Useful information – w/c 18/05/26
May 18, 2026
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: 18/05/26 – 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
Practical uses of AI for your charity
Tuesday 19th May, 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.
[NEW] Making Sense of the ICO Soft Opt-In Guidance: What it says, what it means, and what to do about it
Wednesday 20th May, online. Join Fundraising Everywhere as they explore the new charitable soft opt-in guidance, bringing one of the biggest changes to supporter communications in years.
The session will focus on clear, practical guidance on staying compliant and making the most of your supporter data.
Let’s talk about menopause at work
Wednesday 20th May, Online. The menopause is a natural occurrence, yet up until recently, it has received little attention despite the impact it is known to have on women at work.
Join Acas for this free webinar where we will discuss the importance of supporting those experiencing the menopause.
Will your website still matter in an AI world? How AI Is Transforming How People Discover and Engage with You
Thursday 21st May, Online. AI-driven search is transforming which organisations are found, seen, and trusted.
Join Hart Square for this free webinar to explore the patterns we’re seeing across NFPs, charities and membership organisations: why content built for traditional channels can be overlooked, why trusted organisations are getting outranked, and how AI is reshaping authority and relevance.
Get Your Charity Featured in the Media
Thursday 21st May, online. Get your Charity Featured in the Media is a practical workshop for people in marketing and communications roles in charities who want to gain positive media coverage for their cause — even without prior media experience or big budgets. Over the course of the session, you’ll learn how to craft and share stories that grab journalists’ attention, how to pitch them effectively, and how to turn coverage into long-term impact for your organisation.
Whether you’ve never written a press release before or you’ve dabbled in media outreach but want better results, this session will give you clear strategies, real-life examples, and simple tools to help you approach the media with confidence. You’ll leave with practical techniques you can use right away — and the resilience to keep going until your story gets told.
Supporter Experience Conference 2026
Thursday 21st May, online. Join Fundraising Everywhere for a half-day conference dedicated to helping you smash your supporter experience strategies and raise more money with your supporters.
Join fundraisers from across the sector for a day dedicated to helping charities build stronger, more meaningful supporter relationships. Hear from expert speakers, explore fresh ideas, and discover practical strategies to improve supporter journeys, strengthen engagement, and boost long term loyalty.
Making the most of M365 apps – tips and tricks
Tuesday 26th May, online. This three-hour session shows you how to master 365 apps.
The first section will cover an overview of the apps available. It will explore web vs desktop applications, the joys of Copilot, the best way to use Microsoft Forms, and the secrets of Sway.
The second section is dedicated to Teams, exploring meeting and channel management, file storage, whiteboards and polls, and so much more.
Preventing Charity Fraud
Thursday 28th May, 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.
Crisis Fundamentals by Horizon Resilience
Tuesday 2nd June, online. The VCSEP are running a free training session for organisations in the voluntary sector.
Drawing on experience at the heart of UK government crisis management, this training by Horizon Resilience will provide participants with a strong practical foundation in crisis management principles, supported by a scenario-based discussion and applied learning. Attendees will leave with an improved awareness of crisis and resilience in the UK context, including how the voluntary and community sector fits within the wider resilience system and a practical understanding of the crisis lifecycle, from anticipation and response through to stabilisation and recovery.
March attendees rated this training 4.6/5 and commented positively on its content and relevancy. This training is aimed at those new to, or less familiar with, formal resilience structures.
Register by emailing marcusbowen@vcsep.org.uk
Understanding Governance: The Trustee Role
Wednesday 3rd –Thursday 4th June, online. Governance fundamentals for new and experienced trustees.
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.
[NEW] Supercharge your use of social media
Tuesday 9th June, online. This course aims, in just three hours, to supercharge your use of social media.
We’ll explore how you can pick the right platforms for your charity and how to know whether you should invest, or divest, in other platforms. We’ll show you how to increase social media engagement, how to extend your reach, and how to ensure you target the most rewarding demographics.
What does local government reorganisation mean for you?
Tuesday 9th June, online. Join NAVCA for this practical, insight-led webinar designed for VCFSE organisations navigating local government reorganisation. We’ll explore what’s happening now, what to expect over the next two years, and what it means for your organisation — from funding and contracts to partnerships, rural issues and service delivery. With expert input on the political context, timelines, and emerging intelligence from across affected areas, we’ll share real examples and key lessons to help you plan ahead with confidence.
If you receive funding from your local authority, deliver public services, advocate for rural communities, are working in partnership across health, care or prevention, or are interested in how these changes will affect you — then this session will help you understand what’s changing, what matters now, and how to prepare for what comes next.
All VCFSE organisations, and everyone with an interest in this important topic, are welcome.
Nonprofit Summer Customer Round Table
Thursday 11th June, online. Join Mhance for an in-Person Nonprofit Summer Customer Round Table.
Here you will be joined with other like-minded charitable organisations and key members of the mhance team to discuss key topics.
Data Protection Training for Charities
Thursday 11th June, 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.
Excel: Advanced
Excel is an incredibly useful tool to help you store, analyse and present your data. Even with basic skills there’s a lot you can do to help with your organisation’s monitoring and evaluation practice – but how do you get started?
➡️ Advanced: Tuesday 16th June, online. More information here
Impact Reporting for Charities
Tuesday 16th June, online. Funders want proof of the difference your organisation makes. They want to understand your charity’s impact across services and locations, and what the benefit is of the services they have agreed to fund.
Amongst other things this session looks at ‘what is impact and how do you measure it’, ‘what does impact look like’ and how do you engage with your stakeholders to maximise impact.
How charities can build financial resilience in an uncertain funding environment
Wednesday 17th June, online. Charities are operating in an increasingly challenging funding environment. Rising demand for services, sustained cost pressures, uncertainty around public spending and policy change, and volatile markets are forcing charity leaders to rethink how they fund their missions – both now and for the long term.
In this Rathbones Charity Expert Series webinar, we are joined by Emma de Closset, Chief Executive of UK Community Foundations, to explore how charities can strengthen their financial resilience in the face of ongoing pressure and uncertainty. Drawing on her extensive experience across the charitable and philanthropic landscape, Emma will share insights into how charities are adapting their funding strategies, reassessing risk, and planning for a more unpredictable future.
This session will be particularly valuable for chief executives, finance directors, trustees and senior charity leaders who are navigating difficult funding decisions and looking for informed, practical perspectives on building resilience in an uncertain landscape.
Finance for Trustees
Thursday 25 June, 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.
Get Grants FREE Virtual Conference
Tuesday 6th & Wednesday 7th October, online. Join Get Grants for two days of expert fundraising advice, top tips, Q&As, networking, peer-support, and lots of chat!
The Conference is a celebration of fundraisers, with a programme designed around the topics you want to talk about.
Bringing together thousands of fundraisers from across the UK every year, this fun and heart-warming event with lots of practical advice is not your typical fundraising conference!
[NEW] JustGiving launches ‘UK’s first’ AI fundraising coach
Fundraising platform JustGiving has launched what it describes as the “UK’s first” AI fundraising coach.
The platform’s virtual coach, named Hope, will provide personalised advice to members of the public with fundraising pages to help boost donations to their chosen cause.
JustGiving made the announcement after conducting internal research which showed that the period after creating a fundraising page can be “quite daunting”, particularly for those raising money for the first time.
[NEW] In-depth: How LGBT+ charities are bearing the financial brunt of the anti-DEI wave
Charities working with marginalised communities are no strangers to threats, intimidation, and facing financial challenges.
Recent years have seen charities of all types contend with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, soaring demand, rising costs and inflation. But now, many organisations face an existential threat as far-right, anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-migrant rhetoric abounds both online and offline.
Against this backdrop, an alarming trend has been emerging – and even major charities are not exempt. The Guardian reported in December that the UK’s largest corporations were rolling back on public support for LGBTQ+ Pride, mirroring a trend also seen among large US firms amid President Trump’s rolling back of DEI policies.
[NEW] Third of charity comms staff ‘burned out’ and seeking career change, survey finds
One in three charity communications professionals feel “burned out”, with the same proportion planning a career change in the next year, a survey has revealed.
Charity Comms’s latest annual survey found that communications professionals’ job satisfaction was lower (48%) at larger charities than at smaller organisations (82%).
In particular, staff at charities with more than 1,000 employees cited a “lack of role definition” as a key problem.
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.
