian residents on a range of helpful topics.
You might feel worried or find yourself in a position you have never experienced before, but please don’t wait for problems to get worse, there are many local organisations that can help.
Cost of Living Resources
What can we do as organisations and individuals to navigate the cost of living crisis and how can we support those in our communities to do the same?
VONNE have put together a downloadable resource pack with information on the cost of living and energy crisis with support and tips for individuals and organisations.
How to reach your service users during the cost-of-living crisis
Charity Digital looks at the growing gap between charities who adopt new digital communication channels to reach their audiences and those that don’t.
Read the article here
Charity Excellence Free Online Crisis Help Directory
The 2nd of our 3 free online crisis directories is now live. Help Finder enables charities to save money on goods and services they normally have to pay for and to source expert support they wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford. It searches 100s and 100s of organisation to find advice, pro bono support and free goods & services. There are 19 search categories with everything from fundraising support, consultancy and IT through to volunteering, legal and consumer goods.
Find out more here
Free guide published to help charities cut carbon emissions
Charity Finance Group (CFG) has published a free online guide for charities wanting to reduce their carbon emissions.
‘Charities and the path to net zero’ was created to help any charities, regardless of their size and sector, develop a net-zero strategy, understand the links between net zero, investments, pensions and grantmaking and tackle emissions through better procurement.
Read the full article here
Nominations for The National Diversity Awards Open 15 March 2023
Get your thinking caps on as we are expecting an influx of nominations from across the nation showcasing the UK’s unsung diversity role models and community organisations.
After celebrating our 11th anniversary, it is crucial that The National Diversity Awards continue to recognise the brave, selfless, and life changing work being carried out to unite our society. If you know a friend, colleague, local champion or charity that deserves recognition then make sure to save the date and be ready to nominate on 15th March 2023!
The best autumn fundraising ideas
Get into the cosy season with some themed fundraising ideas from Charity Digital.
Latest News from Cumbria County Council
You can view Cumbria County Council’s newsletter from 7 October here, including:
- Cargo bike goes for a test ride in Kendal
- New Carlisle Alternative Provision School site visit event
The future of charity impact reporting
Charity Digital delves into the future of one of the most important (and often overlooked) areas of charity operations – impact reporting.
LGA’s cost of living support hub and bulletin
The Local Government Association (LGA) has recently launched a cost-of-living support hub to help councils continue to support residents and a new monthly cost-of-living bulletin, both of which highlight the latest news from the government. This includes examples of good practice, latest reports and data and upcoming events.
Cumbria Sports Awards 2022
The 2022 Cumbria Sports Awards nomination window is now open. Organised by Active Cumbria, the awards recognise the outstanding talents, commitment and successes of teams and individuals throughout Cumbria who are involved in sport. The awards also highlight the dedication and commitment of the vast number of volunteers, coaches, and others behind the scenes who make sport happen across the county.
There are 11 award categories and winners will be announced across the week of 21 November on the Active Cumbria social media channels. A selection of winners will be announced live on BBC Radio Cumbria’s Breakfast show each day throughout the week.
Find out more, and how to nominate, here
Charities’ views sought on Code of Fundraising Practice
The Fundraising Regulator is carrying out a two-year process of updating the Code of Fundraising Practice, and is currently seeking views on how it could be improved.
It is inviting feedback from anyone with relevant knowledge of charitable fundraising including donors, charitable institutions, and legal experts.
Read the full article here
New VAT assessment method ‘impinges’ on charities, admits HMRC
A new HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) policy on non-business activities could negatively impact charities, the tax authority has admitted.
Representatives from HMRC delivered a session at the Charity Finance Summit, Civil Society Media’s annual conference, earlier this month. David Smith, senior policy advisor, VAT principles policy team, at HMRC, told delegates that a two-stage approach to determine whether or not an activity constitutes a business activity for VAT purposes “very much impinges on charities”.
Read the full article here
Are you ready for the weather this Winter?
Thinking ahead and preparing for what the weather may bring this winter can make a real difference. There are some simple steps you can take to stay safe and healthy at this time of year – from preparing your home or business to taking care of yourself, your family and neighbours.
The Met Office website provides up-to-date, expert seasonal advice from carefully selected organisations to help you prepare for and respond to the weather, to stay safe and protect yourself, your homes and businesses.
Charity shops lose over £2m in cash donations in three years
Cash donations at charity shops in the UK have dropped by 18% in recent years, according to new data.
Charity Finance magazine’s Charity Shops Survey 2022 shows that charities have lost £2.2m in cash donations since 2019.
Read the full article here
Five tips for fundraising during a downturn
Given the much more difficult economic environment we’re all facing, charities may be struggling to raise funds using the same techniques they’ve relied on in the past. To help, Rathbones have put together five top tips that charities could use to review and fine tune their fundraising strategies.
Making tax digital for small charities
Small charities face a steep learning curve as the government looks to move taxation online.
There’s some useful guidance in this article from Charity Digital.
Government should be ‘last resort’ for alleviating poverty, Tory MP tells charities
A backbench Conservative MP has told a panel of charity sector leaders that “government should be the last resort” for alleviating poverty.
Robin Millar was speaking at a Conservative Party Conference fringe event alongside panellists from Christians Against Poverty and the Trussell Trust, who both disagreed with his statements.
Read the full article here
Lloyds Bank Foundation pledges £5.5m to BAME and disability-led charities
The Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales (LBFEW) will allocate £5.5m to small charities led by and working for Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) and D/deaf and disabled communities over three years.
In its four-year strategy, the independent charitable foundation announced that it will make grants worth £75,000 available to small, local and specialist charities with an income of £25,000-£500,000.
Read the full article here
Top 10 charities hold 14% of the sector’s wealth
The largest 10 richest charities are worth more than £66bn altogether, which accounts for almost 14% of the entire sector’s wealth, according to an analysis of new Charity Commission figures.
Carried out by Charity Finance, the analysis shows that the combined assets of the 169,061 registered charities in England and Wales amount to over £483bn.
Read the full article here
Are you delivering a Warm Spot (Warm Hub, Warm Space or Warm Welcomes) in Cumbria?
We (Cumbria CVS, along with other partners including ACTion with Communities in Cumbria, Churches Together in Cumbria and Cumbria County Council) know that lots of organisations across Cumbria are already running or are developing regular WARM SPOTS/Hubs/Spaces or Welcomes to support people who are impacted by the cost-of-living crisis.
We are keen to let people across Cumbria know about these great services, so we are setting up a WARM SPOT interactive map for our county where all our WARM SPOTS can be highlighted.
To make sure our map has as much information as possible we would like you to register your WARM SPOT as soon as possible.
Warm Spots registration info
How your charity can avoid ‘greenwashing’
In this climate crisis, we all want to be more sustainable and eco-friendly. Be mindful that you’re not ‘greenwashing’ your sustainability efforts.
There are too many small charities, ex-minister tells Tory party conference
There are too many small charities so they should be merged to improve efficiency, former pensions minister Guy Opperman told the Conservative party conference earlier this month.
Opperman, who was pensions minister for five years before prime minister Liz Truss’ recent reshuffle, also criticised charities for being too involved in politics.
Read the full article here
Charities and climate change
Charity Digital explores the basics of climate change for charities, looking at why charities need to get involved, how charities can get involved, the best resources available to charities, and more.
Government must ‘support charities properly’, says Danny Kruger
Danny Kruger, Conservative MP and former levelling up minister, said the government needs to do a lot to ensure charities are supported properly.
“There’s so many things that need to happen in government to support charities properly,” said Kruger, who led a government review last year urging more powers to be given to the sector.
Read the full article here
The best Halloween fundraising ideas
Looking for ways to tap into Halloween and raise money for your cause? Here’s some handy Halloween fundraising ideas.
How to get involved in Giving Tuesday 2022
Charity Digital shares some ideas for how charities (both big and small) can get involved in Giving Tuesday, on 29 November.
Latest News from Cumbria County Council
You can view Cumbria County Council’s newsletter from 30 September here, including:
- County Council and NHS seek views on autism language
- Active Cumbria announces new programme to support older adults in Cumbria to be more active
- Eden Local Committee award funding to help young people
Charities should challenge corporations on social issues, says think tank
The charity sector should challenge the investment and corporate community on social issues, New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) has said.
Environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) is a widely used framework in business, and NPC says the current spotlight on ESG means that now is a “key moment” for charities to consider their role in improving social outcomes across the country.
Read the full article here
Small charities to be offered free CIoF membership
The Chartered Institute of Fundraising (CIoF) will offer free organisational membership to small charities from next year as part of a new strategy.
CIoF will allow charities with voluntary income of less than £50,000 a year to gain free organisational membership as part of its aim to be “more reflective, accessible, and representative of the fundraising that happens across the UK”.
Read the full article here
Films and animations free of charge or low cost to the charity sector
HelpFilm uses only working professional filmmakers or video producers to create high-end videos and animations and to provide productions and editing services to small and medium sized charities across a broad range of valuable causes.
We use creative and compelling storytelling – as a well told story will move an audience to think, reflect and then act – to enable those charities to further their purposes and achieve their goals.
Find out more about HelpFilm
Community Champions guidance and resources
This link provides an overview of evidence, guidance and resources to inform and support those designing and implementing community champions programmes in local areas.
This includes a range of settings including local authorities, health and social care, and the voluntary and community sector.
How to know when you’re over-collaborating
Digital tools are handy for collaborating but make sure you don’t go overboard. Charity Digital takes you through how to strike a balance between digital collaboration and overdoing it.
How to create a content calendar
Setting up a content planner for your social media will help you to be more strategic and stay organised.
NCVO: Charities ‘powered far more’ by people and communities than government
The voluntary sector has shifted over the past decade to become “powered far more” by people and communities than the state, NCVO has claimed.
Last month, Scouts hosted a roundtable with cross sector and party representatives at the Labour Party conference to discuss how the state can empower civil society to recover from Covid-19 and reduce inequalities.
Among the participants was Alex Farrow, director of influencing and engagement at NCVO, who argued that there has been a shift over the last 12 years in terms of how the charity sector is funded.
Read the full article here
Charity trustees do not reflect the communities that they serve, says regulator
The Charity Commission has said trustees do not always reflect the communities that they serve, following calls for it to improve the monitoring of board diversity.
This came in response to an open letter from 65 organisations, which urged the regulator to monitor the diversity of charity trustees and senior executives across a range of protected characteristics.
Read the full article here
7 tips for writing a winning digital grant funding application
Even when you’ve done all the right preparation, you still need to do it justice when writing your grant application. While many things are similar to regular grant applications, some things are different.
Digital projects and services need an iterative approach, they need designing differently, and their budget needs can vary a lot. And many funders aren’t yet digitally confident enough to understand the tech jargon. This article from Catalyst explains 7 things to do to increase your application’s chance of success.
RSPB Calls for action as ‘UK government is attacking nature’
Amongst the Government’s mini-budget announcement last month, plans were also set out to scrap crucial environmental laws including the Habitat Regulations which protect wildlife and green spaces across England.
Further plans were later announced to create ‘Investment Zones’ which could cause damage to nature with little restriction. RSPB is calling for action – you can read more here.
Cuts create a ‘postcode lottery’ for young people’s volunteering opportunities
A government report, Volunteering Journeys has found that cuts to local government funding have contributed to a postcode lottery in volunteering opportunities for young people.
The report published by the Institute for Community Studies says the place where someone grows up “powerfully determines” the level of support they get to volunteer with charities.
Read the full article here
Consultancy Brief – Cost of Living and Climate Crisis
Individuals with an interest in community development, a knowledge of disadvantaged wards in West Cumbria and a commitment to participatory practice are invited to put forward an expression of interest in a new project. The project builds on the work of the national Friends of the Earth campaign on warm homes and on campaigns for climate justice.
More information is available here and you can download the consultancy brief here
The closing date for Expressions of Interest is 31st October (at 11am).
Warm Welcome website
The free website “Warm Welcome” is for organisations to register and for people to find their nearest warm space. There is also lots of other helpful advice, information, policies, etc. about running a warm space. The only requirements are that the spaces are open to all, free, warm, welcoming and safe. They have partnered with various different organisations and local authorities nationally to set this up.
Organisations can now begin to register and a map/database of available warm spaces will then be available in the coming weeks alongside a national media campaign so the public can find their nearest warm space that is open when they need it.
Charities call for energy cap extensions
Energy bills for charities will be capped funtil March 2023 as part of a package of government measures to help organisations stay in business. But voluntary sector leaders have asked, ‘What happens after March?’ and call for clarity on what will happen when the support ends.
Read the full article here
Charities vital to helping people back into work, says NPC
The charity sector could play a crucial role in enabling people to re-enter the job market, New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) has said.
Speaking in September at a fringe event at the Labour Party Conference, NPC’s chief executive Dan Corry argued that charities are best placed to get people back into work.
Read the full article here
Facts about charities in 2022
Charity Digital note down all the latest facts and statistics about the charity sector, looking particularly at how digital is changing the landscape of fundraising, service delivery, volunteering, marketing, finance, cyber security, sustainability, and more.
Cockermouth English Cafe
A new English Café has started in Cockermouth. On Wednesdays from 11.30 to 1 pm, this weekly event offers free tea, coffee and cake and provides a friendly international environment to help people improve their English. Click on the poster for more details.
Charity employers can compete on flexibility but not pay, says NCVO
Charity sector employers cannot compete with the commercial sector’s salaries, but they can offer greater flexibility, the chief executive of NCVO has said.
Sarah Vibert was speaking at a discussion last month, at which one audience member asked whether charities could attract more younger people to the sector given they were unable to compete with the commercial sector in terms of junior salaries.
Read the full article here
Top fundraising trends for 2023
Charity Digital looks at the fundraising trends that charities might see in 2023 and examine some of the potential fundraising challenges the charity sector might face.
Charities pledge to pay staff real living wage despite 10% increase
Charities that pay staff the real living wage including Oxfam GB and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation have pledged to continue doing so after the rate increased by its highest ever margin to £10.90 an hour recently.
The Living Wage Foundation (LWF) announced in September that the rate, which aims to reflect the true cost-of-living, had increased by 10.1% (£1) for workers across the UK to £10.90 an hour.
Read the full article here
Lord Kamall confirmed as civil society minister
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has confirmed that Lord Kamall is to become minister for civil society.
Nigel Huddleston was moved from his role as civil society minister after less than a year in the post, as part of prime minister Liz Truss’ reshuffle. He is to become a government whip.
Read the full article here
How to make your inclusion intersectional
Intersectionality has become something of a buzzword, used as a shorthand for all things diversity, equity and inclusion. But what does it mean? Charity Digital explain here
Charity sector reacts to mini-budget: ‘Shows government doesn’t have a plan for poverty’
Leaders in the charity sector have reacted to announcements in the government’s mini-budget, welcoming measures on Gift Aid but suggested the most vulnerable will need more support during the cost-of-living crisis.
In his mini-budget statement in September, the chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng announced that the basic rate of income tax will fall from 20p to 19p in the pound from April next year.
Read the full article here
Asylum seekers as volunteers
There are over 140 adult male asylum seekers currently accommodated in a hotel in Carlisle. Asylum seekers are entitled to accommodation, food, limited NHS services and £8.00/week. They are not allowed to be employed whilst seeking asylum.
Many have expressed a strong wish to do voluntary work or to engage in community activities. Their photographic ID consists of a letter from the Home Office with their photograph on it. As they are not eligible to apply for a full DBS check this will obviously limit their volunteering opportunities. Their capacity to speak English ranges from nil to good, all wish to improve on this.
If you are interested and can offer any such opportunity please contact laura.cooper@multiculturalcumbria.org.uk and louise_dias@yahoo.com
National Lottery funding for good causes to ‘double’, says new operator
The new National Lottery operator, Allwyn, has said under its stewardship sales growth is expected to double the funds allocated to good causes.
In September, the Czech-owned company Allwyn was officially awarded the fourth licence to operate the National Lottery for the next decade from 1 February 2024.
Read the full article here
Nigel Huddleston leaves role of civil society minister
Nigel Huddleston has been moved from his role as civil society minister after less than a year in the post, as part of prime minister Liz Truss’ reshuffle.
Boris Johnson appointed Huddleston last October to the role, which also oversaw several other areas, including youth, loneliness, sport, heritage and tourism.
Read the full article here
Government publishes plans to discount charities’ energy bills from October
The government has published further details of its scheme to reduce energy bills for charities, businesses and public sector organisations from next month.
A discount will automatically be applied to charities’ energy bills from 1 October to 31 March, meaning voluntary organisations do not need to apply to access the support.
Read the full article here
‘Mental health barrier’ preventing young people from volunteering, report finds
Many young people are being blocked from volunteering due to concerns over their mental health, a government-commissioned report has found.
The Institute for Community Studies’ rapid evidence review found that 11-to-30-year-olds faced a “triple burden” when trying to balance volunteering with their work, family life and mental health.
Read the full article here
Charities advised to support staff with long Covid after disability ruling
Cases of long Covid could be classified as a disability after a recent employment tribunal case, a legal expert has warned charities.
Writing in the September issue of Charity Finance magazine, Gavin McEwan, partner and head of charities at Turcan Connell, said: “How equality legislation applies to those affected by long-Covid, however, had not been explored in detail until a recent Scottish employment tribunal case, Burke v Turning Point Scotland (Employment Tribunals (Scotland) case 4112457/2021).”
Read the full article here
Surveys, Feedback and Reports
Key findings from NCVO’s 2022 Almanac
The 2022 edition of the UK Civil Society Almanac reveals smaller organisations are particularly vulnerable to the effects of the pandemic and cost of living crisis. Nayyara Tabassum explores the key findings and what they mean for the charity sector.
The NCVO Almanac is the definitive publication on the state of the voluntary sector in the UK used by the ONS, cited by the media, and referenced by sector leaders, policy makers, journalists, and academics. This year’s publication is primarily based on charity accounts for the financial year 2019/2020.
Read the full article here
Government funding for charities at 15-year low
Voluntary sector income from the government is at its lowest for 15 years, new research from NCVO reveals.
NCVO’s 2022 UK Civil Society Almanac shows that, for the first time in 20 years, most voluntary sector income comes from public giving, with 51% coming from this source.
Read the full article here
Charities report ‘significant’ rise in digital donations since before pandemic
Charities have seen a shift towards digital donations in recent years, according to a study by Barclays Corporate Banking.
Giving: A new landscape, which was based on interviews with 75 senior managers of large charities, found that three-quarters had noticed a “significant increase” in digital donations since before the pandemic.
Read the full article here
Thriving Communities Fund shows the life-changing impact of social prescribing
Social prescribing is a means of enabling GPs , nurses and other health and care professionals to refer people to a range of local, non-clinical services.
The evaluation of the Thriving Communities Fund charts the success of the programme and sets out a blueprint for building healthier, more connected communities.
Read the full evaluation report here
One in six charity CEOs privately educated, report finds
More than a sixth of chief executives at British charities were privately educated, a survey by ACEVO has revealed.
The umbrella body’s latest edition of its annual Pay and Equalities surveys also found that the gender pay gap among charity CEOs has widened to 10.8%, reversing a downward trend in recent years.
Read the full article here
Findings from the 2022 Newton Charity Investment Survey
This year’s survey suggests that 2022 is a year of change for the charity sector. Many charities continue to feel the longer-term impacts of the pandemic, while widespread concerns over inflation, a cost-of-living crisis and geopolitical uncertainty have provided a challenging backdrop for investment strategy and performance.
Nevertheless, some trends remain unchanged – responsible investing and ethical considerations continue to be important topics for charities as they come under increasing pressure from stakeholders.
Find out more here
NHS Hospital Discharge Support Fund – Fundholder Report
Funded by North Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group, the NHS Hospital Discharge Support Fund was set-up by the North Cumbria Health and Care System in partnership with and managed by Cumbria Community Foundation.
Launched in November 2021 the Fund enabled Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector organisations to respond to the home care crisis, by supporting medically optimised patients discharged under Pathway 1 to return home from acute and community hospitals in North Cumbria. (Pathway 1 is where patients are assessed as being able to return home with support from health and/or social care.)
You can download the 2021-22 Fundholder Report here
Third Sector Trends Survey 2022 results
The first of several reports arising from this year’s Third Sector Trends Survey is now available, along with a briefing paper with initial findings.
Going the Distance: How Third Sector organisations work through turbulent times
Third Sector Trends in England and Wales 2022 (Survey response, Initial findings from the survey and an outline of latest qualitative report findings.)
Funders for Race Equality Alliance audit result launch
15 members of the Funders for Race Equality Alliance have completed the third cohort of their racial justice audit. They submitted data on 1003 grants awarded between 1 July 2021 and 1 August 2022, with a total of £85.1m.
Find out more about the nuanced story behind the data
ARC NWC member mental health research priorities consultation
The Applied Research Collaboration North West Coast (ARC NWC) mental health research team are running a short consultation to find out what mental health research should be looking at.
The answers will tell us what community groups think are the important questions and allow us to support research that might answer these questions. If you leave a contact we will also be able to keep in touch about future mental health research that your organisation might be interested in getting involved with.
The questions can be found here
Volunteering for conservation
Vincent Wildlife Trust is a charity working to conserve rare and threatened mammals and we are currently developing a new wildlife conservation project.
We are keen to offer opportunities for people and groups to get actively involved in the project and we have developed a short survey aimed at helping us to understand how we can best provide opportunities and what benefits people may gain from their involvement, to help us to develop new and interesting volunteering opportunities.
Cumbria CVS Third Sector Referral Coordinator Team survey
Health and Society Knowledge Exchange (HASKE), at the University of Cumbria, has been commissioned by Cumbria CVS to evaluate the Third Sector Referral Coordinator Team. The Referral Coordinators work with NHS health staff to link patients into third sector support across North Cumbria.
We want to understand your awareness, views and experiences of the Third Sector Referral Coordinator Team.
The survey will take approximately 5 minutes to complete.
Charities commit to monitor and improve class diversity in organisations
The latest report from Reclaim shows that working class people are hidden or missing from some of the most influential think tanks and anti-poverty charities in the UK.
In response to the findings, 8 think tanks and charities have committed to a pledge to monitor and improve class diversity in their organisations.
Read more about the report here
Third Sector Trends in Cumbria 2022 survey
You’ll probably have seen about this study by now. 5,080 voluntary and community organisations and social enterprises have joined so far in England and Wales.
We really need you to take part in #Cumbria so that we can build a picture of what is happening locally, what has changed since 2019 and what you think is going to happen next.
It’s quick, interesting, easy to do. You can do it on your phone, tablet, laptop or PC.
The survey is open until the end of October, and takes about 10 minutes to complete. Take part in the survey here
Disclaimer
The information above is provided in good faith. Whilst every care is taken to ensure that it is correct, Cumbria CVS cannot accept liability for any omissions or inaccuracies and does not take responsibility for the quality for any services or products mentioned.
