Useful Information – February 2024
January 31, 2024
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 February. Please check back regularly. (Last update: 28/02/24 – 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 last month’s Useful Information here to catch up on new information added during January ’24.
If you’ve seen something you think we should be sharing, let us know! Email us: info@cumbriacvs.org.uk
Looking for funding information? Check out the latest edition of Focus on Funding here
Training and Events
North West Ambulance Service FREE Community Listening Event
22 February, Carlisle. This event is for anyone in the Cumbria area to come and find out more about our 999 emergency and NHS 111 service and to share their thoughts on the services we provide through interactive talks by senior managers. There will also be support available at the event on how to start a career or volunteering with us at NWAS.
The event is for you if:
- You are interested in the ambulance service or the NHS
- You have used any of NWAS’ services (999, PTS and 111)
- You champion health and care in your community
- You interact with our services as part of your job or voluntary role
- You are willing to share your views and listen to other people
Find out more in the poster here
Climate and Carbon Literacy training
7 & 14 March, online. Do you want to get your facts straight about the latest climate science? Develop an understanding of carbon footprints and build your knowledge of what we can all do, at home, in our communities and at work, to help restore the balance?
Cumbria Action for Sustainability’s interactive Climate and Carbon Literacy training course provides a clear understanding of climate science, an awareness of carbon costs and the impacts of everyday activities. It will leave you with the ability and motivation to reduce emissions on an individual, community and organisational basis and is a great way to meet like minded people.
Workshop: How to get it right when it goes wrong: Cyber Incident Response with NCSC
5 March, online. This workshop, delivered by experts from the Incident Management team at the National Cyber Security Centre, will encourage charities to consider what they should have in place before an incident happens.
This workshop will cover how to plan, build, develop and maintain an effective cyber incident response capability for your organisation.
Insights 2 Impact Programme – Measuring Impact
Starting 26 March, online. The Insights 2 Impact Programme is launching in March 2024. This is an exciting and engaging online programme which will answer all the questions you’ve been asking about social impact measurement.
Two experienced facilitators with a combined experience of over 50 years in the VCSE sector will provide you with group and 1-2-1 support, providing you with the business case for embedding impact measurement, the theory behind the practice, and sharing some very practical tools to get started.
Webinar: Securing your charity in the age of AI
7 March, online. Much has been said about the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI). In the charity sector, the ability to automate tasks, forecast the future, and generate content can revolutionise how we operate, allowing us to dedicate more time to delivering impact to the communities we serve.
But, as with any emerging technology, AI poses risks as well as rewards. In this panel discussion, experts from across the charity and cyber security sector will address some key challenges facing charities today, exploring what exactly AI is and what it means for charities.
Webinar: A guide to digital mapping tools
15 February, online. Charities worldwide are leveraging digital mapping technology to enhance their impact, from better community understanding to more effective mission execution and impact measurement. Now, it’s your chance to learn from renowned charities in the UK about their experiences with these ground breaking tools.
Join us for our upcoming webinar, where we will dive deep into how leading charities are utilising digital mapping tools, including map-based analysis and collaboration tools, to further their missions and drive meaningful change.
Cumbria Sustainability Network Get-Together
February 13, Penrith. An opportunity for CSN folk from across the county to come together in Penrith to catch up with what’s happening with Zero Carbon Cumbria, and feel re-energised!
The event will bring together new members and CSN delegates from across the county to hear about projects such as Rebuild and Waste into Wellbeing; discuss the ZCC Emission Reduction Pathways; meet like-minded people and make plans on awareness-raising and carbon emissions reduction work which can be taken back to their local community.
Find out more and register here
Barrow Library Events Programme
Details of regular and special events at Barrow Library during February can be found in the leaflet below.
Barrow Library Events Programme – February 2024
Healthy places, prosperous lives – IPPR webinar
19 February, Online. IPPR recently launched the third interim report of their Commission on Health and Prosperity, Healthy Places, Prosperous Lives. The report finds there is a stark divide in health and wealth throughout the UK, leaving many health black spots as health inequalities cluster in the same places.
To share the findings of their research and their proposed solutions, IPPR are hosting a webinar with a panel of speakers including Andy Burnham, Rt Hon Sir Norman Lamb, and Chris Thomas, Head of the Commission on Health and Prosperity at IPPR North.
Webinar: Preparing for prosperity – Taking digital finance to the next level
15 February, online. In recent years the charity sector has had its fair share of financial struggles, owing largely to the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. Charities have had to adapt, making the most of their data and optimising their operations, whilst continuing to deliver crucial support to their beneficiaries.
During this webinar, presented by AccountsIQ, we explore practical ways to improve automation within your charity, enabling both time and cost savings.
Barrow Cycle Confidence Sessions
Four free sessions available at Park Vale athletics track, Walney:
Tuesday 13 Feb 10-12/1-3
Friday 16 Feb 10-12/1-3
Click on the thumbnail image for more information
Have your say on the future of family services in Cumberland
Cumberland Council have a number of opportunities to speak with them in person regarding family well-being in Cumberland on the following dates:
- Monday 5 February: 9.30am – 12.30pm at Wigton Library
- Monday 5 February: 2.30pm – 5.30pm at Workington Library
- Thursday 22 February: 9.30am – 12.30pm at Egremont Library
- Thursday 22 February: 2.30pm – 5.30pm at Whitehaven Library
- Wednesday 28 February: 9.30am – 12.30pm at Brampton Community Centre
- Wednesday 28 February: 2.30pm – 5.30pm at Harraby Community Centre, Carlisle
Or provide your thoughts on this via an on-line survey here
More information is available in this leaflet
You SALL Go To The Ball
17 and 23 March, Carlisle. Prom has become an important milestone for many of our young people as they leave school and look to the future. Some families may struggle to provide prom wear for many reasons.
Well Suited CIC have come together with other agencies, local retailers and the community to offer a good selection of quality donated prom wear.
Click here to view a poster with more information
Adult Learning courses in Kendal
Please see the links below to flyers for Adult Learning course starting in February in Kendal:
Award in Mental Health & Well-Being Level 1
Functional Skills Maths Level 1
Functional Skills Maths Level 2
Importance of Resilience and Grit EL3 – Feb 24
How to Buy & Sell Online – Spring Term
Become an Energy Champion in ’24
Cumbria Action for Sustainability’s next Energy Champions’ Information Session is on Tuesday 6 Feb at 12 noon.
Find out more about our Cold to Cosy Homes service so you can share it with your friends, neighbours, clients and constituents! No need to wear a cape or superhero boots, just book your free space!
Going Green – Online conference
Thursday 21 March 2024. This conference is for anyone interested in making their charity more environmentally friendly.
It has been designed with both larger and smaller charities in mind and will include useful information for those just starting out on their green journey as well as those looking for more advanced ideas on improving their sustainability.
Bid Writing in Sports and Physical Activity Workshop
Thursday 22 February, online. The Workshop is a two-hour online session aimed at organisations who are delivering sports and physical activity projects who are interested in growing their grant fundraising confidence and increasing their income through grant funding.
The workshop aims to benefit fundraisers with all levels of experience looking to hone their grant fundraising skills, as well as those who are looking to write their first application and don’t know where to begin.
Fundraising for Beginners Training Course
Tuesday 13 February & Tuesday 20 February 2024, online. Develop a strong foundational understanding of different types of fundraising and explore what options are available and what will work best for your organisation.
Attendees will also consider the importance of a fundraising strategy and receive practical support to put this into practice and confidently take the first steps towards achieving your fundraising goals!
Developing Your Individual Giving
Thursday 8 February & Thursday 15 February 2024, online. Get Grants Developing Your Individual Giving Course will give you practical solutions and ideas for growing your charity’s income through support from individual donors. By developing an individual giving offer, organisations can diversify their income, strengthening resilience and sustainability (which is needed now more than ever).
Many organisations have communities of people that are enthusiastic about their work and willing to give their support. However, often organisations aren’t making the most of these opportunities as they lack the confidence and knowledge to progress this.
Corporate Fundraising Course
Tuesday 6 February & Tuesday 13 February 2024, online. Increasing your knowledge of Corporate Fundraising will help you to develop new business relationships and diversify your organisation’s potential income.
In doing so, you have the potential to increase your organisation’s financial sustainability, aiding you in meeting your organisation’s objectives.
Westmorland & Furness Council Support Worker Course
Enrolment Tues 27 Feb. Course 4-12 March, Kendal. Free course to help you get in to employment at Westmorland and Furness Council. Guaranteed interviews with the Council on completion of course.
Click on the thumbnail image for more information.
Vision for Volunteering online conferences
Throughout January and February 2024, the Vision for Volunteering team will be hosting online conference on each of the Vision themes individually.
Come along to these free events to learn and discuss: examples and case studies of best practice, how the themes affect you in your sector or community, what the barriers are to improving volunteering and how we can overcome those barriers.
Find out more and book your place here
Going Green conference
Thursday 21 March 2024, online. This conference is for anyone interested in making their charity more environmentally friendly. It has been designed with both larger and smaller charities in mind and will include useful information for those just starting out on their green journey as well as those looking for more advanced ideas on improving their sustainability.
The conference will be especially relevant to:
- Charity leaders and senior decision-makers
- Those in charge of charity operations (HR, Operations Directors, etc.)
- Those in charge of charity reporting (finance, accounting, impact)
- Charity trustees
NAVCA Annual Conference 2024: The Future of Local Infrastructure
16 May 2024, Birmingham. We’re pleased to announce that tickets for the NAVCA Annual Conference 2024 are now on sale.
We know how important it is for our members to be not only sustainable but innovative, developing new ideas and leading positive change in their local voluntary sectors. That’s why our Annual Conference 2024 explores forward-thinking themes, linked to what our members do on a day-to-day basis. From engaging meaningfully with young people in volunteering, to what political parties and government need to know about local infrastructure, we’re looking forward to a day that will leave members feeling equipped and inspired to take action.
Hybrid Working – Discounted training sessions
To celebrate five years of business, Manage Remote Teams are offering a 90% discount on training sessions to help organisations get the most out of hybrid working.
Live training is available for managers and employees on how to become exceptional hybrid employers. The offer includes six online training sessions for managers and employees with a number of sessions available from February 2024.
Kendal Library courses
Click on the links below to view details of free training course beginning at Kendal Library during January and February 2024:
Entry 3 Award in Mental Health & Well-Being
Functional Skills Maths Level 1
Functional Skills Maths Level 2
New ESOL Class – Starting in January 2024
National Youth Agency Roadshow
Wednesday 6 March, 2024, Preston. We invite the youth sector and other interested professionals to hear updates from the sector and to discuss future challenges and aims.
This year, the Roadshows will focus on the updated guidance for local authorities on the statutory duty for youth services and explore how local youth offers currently meet this duty. We will have an afternoon of updates and discussion on where the sector is at and what direction NYA should prioritise going forwards to ensure we’re guided by the sector.
Please share these events and sign up to attend – more detail can be found on the Eventbrite pages.
Get Grants free introduction workshops
Get Grants are continuing our monthly FREE Introduction Workshops during 2024. Each workshop will be a taster session of one of our training courses led by our fantastic expert trainers themselves and will focus on a different topic of Fundraising.
Introduction to Trusts and Foundations Fundraising Workshop – Monday 5 February 2024, online
Bid Writing For Charities and Community Groups
Wednesday 7 February & Wednesday 14 February 2024, online. Our Online Bid Writing Course will give you pragmatic support that will improve your ratio of success and motivate you to write further grant applications and proposals with greater confidence.
Our course will give you access to our Fundraising expert’s extensive knowledge and advice and is equally useful for novices and people with all levels of experience in fundraising. It will help you increase your organisation income through fundraising and materialise those much-needed projects.
Core Costs Masterclass
Thursday 21 March 2024, online. The sector is crying out for core costs funding. Fundraisers consistently tell us that core costs are one of their greatest fundraising challenges. Despite increasing pressure, many fundraisers don’t feel as confident applying to grant funders for core costs and funders’ definitions and willingness to fund core costs can be unclear and vary wildly.
Our Core Costs MASTERCLASS invites you to put everything you know and feel about core costs aside and join us to explore a practical approach to core costs grant fundraising that you can confidently put into practice.
Cost of Living Fundraising Masterclass
Thursday 29 February 2024, online. Fundraisers are required to navigate a challenging economic environment. It can often feel like a battle to raise vital funds for our cause and support our communities. The cost-of-living crisis continues to impact all of us as fundraisers, our organisations, and our beneficiaries and wider communities – particularly those with limited resources.
We have heard of fundraisers facing intense pressure, stress, and financial challenges, and how some organisations are at risk of closure. When times are hard, it is important to focus on the essentials. This Masterclass will explore how you can make more strategic decisions within your fundraising, minimise your outgoings, and understand the behaviours and decisions crucial to maintaining (and growing) your organisational income.
5 AI Tools for Fundraisers Masterclass
Tuesday 6 February 2024, online. We have seen a massive interest in AI (Artificial Intelligence) amongst our community of fundraisers. More and more of us are looking to use AI to benefit our fundraising, save time and make our fundraising processes easier. By popular demand, we are continuing our series of AI Masterclasses! In our first AI for Fundraisers Masterclass we looked at ChatGPT and Google Bard as two AI tools, but there are many other AI tools fundraisers can use to make their donor communications more efficient and effective.
Join us to discover the 5 AI tools every fundraiser should know about, helping demystify AI in fundraising, build your confidence, and learn to use a range of AI tools to maximise your fundraising success!
Meet the Funder Events
Dates through until February ’24. There has never been a greater need for fundraisers to get-together and share knowledge and experience. Get Grants FREE Virtual Events bring fundraisers across the UK together to share experiences and connect with other fundraisers.
In our popular Meet the Funder Virtual Events, Get Grants Funding Experts are joined by funders to talk about their funding programmes. These events give attendees the opportunity to speak directly to funders, take part in discussions, get unique insights, and ask questions specific to their project or organisation.
VCFSE News and Information
Cumberland Council Newsletter
View the Cumberland Council newsletter from 18/02/24 here, including:
- Have your say on our family wellbeing services
- Budget proposals agreed to deliver on council priorities
- Make a difference by joining the Cumberland Council volunteers
Westmorland and Furness Council Newsletter
View the Westmorland and Furness Council newsletter from 16/02/24 here, including:
- Council joins forces with partners to revitalise Cumbrian bus services
- Westmorland and Furness 2nd Family Hub is now open!
- Join a growing network of people offering care and support
How to write an environmental policy
Explore the basics behind creating a great environmental policy for charities in order to boost their climate action efforts and prioritise sustainability.
What is emissions reporting?
In Europe, Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is in force. But what does that mean for your charity? How can you ensure you are taking steps to report emissions?
The Charity Awards 2024: Entries close shortly
Entries for the 2024 Charity Awards close on 29 February, so please take a moment to think about your most successful activities or projects and the boost it would give your team to win at the Charity Awards.
The Charity Awards are a highlight of the sector calendar, a brilliant opportunity to celebrate the fantastic work undertaken by charities the length and breadth of the UK and to recognise those who make that work happen.
‘Huge concern for our sector’ – charity bodies react as UK falls into recession
Charity sector bodies have responded to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) announcement recently that the UK officially entered recession at the end of last year.
The ONS estimated that the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) fell by 0.3% in the last quarter of 2023 (October to December) following an unrevised fall of 0.1% in the previous three months.
Over-50s intern pilot scheme set for second stage
Last year, NCVO launched a six-month pilot scheme, encouraging people over the age of 50 to enter the charity workforce for the first time. The scheme aimed to “highlight the positive impact of transferrable skills from the private or public sector to the voluntary sector”.
Following the successful appointment of six employees within major UK charities, the Charity Interns project now hopes to become a standalone organisation and plans to roll out the programme with a larger cohort in the autumn.
Going Green: embracing environmental sustainability
Former VONNE CEO, Carol Botten, recently took part in the Charity Matters podcast to talk about embracing environmental sustainability within your organisation.
Chatting with the podcast hosts, Muckle LLP and Zoe Hull, Director of Development and Strategic Partnerships at Northern Stage, Carol talked about the challenges and opportunities available to charities to reduce environmental impact through direct work and internal administrative systems.
CEO and chair put own money into charity after bank closure
A chair and chief executive of a local charity have put in more than £40,000 of their own money after the organisation’s bank account was suspended.
The Cumbria Deaf Association’s account was shut by Barclays in October 2023 over a disagreement about paperwork for the banking mandate, the charity said.
Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Energy Efficiency Scheme
The £25.5m VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme is now open to help VCSE organisations in England improve their energy efficiency. The VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme will have 2 elements:
- Eligible organisations can apply for the cost and delivery of an independent energy assessment. This will help identify how to reduce bills through measures such as improving or installing new energy features in the building, or changing how energy is used. These assessments will be useful to organisations whether or not they apply for the second element. Applications remain open until August 2024.
- Organisations with an energy assessment may then be eligible to apply for a capital grant to install the recommended energy efficiency measures in their premises. This part of the scheme will also run until August 2024.
Cumberland Council Newsletter
View the Cumberland Council newsletter from 11/02/24 here, including:
- GDF Community Investment funding
- Have your say on our care and support services
- Community invited to help plan future investment
Westmorland and Furness Council Newsletter
View the Westmorland and Furness Council newsletter from 09/02/24 here, including:
- Westmorland and Furness 2nd Family Hub to open in Dalton
- Communities celebrate as heritage projects awarded £50,000
- Council supporting project to reduce loneliness and increase volunteering in Barrow
How to Guide: Next steps in fundraising
Take the next steps in your career as a fundraiser with the How to Guide series produced by Civil Society Media and Fundraising Magazine. The first guide in the series has been designed to give you a broad overview of some of the key income channels used in the sector.
With 61 pages of insight, case studies and practical exercises, it is ideal if you are starting your career in fundraising or working for a smaller charity with limited resources.
How to review your risk policy
Learn the basics of risk and mitigation, and how to implement an effective risk policy.
How cyber certification is empowering charities
Explore how cyber certification is supporting charities in keeping their cyber security up to date and reassure funders.
‘He really knows the guts of the Commission’ – sector reacts as regulator appoints CEO
The Charity Commission has appointed David Holdsworth as its next chief executive and sector bodies have welcomed his appointment.
He will take over as chief executive of the regulator from Helen Stephenson, whose term comes to an end this summer.
The top social media trends for 2024
A look at the social media trends set to define 2024, including the growing popularity of short-form content, the rise of eco-conscious users, the inevitability of artificial intelligence, and so much more.
Cumberland Council Newsletter
View the Cumberland Council newsletter from 04/02/24 here, including:
- Call-out for co-opted panel members
- Have your say on our children and family services
- Cumberland Economic Summit
Westmorland and Furness Council Newsletter
View the Westmorland and Furness Council newsletter from 02/02/24 here, including:
- Council supports project to tackle poverty in South Lakeland
- Have your say on our draft Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy
- Find your nearest Warm Spot
Westmorland & Furness Household Support Fund
To help residents in the Westmorland & Furness Council area who are facing significant hardship, until 28 March Cumbria Action for Sustainability are able to offer extra support including free fuel vouchers, energy efficient appliances and draughtproofing.
Call-out for co-opted panel members
Do you know someone who would like to help shape their community? Are you that person?
Some of Cumberland Council’s Community Panels are looking for co-optees. These are unelected people appointed to improve decision-making and add to the skills and knowledge available in the panel.
How to use ChatGPT to help your non-profit meet its goals
This online article from Catalyst will help you to use ChatGPT to carry out everyday work tasks quickly and more efficiently.
With useful prompts on how to use the AI tool to research, create content and other tasks, Catalyst have also provided a comparison of the free and paid version of ChatGPT.
Support to Address Barriers to Accessing Education and Training
Funding is available via Westmorland and Furness Council for projects which fill gaps in local skills provision to help people to progress in work.
Full details including further information on scope, criteria and requirements plus details of how to submit an application are available on the Council’s website under E37: Support to Address Barriers to Accessing Education and Training.
Video: Social media guidance for charities
In the year of the general election, charities will be gearing up to use social media to campaign for their cause – but what should they avoid posting?
Recently published guidance by the Charity Commission states that charities are responsible for ensuring any campaigning is in line with its rules on political activity.
British public split on charities using AI, survey finds
Members of the British public have mixed views toward charities using artificial intelligence (AI), according to a new report.
Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) asked 1,031 people in the UK, nationally representative by age, gender and region, on their views on charities using AI
King Charles voices support for second Big Help Out
King Charles has voiced his support for this year’s Big Help Out (BHO), set to take place over three days from 7 to 9 June.
Some 7.2 million people took part in last year’s volunteer event, organisers estimate. The BHO will take place at the end of Volunteers’ Week, and is including a weekday for the first time in order to give schools and workplaces the chance to get involved.
Charity bodies call on Hunt to act after ‘no improvement’ since autumn statement
There has been “little or no improvement” to the operating environment of charities since last year’s autumn statement, a coalition of charity umbrella bodies has told the chancellor.
The Civil Society Group urged Jeremy Hunt to take action to alleviate the “challenging financial environment in which the voluntary sector continues to operate”.
Cumberland Council Newsletter
View the Cumberland Council newsletter from 28/01/24 here, including:
- Have your say on our family wellbeing services
- Community investments
- Families set to benefit from first Family Hub
Westmorland and Furness Council Newsletter
View the Westmorland and Furness Council newsletter from 26/01/24 here, including:
- Communities thanked for storm support
- Council shows further commitment to tackling climate change
- Find your nearest Warm Spot
Free toolkit published to help charities think ‘more systemically’
Charities need to better understand the connections between the causes of structural problems, according to a think tank.
New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) has published a systems practice toolkit with eight tools for charities to think more systemically.
NCIC NHS Trust Strategy
The final draft of the new Trust strategy – one team delivering outstanding connected care – has been published. The strategy was agreed at Trust board earlier this month and has been developed taking into account previous feedback.
To help us achieve our ambition, we have developed four strategic objectives focused on our patients, people, partners and pounds (financial and environmental sustainability). This will be underpinned by a number of supporting aims and delivered through three-phases which will help improve, integrate and grow care.
Feedback on the document can be submitted to: strategy@ncic.nhs.uk
Westmorland and Furness Council’s Community Fund
Westmorland and Furness Council’s Community Development Teams manage a range of funds that are used to invest in communities to bring about a positive and lasting change for the benefit of the whole community. We welcome applications from locally based voluntary and not for profit groups involved in community projects or initiatives.
Previous applicants have included village halls, play groups, community centres, environmental groups, residents and tenants associations, parish councils, local history groups, sports groups, youth groups and many others. Funding is available for projects that demonstrate lasting community benefit.
Find out more in this document
Surveys, Research, Feedback and Reports
Tell Healthwatch about visiting the dentist
People have been telling us about challenges they face getting NHS dentistry. As a result Healthwatch Westmorland and Furness is working with the NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) in the North East and North Cumbria to better understand people’s experiences of dentistry in 2023.
We need your views and feedback to help shape future services, including planning the next phase of the NHS’s dental recovery plan in the region. So if you live in Eden, or receive dental care there, and have recent experiences with using or trying to access dental services, then please share your experiences with us.
Find out more in this document
Charities trailing other sectors on employee benefits, say researchers
Charities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are among the worst industries when it comes to offering an attractive employee benefits package, according to new research.
The Employee Benefits Index gave the non-profit and NGO sector an index score of 85 out of 2,000, making it one of the industries offering the fewest additional perks to prospective employees.
How should charities present their financial information to the public
How charities spend their money remains a key concern for current and potential donors. In this report, nfp Research examine how a selected sample of UK charities present their key financial information to the general public, exploring both the content and form of this information.
The report is free to download and highlights that charities are working hard to demonstrate how much they are achieving through the income they raise and how efficiently this is being done.
Councils face funding gaps of £3.4 billion with one fifth ‘unlikely’ to balance a budget in the next year
The final local government finance settlement has now been confirmed for 2024 – 2025 with an increase of £4.5Bn giving a total budget of £64.7Bn.
However, councils are facing funding gaps of £2.4Bn in 2023/24 and at least £1Bn in 2024/25. These gaps relate solely to the funding needed to maintain services at their current levels. The government has asked local authorities to continue to consider how they can use their reserves to maintain services.
NAVCA have published a full briefing which you can read here. They are engaging DLUHC and DCMS and have put to Government that the VCS has a key role to offer leadership, support people, and make connections between communities and statutory services.
They are keen to understand what’s happening locally, and are asking as many organisations as possible to share their thoughts in this short online survey.
Commission stresses independence as regulators’ appointments concerns raised
The Charity Commission has emphasised its independence from government in response to a new report, which raises concerns over the appointments of regulatory leaders.
Published recently, the Industry and Regulators Committee’s report says that the appointments of regulatory leaders are sometimes hampered by political interference, undermining the independence of regulators.
Artificial intelligence could threaten fundraising jobs, report warns
Fundraising jobs could be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI), according to the findings of a newly published report.
Artificial intelligence and fundraising ethics, produced by Rogare, explores the ethical issues involved in using the technology in the fundraising profession.
Takeovers dominate as charity mergers fall to record low, says report
Charity mergers dropped to a record low last year, according to a new report, with takeovers increasing.
In the year to April 2023, there were 48 mergers overall between 96 organisations, 6% fewer than the previous year and 37% down on 2020-21, according to Eastside People’s Good Merger Index (GMI) 2022-23.
Report finds ‘mismatch’ between charitable giving and areas of greatest need
There are fewer and smaller donations to local charities in the most deprived regions of the UK, according to new research.
The report by think tank Centre for Cities says that there is a higher density of charities in the more affluent south of England compared to regions with greater need.
Charity leaders predict significant fundraising challenge due to cash-strapped supporters
Charity leaders have predicted they will face a “significant challenge” fundraising this year due to supporters having less money to donate.
Most respondents (52%) to a survey of 202 decision makers at charities named the cost-of-living crisis as a significant challenge for fundraising in 2024, with 37% describing it as a “slight” challenge.
Environmental charities make progress on EDI but more action still needed, says report
Environmental charities have made some progress on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) but still need to do more to improve the racial and ethnic diversity of their workforce, according to new research.
The second instalment of the RACE Report, published recently by the RACE Report Campaign, finds that 6% of employees working in these charities identify as people of colour (POC) and other racially or ethnically minoritised groups.
Charity Banking Survey 2024 opens
Charity Finance magazine’s annual Charity Banking Survey is now open and they would be grateful for your participation. The Charity Banking Survey uncovers the state of play in the charity banking market and helps you benchmark your banking services against those received by other organisations.
In return for their time, all respondents will receive a copy of the final report and one lucky person will also win a £100 John Lewis voucher.
Find out more and take part here
UK has a ‘squeamish’ approach to philanthropy, says Lucy Frazer
The UK has a “squeamish” attitude to philanthropy, the culture secretary has said at the launch of a report that says donors are being put off by “harsh media attacks”.
Lucy Frazer was speaking at the launch of Giving Back Better: Unlocking the potential of philanthropy in the UK, which claims that charities are losing out on £3.4bn a year due to the “wealthiest in society not pulling their charitable weight”.
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.
