Useful information – w/c 24/11/25
November 24, 2025
Events, training, charity news, surveys, research, feedback, reports, services and much more – in one handy place!
This page will be updated with new information as we receive it during the week. Please check back regularly. (Last update: 24/11/25 – items added on this date are marked as [NEW])
You’ll also find the latest Health and Wellbeing news, events and opportunities in the current post on our News page here.
You can view previous Useful Information posts here to catch up on our archive of information.
For useful resources, information, news and events, updates on our climate commitment, blog posts from colleagues about what they’re doing (in a work capacity and privately) to minimise environmental impact and more take a look at Cumbria CVS Green
If you’ve seen something you think we should be sharing, let us know! Email us: info@cumbriacvs.org.uk
Looking for funding information and news? Check out Focus on Funding here
Pride in North Cumbria AGM
Monday 24th November, Carlisle. We are looking for new trustees & committee members.
Come along & see what projects PiNC have been doing during the past year & our future plans. If you are interested & want more information, please email pinc-cumbria@hotmail.co.uk or 01228 267247. We would also be grateful if you can similarly contact us to confirm your attendance.
Click on the thumbnail image for more information.
New Charities SORP webinar
Monday 24th November, online. The new Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) has now been published. The changes introduce a three-tier system of accounting rules based on charity size, new requirements for reporting income and leases, and dedicated sections addressing areas of public and donor interest.
To help you navigate the changes, Charity Finance will host a free webinar which will explore the key changes in the new SORP, and the practical implications for charities. The webinar will conclude with a live Q&A to address your pressing questions.
Communicating effectively with your bank
Tuesday 25th November, online. Join NCVO and Charity Finance Group for a free webinar that will give you the tools, confidence, and know-how to deal with banking challenges head-on.
Learn how to raise concerns, navigate financial regulations, and escalate unresolved issues — all with real-world advice from a charity that’s been there.
Building Resilient Major Gifts: Strategy, Stability, and Sustainability
25th November, online. Join Fundraising Everywhere, for an in-depth panel discussion on major donor giving focused specifically for UK fundraising professionals navigating a rapidly changing landscape.
With inflation, funding cuts, and evolving donor expectations shaping today’s environment, this session will provide practical guidance on how to build a programme that can adapt, endure, and thrive.
16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence
25th November – 10th December. The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign that begins on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day.
We’re pleased to share this year’s programme of Lunch and Learn sessions, accessible to all those across the Partnership. Full information on how to book a place for each session is included in the attached document.
Sustainable digital marketing practices
Tuesday 25th November, Online. Sustainable digital marketing focuses on reducing the environmental, social and ethical impact of our campaigns.
Join HdK for this free webinar discussing how we can promote our organisations and cultural experiences, in a way that’s responsible.
Developing a Fundraising Strategy
25th and 26th November, online. This popular two day course will walk you through Lime Green Consulting’s tried-and-tested framework for developing a fundraising strategy, enabling you to evaluate and prioritise the most valuable fundraising activities for your organisation and make the best use of your limited resources.
We’ll show you how to analyse your current fundraising performance, explore future opportunities and challenges, and identify key fundraising audiences – then scope out and prioritise a range of different types of fundraising, identify key building blocks to put in place for long-term success, and accurately forecast the likely financial return.
Finally, we’ll explain how to get everyone in your organisation behind a shared fundraising vision and ensure they understand their role in successful fundraising.
How to attract corporate supporters with video content
Thursday 27th November, Online. Join The Saltways team in this 1 hour workshop for charities to learn how to build meaningful partnerships through strategic video content.
A free guide is included and an opportunity to ask questions.
The Autumn Budget: What are the implications for charities for 2026 and beyond?
Thursday 27th November, online. The Autumn Budget sets the tone for the economic and policy environment that charities will face over the coming years. Join the next Rathbones Charity Expert Series webinar where we will explore what the Chancellor’s announcement means for the sector – looking not only at the immediate impact but also at the financial and operational implications for 2026 and beyond.
Featuring Vicki Butler, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Charities Aid Foundation, Rebecca Young, Chief Policy Analyst at NCVO, and hosted by Andrew Maxwell, Senior Investment Director, Charities, at Rathbones, this webinar will give trustees the opportunity to hear informed perspectives, ask questions, and take away ideas to help strengthen their organisations’ financial resilience for the future.
Managing Volunteers – The Nuts and Bolts
Tuesday 2nd December, online. Volunteers are a hugely important supplementary resource for charities. However, they must be supported and protected, and their contribution recognised.
This session summarises briefly the key elements and headline information your organisation must have in place to achieve this.
Free Mental Fitness Walk in the Lake District
Saturday 7th December, Coppermines Valley. A full day walk with Mind Over Mountains, starting around 9am an finishing approx 4pm. We will cover around 6 miles in total, and this walk is graded moderate.
We take regular breaks throughout the day to explore mindfulness techniques, and participants have the opportunity to connect with a coach and counsellor from our wellbeing team during the walk.
For anyone over the age of 18. We are not a crisis charity, but we are here to support anyone – whether they are struggling with the day to day and need some time out, or they consider themselves to be thriving and want to sustain their mental health through physical activity outdoors in nature. No pressure, no judgement.
How to excel as a charity trustee
9th December, online. Trustees are the backbone of every charity. But excelling as a trustee can often feel difficult, with so many demands and often little support.
In just three hours, this course aims to give trustees the tools and confidence to excel. We will explore the responsibilities of trustees, the expectations of them, and the core skills trustees need. It will help to clear up misconceptions about responsibilities and the time commitment typically involved. We offer guidance as to how to attain any skills you might not possess.
The course is perfect for trustees and people interested in becoming trustees. The course provides a safe space to ask questions of the presenter and explore how you can improve.
How to master email marketing
10th December, online. This course aims, in just three hours, to boost your email marketing.
The course provides a hands-on approach, showing charities the basics of email marketing, the best platforms, strategies for effective list-building, the importance of segmentation, tips and tricks for crafting effective emails, the best way to write a subject line, the virtues of personalisation, and so much more.
Anti Racist Cumbria ‘Community Conversation’ Workshop: Difficult Conversations
11th December, Barrow. Why is it we find it difficult to talk about racism?
If we don’t have the conversations, how can we take the opportunities to challenge for change? These workshops support us to reframe what might seem like a ‘difficult conversation’ and resourcing ourselves to recognise it as a ‘Courageous one.’
Get in touch to register or for more information: niall@antiracistcumbria.org or 07979 551999
Flyer for the event series here
Clinks Area Engagement Criminal Justice Forum
Thursday 11th December, online. Clinks is inviting voluntary sector organisations working in the criminal justice system to join their upcoming Area Engagement Criminal Justice Forums.
These events offer a chance to meet the Clinks team, hear updates about area engagement and policy work, and explore how your organisation can build connections with local partners such as Prisons and Probation.
Whether you’re a small grassroots project or a larger charity, these forums are a valuable opportunity to network, share good practice and discuss challenges in delivering services in the criminal justice system.
Anti Racist Cumbria ‘Community Conversation’ Workshop: Courageous Conversations
12th December, Barrow. Why is it we find it difficult to talk about racism?
If we don’t have the conversations, how can we take the opportunities to challenge for change? These workshops support us to reframe what might seem like a ‘difficult conversation’ and resourcing ourselves to recognise it as a ‘Courageous one.’
Get in touch to register or for more information: niall@antiracistcumbria.org or 07979 551999
Flyer for the event series here
Practical uses of AI for your charity
16th December, online. This course aims, in just three hours, to boost your everyday use of AI.
The course takes a hands-on, practical approach, showing charities how to use AI to improve meetings, boost email marketing, smash data analytics, enhance workflow efficiency, and so much more.
Introduction to Google Analytics 4
13th January 2026, online. Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is a powerful tool that can supercharge your charity. It provides an accurate and insight-rich understanding of your supporters and donors.
It provides a complete view of user journeys and enables you to make effective data-driven decisions. And, perhaps most importantly, it can drastically improve your marketing and fundraising.
This course aims, in just three hours, to help you get to grips with GA4. It explores recent changes to the platform, how to ensure you have the best data, the metric that you must know, and a general run-through of the interface, dipping into ‘realtime’ reports.
Faith-Based Governance Training
13th January 2026, online. Good governance is often seen as a burden – but it can be one of a charity’s greatest assets.
This faith-friendly course helps senior leaders and trustees understand what good governance really looks like and how to make it work in a faith context. It explores how to clarify roles, strengthen decision-making, and build confidence around risk. Scenarios and case studies help participants develop skills in practical, relevant ways.
Understanding Governance Stage 1: The Trustee Role
15th–16th January 2026, online. If you are new to the role of being a charity trustee, this course will provide the perfect introduction, while experienced trustees will also benefit from a refresher of their responsibilities and comprehensive updates on evolving elements of the trustee role.
Brand Reputation Training for Charities
20th January 2026, online. In today’s fast-moving digital landscape, a charity’s reputation is one of its most valuable assets.
Trust, public perception, and the ability to raise funds or deliver services can be significantly impacted by how well a charity manages its brand. From copyright and trade marks to online abuse and data breaches, reputation management is essential. This practical, expert-led training will help you understand the legal and strategic tools needed to safeguard your charity’s identity and uphold public trust.
Data Protection Training for Charities
27th January 2026, online. It is important for every charity leader to ensure their organisation is fully compliant with the latest data protection regulations.
This half-day course will guide you through the key points to consider and what measures you should have in place. You will also learn how to avoid some common data protection pitfalls.
Finance for Trustees
29th January 2026, online. How confident are you that you really understand your charity’s finances?
It’s a complicated business, what with managing different types of funds and income, the accounting and reporting rules, as well as dealing with tax and VAT. This course, lead by the team from leading accountancy firm BDO, will give you the tools to get to grips with how all that works in your own organisation, and includes time to chat with fellow trustees over the practicalities and challenges you face.
Protecting your Legacy Income
3rd February 2026, online. Managing your charity’s legacy income can be a lengthy and complex process.
From the various tax considerations (Inheritance, Capital Gains), to dealing with contested legacies and all of the adminstration in between, there are many factors that can delay legacy income reaching your charity.
Led by the legacy protection team at VWV, this course has been designed to give clear and practical legal advice for breaking down these obstacles as well as tools for recognising legacy risks early on in the process.
Preventing Charity Fraud
5th February 2026, online. Combining 25 years’ expertise as a charity lawyer and governance trainer with frontline experience from various voluntary leadership sector roles, Claris D’cruz will lead this half-day training course to help your charity prevent and deal with fraud or suspected fraud.
This training is relevant to charity trustees, CEOs, finance directors, finance managers, charity advisors and anyone with responsibility for dealing with fraud in their charity.
Throughout the morning we will explore the types of fraud and financial crime to be aware of, the controls and procedures to prevent fraud and how to handle a fraudulent incident.
The Art of Being an Effective Chair
12th–13th February 2026, online. The role of the chair of the board or a committee is more demanding and can be more complex than most people realise.
This course will help you to chair well and to ensure that board governs effectively and that board committees add value to the governance process. Scenarios and case studies help develop skills in practical ways.
Contract Training for Charities – Managing Contracts with Confidence
26th February 2026, online. For a charity entering into a contract with any other party, there are a number of key factors to consider.
In this half-day session Ed Rimmell, partner at VWV, will share his expertise on managing charity contracts effectively to ensure risks are mitigated, all parties fully understand what has been agreed and what to do if a dispute arises. Ed will also guide you through some common and important contract clauses which are often poorly understood.
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.
