Useful Information – January 2024
January 2, 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 January. Please check back regularly. (Last update: 29/01/24 – 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 December ’23.
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
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
Carbon Literacy Courses
If your new years resolution is to get clued up on the latest climate science and the actions you can take in your home and business to reduce your carbon footprint, then look no further than Cumbria Action for Sustainability’s award winning Climate & Carbon Literacy courses.
Spread over two half days, the next couple on the calendar are:
22 & 29 February, for businesses in the Westmorland & Furness area, or
7 & 14 March, our next public course for anyone interested in climate change.
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!
Running Good Board Meetings
Wednesday 24 January, online. This free webinar from NCVO will share practical tips for effective board meetings. Explore how to navigate the conversations, practicalities and legalities of trustee meetings.
Good governance is essential for any voluntary organisation. It ensures the supervision, accountability, and overall direction of your organisation remain consistent. Regular and effective board meetings are key to good governance. In this webinar NCVO will share clear, practical steps to help you make the most of your board meetings and share tips and advice for meeting your legal and governance responsibilities.
Why words matter: a new way to speak about climate change
Wednesday 24 January, online. How can we make the topic of climate change more approachable and less daunting?
Join ACT Climate Labs for this online event, ideal for campaigners, comms teams at NGOs and charities, and marketing or advertising professionals in sustainable industries.
Webinar: Digital fundraising trends for 2024
25 January 2024. In this webinar, Charity Digital explore the core trends for digital fundraising in 2024 and highlight the best ways for charities to stay ahead of the curve.
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.
Introduction to Age-friendly Communities webinar
24 January. Centre for Ageing Better are hosting an Introduction to Age-friendly Communities webinar, which will provide an overview of the Age-friendly Communities framework as well as some examples of good practice from across the UK.
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
Funds Online webinar
Wednesday 17 January. Whether you are a new subscriber to Funds Online or a seasoned veteran, join DSC’s Funds Online expert George Knight for a 30 minute webinar exploring some tips and tricks to help get you access to the funding you need today.
The session will explore everything from completing a basic search to saving funds and search results. George will show you how to get Funds Online working for you, almost as if you had an additional fundraiser working in your team!
Understanding Safeguarding for Voluntary and Community Organisations
Tuesday 16 January, online. This session from Durham Community Action is aimed at volunteer-led organisations and community groups.
It will cover the importance of having a safeguarding policy, understanding your responsibilities for safeguarding within your organisation and what to include in your safeguarding policy.
Marketing and Accessibility
Thursday 11 January, online. Accessibility For All are hosting this free webinar.
This webinar will explore how to make marketing strategies more inclusive online.
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.
Demystifying health and wellbeing research and evaluation: Free introductory workshop
Tuesday 30 January 2024, Online. VONNE, Cumbria CVS and the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) will be providing a free introductory workshop focused on health and wellbeing research and evaluation; what it is, why it’s important and the main approaches used in practice.
This session will aim to help you:
- Understand what research and evaluation are, including their key differences.
- Reflect on the role of the VCSE sector in research and evaluation.
- Understand how to frame a research or evaluation question and what data is needed to answer it.
- Consider how research and evaluation might be used in your own organisation.
- Understand funding routes to support research and evaluation.
- Build awareness of the local research landscape and sources of support.
What is the Climate Crisis and how will it impact us?
17th January 2024, online. Join this webinar to expand your understanding of the climate crisis and how it impacts organisations. Going Green Together will be joined by carbon reporting consultants, SmartCarbon to gain a deeper understanding of the science behind the climate emergency, and what responsibilities we have in order to tackle the crisis.
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 Major Donor Fundraising Workshop – Tuesday 30 January 2024, online
Introduction to Trusts and Foundations Fundraising Workshop – Monday 5 February 2024, online
Virtual Fundraiser Networking
Thursday 25 January, online. These friendly sessions involve a Get Grants Expert providing an update on the current grant fundraising landscape, before facilitating discussions about how the grant fundraising world continues to change, and what opportunities and challenges this presents to you as fundraisers.
Storytelling for Fundraising
Tuesday 23 January & Tuesday 30 January 2024, online. This course is designed to support fundraisers to improve their confidence and success through effective use of storytelling. Telling stories is a powerful tool that is too often overlooked. Stories are used to engage, inform, persuade, and create connections between people. As a fundraiser, storytelling is a valuable skill that can be used to influence your potential supporters and maximise on your fundraising efforts.
Storytelling skills bring to life your fundraising activities across the communications of your organisation. In this course, you will develop a key skill that will benefit the success of grant fundraising, corporate partnerships, crowdfunding, major donors, legacies, and many more!
Developing a Fundraising Strategy
Tuesday 9 January & Tuesday 16 January 2024, online. Across the sector, fundraisers and charity leaders are working to ensure their organisations put themselves in the best possible position to meet the future needs of their beneficiaries. Having diverse income sources that works for you is an essential part of making your organisation stronger, more sustainable, and more resilient.
In response to demand from the sector, Get Grants Online Developing a Fundraising Strategy Training Course has been created to give fundraisers the practical skills and knowledge to develop an effective fundraising strategy and increase their organisation’s income and sustainability.
Bid Writing For Charities and Community Groups
Wednesday 7 February & Wednesday 14 February2024, 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!
Case For Support Masterclass
Thursday 18 January, online. As demands on Fundraisers increase, we need our fundraising tools and processes to be as effective, efficient, and simple as possible. We regularly hear that having a comprehensive Case for Support is important. This is a key document that acts as your ‘bible’ supporting all your fundraising applications and communications. However, it’s not always clear what goes into making one and how we should be using them.
This Masterclass will demystify why having a case for support is important, how to put one together, and how you can confidently put it into practice across different areas of fundraising.
Responding Well – Domestic Abuse Training
Dates and locations in January. Cumberland Council and Westmorland & Furness Council, in partnership with SafeLives, are offering the training opportunity to complete ‘Responding Well’ Domestic Abuse Training.
SafeLives are a UK-wide charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse, for everyone and for good. They are independent, practical and evidence-led, with survivor voice at the heart of our thinking. They work with organisations across the UK to transform the response to domestic abuse. This face-to-face training is free to all professionals and the sessions will last a full day.
See the attached poster for more information
An introduction to skills for collaboration
Dates in January, online. A free event for voluntary and community organisations.
Would you like to know more about how to create relationships that foster collaboration? To collaborate well requires building relationships, finding ways to overcome challenges, and creating productive ways of working together, whether this is bringing together teams from across an organisation or building relationships with other agencies or partners.
Find out more in the attached leaflet
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
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) toolkits to use locally
UKHSA’s winter communications toolkit aims to support stakeholders with messages to help protect people’s health this winter. It contains background information, health and behaviour advice, social media assets and suggested copy, links to data and other useful information. The toolkit covers a range of issues relevant to this winter: flu, COVID-19, RSV, diarrhoea and vomiting including norovirus, scarlet fever, measles and seasonal weather resources.
UKHSA’s cold weather communications toolkit supports the Adverse Weather and Health Plan (AWHP) and the updated Cold-Health Alerting (CHA) service. The communication material in this toolkit relates specifically to cold weather and is intended to provide basic health information that can be communicated during cold spells so that the right messages reach the right people at the right time.
Measles spreads very easily among those who are unvaccinated and is particularly easy to catch in environments when in close contact with others, especially in nurseries and schools. Measles can be a very unpleasant illness and in some children it can be very serious and lead to hospitalisation – and in rare cases tragically can cause death. UKHSA has produced a communications toolkit to support stakeholders with messages to help protect people from measles.
Open University research opportunity
The Open Societal Challenges Programme at The Open University (OU) is a research initiative that aims to tackle some of the most important challenges of our time through impact-driven research. The Programme’s focus on the themes of Tackling Inequalities, Living Well, and Sustainability aligns with our mission to be open to people, places, methods, and ideas.
UK Charities can submit their ‘challenges’ to the competition. Winning Challenges will be assigned to an OU Research Team to take on the research idea and will receive a baseline of £25,000 in research funding as Open Societal Challenges.
Click here for more information
Cost of Living Payments – toolkit with messages to share locally
Please see the updated Cost of Living Stakeholder toolkit to help you communicate the upcoming payment to the people you support. The toolkit includes information about the eligibility criteria, details about how and when payments will be made and a range of materials for your organisations to use to ensure people have access to the right information.
Westmorland and Furness Council Newsletter: Cumbria readies itself for Storm Jocelyn in wake of Storm Isha
View the Westmorland and Furness Council newsletter from 23/01/23 here, including:
- How to report issues
- If you need help for yourself or someone vulnerable
Sarah Vibert: Where is the relationship now between Labour and civil society?
NCVO’s chief executive reflects on Keir Starmer’s speech this week including a pledge to reset the relationship between government and charities…
Charities warned ‘elitism’ contributing to workforce issues
The charity sector can be “elitist” and that can contribute to workforce issues, delegates heard at an event this week.
Woosh Raza, director of people, culture and inclusion at NCVO was speaking at a Westminster Social Policy Forum keynote seminar.
Sign up for MyNCSC
MyNCSC is a free digital service, provided by the National Cyber Security Centre, which aims to enhance your charity’s cyber security approach. While each service can be used independently, the best results are achieved when they are used holistically.
This is a free service for UK Registered Charities, enabling organisations to access various ACD services such as Mail Check and Web Check.
Charities welcome Starmer plans for sector partnership and ‘society of service’
Keir Starmer has pledged to “reset” the relationship between government and charities, if his party is elected, and announced his vision for a “society of service”.
The leader of the opposition told a roomful of charity representatives this week that “for too long, your voice has been ignored”.
How to help staff beat the January blues
A look at how charities can beat the January blues and keep staff engaged in the workplace.
How to wind up a charity
There are plenty of reasons why a charity closes. Charity Digital offer some advice to help make the process of winding up a charity as smooth as possible.
Tea and Play Tuesdays
Outside In, Kendal, re offering a hot meal and drink for a child along with 90mins play for £5.
Click on the the thumbnail image for more information.
Cumberland Council Newsletter
View the Cumberland Council newsletter from 20/01/24 here, including:
- Storm Isha – advice for residents
- Warm Spots
- Community investment in Border, Fellside and North Carlisle
Westmorland and Furness Council Newsletter
View the Westmorland and Furness Council newsletter from 19/01/23 here, including:
- Storm Isha – please stay safe!
- Communities set to vote on neighbourhood plan
- Find your nearest Warm Spot
One in four people employed in charity sector now disabled, government estimates
The proportion of workers in the charity sector who are disabled has increased to one in four, according to government statistics.
According to estimated figures from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), disabled people made up 24.9% of the civil society workforce in the year to June 2023, up from 21.9% the year before and compared to 16.9% for all UK sectors.
Westmorland & Furness Green Enterprise Hub
The Westmorland and Furness Green Enterprise Hub is a dynamic initiative dedicated to supporting local organisations on their journey towards decarbonisation and sustainability.
This hub offers tailored expert advice, training and events, grants, and a vibrant network of partners and collaborators, for small and medium-sized businesses and social enterprises.
London Marathon opens up virtual fundraising event to all charities
London Marathon Events (LME) has invited all UK charities to recruit participants for its redesigned virtual fundraising event.
LME launched its virtual event, TCS London Marathon MyWay, in 2020 but is allowing people who take part in it to fundraise for any UK charity for the first time this year.
Culture wars impacting ‘very acutely’ on many charities, Commission CEO says
The outgoing chief executive of the Charity Commission has said the “culture wars” have affected many charities “acutely”.
Speaking at ICAEW’s annual charity conference, Helen Stephenson said one of the trends she had noticed during her tenure was an increasing “pace of change”, driven by technological developments and changing attitudes.
Free energy saving advice from Cold to Cosy Homes
Free energy saving advice and equipment to help you make your home warmer, more comfortable, and cheaper to heat. Get a free telephone advice call or home visit from a qualified adviser.
Find out more in the attached leaflet
The best places to find volunteers in 2024
Find out what could be preventing you from finding volunteers and where you can post volunteer opportunities.
Power of Purpose (POP) Project
Funded by Break the Mould, POP is a young person’s social activities programme designed with the focus to empower youth in discovering their purpose. Through a series of engaging and enriching activities, iCan Wellbeing aim to provide them with opportunities for personal growth, skill development, and the cultivation of a strong sense of purpose.
Click on the the thumbnail images for more information of starting dates and a job vacancy for POP Project.
Help spread the word this winter
As we are all very much aware, the winter months are a challenging time for the NHS and we often see much higher demand on services. Westmorland and Furness Council have been working with communication colleagues in neighbouring hospital trusts and the ICB across Lancashire and South Cumbria to develop a number of messages that can help people manage their health better and use NHS services more effectively.
You will find on the ‘Help spread the word’ webpage key messages, along with useful resource packs containing social media posts, website and newsletter copy, and videos. All toolkits and digital slides that have been produced so far are also downloadable by partners from ‘Help spread the word’ webpage.
Women’s Health Conference outcomes – and save the date for the 2024 event
The North East and North Cumbria Women’s Health Programme has shared the outcomes of the inaugural Integrated Care System and Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) conference, which was held in October 2023. Read the evaluation report and slide pack which summarises the output of the workshops.
There will be a further Women’s Health Conference on Thursday, 11 July 2024. This will be followed by The Great North Pharmacy Research Conference for Women’s Health, on Friday, 12 July.
WorkWell vanguard pilot scheme
The government’s newly announced Back to Work Plan has been created to help up to 1,100,000 people with long-term health conditions, disabilities or long-term unemployment to look for and stay in work.
The Department of Health and Social Care and Department for Work and Pensions are currently inviting applications from Integrated Care Systems to become one of 15 vanguards to design and deliver WorkWell pilot schemes. The North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) is leading a cross-sector bid for our region.
Charities failing to read marketing opt-out requests on the rise, regulator reports
The number of charities not accessing requests to suppress people on their marketing databases has almost doubled in five months, according to the Fundraising Regulator.
In August 2023, the regulator reported that 35 requests had not been read by 22 charities.
National Fundraising Awards
With less than two weeks until nominations close for the 2024 National Fundraising Awards, now is the time to get your nominations in to recognise and celebrate amazing fundraisers who make the world a better place!
There are so many reasons to nominate either yourself, your charity, your team or a friend. Start the New Year off by taking a moment to nominate someone and recognise their positive impact.
Cumberland Council Newsletter
View the Cumberland Council newsletter from 14/01/24 here, including:
- Cold weather health alert
- Find a warm spot near you
- Investing in our communities
Westmorland and Furness Council Newsletter
View the Westmorland and Furness Council newsletter from 12/01/23 here, including:
- ONE WEEK left to have your say on our budget proposals
- Community urged to help shape neighbourhood plan before vote
- Find your nearest “Warm Spot”
The Charity Awards 2024: Enter now
Entries accepted until the end of February. Visit the website to learn more about the awards programme and to get your application underway.
Applications from charities large and small are welcomed, and the structure of the awards categories ensures that any project or activity can be considered – from a board diversity initiative to a public affairs campaign, the launch of a new service or the scaling up of a proven intervention.
How can charities make a rebrand successful?
Many charities choose to rebrand, change logos and develop new messaging and websites. Civil Society explores how charities go about this.
What is the creator economy?
An explanation of the evolution of the creator economy and how charities can get involved.
Cold-Health Alert issued for the North West
View Cumberland Council’s Cold-Health Alert newsletter from 8 January here, including:
- Keep warm
- Stay active and stay in touch
- Support available if you are at risk of homelessness
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.
Westmorland and Furness Council Newsletter
View the Westmorland and Furness Council newsletter from 05/01/23 here, including:
- Cold-Health Alert has been issued in the North West
- Council takes over management of much-loved community venue
- Find your nearest “Warm Spot”
Charity registrations increase after hitting 33-year-low
Charity registrations in England and Wales have increased after dipping to a 33-year-low, according to Charity Commission data.
The data shows that 4,829 organisations in England and Wales registered as charities in 2023, up from 4,021 in 2022, while the number of charities removed from the register fell from 5,918 to 4,522 in 2023.
Help to Save extended to April 2025
Help to Save – the government savings scheme for low-income earners, which offers a 50% bonus payment worth up to £1,200 over 4 years – has been extended to April 2025, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has confirmed.
More than 359,200 customers have opened savings accounts since its launch in September 2018 and an additional 3 million individuals could still benefit from the savings scheme as a result of the extension. Help to Save is a savings scheme for low-income earners. Savers can deposit between £1 and £50 a month into their account and will receive a government bonus– even if money has been withdrawn.
Find out more and how to apply here
Muckle LLP lines up charity experts to spotlight trending topics in new podcast series
Law firm Muckle LLP is lining up charity experts to feature in its new podcast series, Charity Matters, which is dedicated to exploring the most talked about topics within the charity sector.
The podcast series, hosted by Muckle LLP’s specialist lawyers, delves into crucial subjects and trending topics relevant to the charity sector, covering everything from financial challenges to cryptocurrency donations and sustainability. Listen to the first podcast, ‘Cryptocurrencies and charitable donations: what do charities need to know?‘
Podcast: A rough history of the UK charity sector
Civil Society has published its first ever podcast episode, covering the history of the UK charity sector.
In the episode, news editor Rob Preston and deputy news editor Harriet Whitehead are joined by sector expert Ian Allsop to discuss the origins of charitable activity and the development of the charity sector we have today.
JustGiving reports record £550m raised for UK charities last year
More than £550m was raised for almost 20,000 UK charities through JustGiving last year, according to the fundraising platform.
Some £590m was raised through JustGiving for 23,000 charities in 2022, though this figure included charities outside of the UK and crowdfunding also.
Charity sector figures named in New Year Honours List 2024
Several people across the UK charity sector have been recognised for their achievements and service in the New Year Honours List 2024.
Founder of Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity and the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre, Felicity Ann Dahl was awarded a damehood for services to philanthropy, to literature and to young people.
How to safeguard the people you support
An explanation of what safeguarding is and the procedures and processes charities need to put in place.
Cumberland Council Newsletter
View the Cumberland Council newsletter from 24/12/23 here, including:
- Find a Warm Spot near you
- Have your say on our budget for next year
- Workington panel invests in community
Westmorland and Furness Council Newsletter
View the Westmorland and Furness Council newsletter from 21/12/23 here, including:
- Find your nearest “Warm Spot”
- Share your views with us to help shape our budget
- Council opening hours festive period
Everything you need to know about fundraising
Explore everything you need to know about digital fundraising to help charities drive more income and impact for their organisation.
How to throw a fundraising event
The ultimate guide to putting on a spectacular fundraising event, from the planning and organising stages all the way through to delivery and what to do once it’s over.
Accessibility for All
73% of disabled customers experience barriers on more than 1 in 4 websites they visit. Accessibility for All in a project funded by The Scottish Government’s Workplace Equality Fund. It aims to create awareness and circulate the practice of making workplaces and the internet more inclusive and accessible.
All organisation from the Private, Public and Third Sectors can benefit from a series of free webinars and discounted accessibility audits.
New women’s health hubs
Women in three areas will receive better health services thanks to a £595,000 investment announced by North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB). New health hubs in Sunderland, Gateshead and North Cumbria will enable women to get more of their health needs met at one time, with less need for appointments in different places.
This follows the announcement in March by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) of £25 million as part of the Women’s Health Strategy for England. This funding aims to bring together healthcare professionals and existing services to provide integrated women’s health services in the community, with a focus on reducing inequalities in health.
Government funding for community space defibrillators
Community organisations across England are being invited to bid for a share of £1 million of government funding to buy life-saving defibrillators for their community spaces like town halls, local parks or post offices.
It is estimated that the fund will support provision of 2000 AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators).
SMK National Campaigner Awards now open
The Sheila McKechnie Foundation (SMK) National Campaigner Awards are now open for 2024 applications.
Each year, SMK celebrates the best campaigns and campaigners. Their interest is in finding those who have make change happen most effectively, creatively and courageously. What all nominees have in common is the determination to secure a specific change that will make things better.
Explore the state of Social Enterprise in latest report
Social Enterprise UK have launched their State of Social Enterprise report, their flagship research into the key trends and issues affecting our business movement.
Titled ‘Mission Critical’, the new report shows a growing sector that is not only profitable and productive but truly pioneering. We estimate that there are 131,000 social enterprises across the country, representing almost one in 42 of all UK businesses – and we find they are not only helping people and planet but also boosting our economy, turning over around £78 billion and re-investing £1 billion in profit into their vital missions.
How to safeguard the people you support
Charity Digital explain what safeguarding is and the procedures and processes charities need to put in place.
Cumberland Council Environment and Climate newsletter
You can view Cumberland Council’s Winter Environment and Climate newsletter here.
“In this edition, dive into our exciting trial of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil vehicles, discover top tips, and gear up for winter preparedness. You’ll also find engaging articles from our partners – making this bumper edition a real treat.”
Cumberland Council Newsletter
View the Cumberland Council newsletter from 17/12/23 here, including:
- Have your say on the budget for next year
- Apply now for new Cumberland Council business and community grants
- First investments for Whitehaven and Coastal panel
Westmorland and Furness Council Newsletter
View the Westmorland and Furness Council newsletter from 15/12/23 here, including:
- Westmorland and Furness Council protects frontline services in tough financial times
- Find your nearest “Warm Spot”
- Council to take over management of sports pitches
Cumbria receives a £500k legacy windfall this Christmas
The joy of giving is synonymous with Christmas, but there are gifts that can have an impact long after the festive season has finished, and the decorations are packed away.
Ann Clark made such a gift through her will to grow the Brian and Ann Clark Fund at Cumbria Community Foundation by leaving £500,000 to grow the Brian and Ann Clark Fund to £1.7 million.
Council to be centre of excellence in health research
Cumberland Council is to become a centre of excellence in research into local health-related issues.
The council is one of 11 areas to receive a share of £55m through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) which is investing the money to set up new NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaborations (HDRC) across the country.
NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaborations enable local authorities to become more research-active, embedding a culture of evidence-based decision making in their activities.
How small organisations can take action on climate change
A look at how smaller, more nimble organisations can act quickly on climate change.
The environmental cost of generative A.I.
Find out what your charity needs to know to find a balance between the benefits of generative A.I. systems and the significant costs they impose on the environment.
Surveys, Research, Feedback and Reports
Building Better Opportunities Evaluation: Final Evaluation Report
The final report of the national BBO evaluation has been published on the National Lottery Community Fund website.
Cumbria CVS led the BBO: My Future project run in Barrow & South Lakeland, providing support and working with individuals who faced multiple and complex barriers to employment and who were furthest removed from the labour market. You can read our reports here.
Vast majority of volunteers at major charities report improved wellbeing, says survey
Four in five volunteers at major charities say the activity improves their wellbeing, according to a new survey.
A survey of 28,494 volunteers at 10 major charities found that 80% reported improved wellbeing, while 69% said they had benefited from gaining new skills and knowledge through the training they had received.
Government should listen more to charities, says general public
Most adults in the UK think the government should listen more to charities, according to new research, but many want to see tougher regulation of bad practice in the sector.
A YouGov poll of the public, published this week, found that 59% of adults in the UK think the country would be able to tackle its long-term challenges better if government were to listen more to the nation’s charities.
Charities forced to cut staff and turn beneficiaries away, reports CAF
Some 12% of charities are reducing staff numbers as more are turning people away due to the cost-of-living crisis, according to new research.
In response to a survey by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), 12% of charities reported having to reduce their staff numbers or make redundancies despite an “overwhelming” demand for their services.
CAF urges people to claim Gift Aid relief in Self-Assessment tax returns
Research has found that charities are missing out on as much as £560m a year in Gift Aid due to low donor uptake. Research from the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) showed that only 55% of people who donated to charity in 2023 claimed Gift Aid.
CAF is urging the 12 million people due to complete self-assessment tax returns before 31st January 2024 to make sure they have claimed Gift Aid relief on their donations before submitting their returns.
Over 70% of people say it’s important to feel part of their community
As the UK heads into 2024, new research from The National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF) – the largest community funder in the UK – reveals that people’s sense of community spirit and desire to support others is in good health across all four corners of the UK.
NLCF’s research shows that the majority of people value community spirits and feel part of their community. Supporting people with the rising cost of living was also identified as a top priority, with 50% saying they intend to volunteer in 2024.
VCSE Barometer Survey wave 5 is open
Nottingham Trent University and Pro Bono Economics’ quarterly VCSE Barometer Survey, which is now entering its second year, charts current challenges and issues affecting voluntary and community sector groups and organisations. It is supported by the major UK national VCSE infrastructure organisations and membership bodies. Latest findings are shared every quarter with national, regional and local policy and decision-makers.
Designed to be a quick and easy ‘temperature check’ of the current state of the sector, the survey provides a snapshot of financial health, workforce, volunteering and other key sector issues. This quarter’s special focus is on impacts of operating within the current local authority landscape. Complete the survey anytime until 7 February.
Share your views in the Community Transport Association’s Survey
The Community Transport (CT) sector in England is extensive and diverse. It includes different sizes of organisations, delivering many types of services to help different groups of people all over the country. However, whilst the Community Transport Association (CTA)’s previous research shows the range of organisations delivering Community Transport, they do not have a current and accurate understanding of the size of the sector in England.
The CTA’s Mapping England Survey, supported by the Department for Transport, seeks to bridge this gap and provide a valuable resource for Community Transport organisations, stakeholders, and policymakers.
Click here to complete the survey
Closure of Household Support Fund
The current Household Support Fund closes on 31 March 2024. The government is yet to make a decision on whether the fund will be renewed beyond then. As part of their work to gather evidence to convince central government to continue the fund for another year, the LGA are conducting a short online survey on the level of demand for the fund, the impact of the fund ending on local welfare provision, and how the fund could be improved if it were to be extended.
Whilst the survey is targeted at councils that administer the fund, voluntary and community partners are being encouraged to respond and answer the questions only relevant to them. The survey should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete. The deadline for responses is 5pm on Friday 19 January.
Social prescribing report by NAVCA
Learning from social prescribing is the latest report by NAVCA, looking at how to improve the social prescribing system.
In this report, we make five headline recommendations improving the quality and sustainability of a thriving social prescribing ecosystem:
1. Understand and embed community engagement in the social prescribing model
2. Recognise and fund additional VCSE sector capacity building & strategic engagement
3. Take a whole-system approach to the local social prescribing plan
4. Embed Full Cost Recovery as standard in ARRS contracts
5. Undertake further analysis of the impact of VCSE hosted Link Workers
Click here to download the full report
How to create greater impact with social media in 2024
What are the key steps for charities to smash social media in 2024? In their latest trends report for non-profits, Hootsuite explores how to build an engaged community, be focused, and use artificial intelligence effectively.
Gen X Brits ‘feeling the squeeze’ and delaying legacy pledges, charities warned
Generation X charitable donors in the UK are less likely to have made a will than baby boomers when they were the same age, according to a new study.
Researchers found that those born between 1965 and 1980 were “feeling the squeeze more than their boomer counterparts and are more pessimistic about economic prospects”.
One in seven UK adults plan to volunteer for the first time in 2024, survey says
Some 14% of UK adults plan to volunteer for the first time this year, according to a new survey.
The National Lottery Community Fund’s (NLCF) community research index surveyed over 8,000 respondents across the UK to gather the findings.
AI – Share your opinions, experiences and support needs
CAST has launched a nationwide survey to find out about the social sector’s needs in relation to AI. The anonymous survey should take no more than ten minutes to complete, and they are keen to hear from anyone who works for a charity or other social impact organisation.
The survey closes on the 31st of January, after which the team at CAST will be using the results to formulate some practical support activities, as well as to help influence a wider sector response.
NAVCA: Call for evidence
NAVCA has been commissioned by the Local Government Association (LGA) to develop a Good Practice Guide for local government officers and councillors to better understand the role of Local VCSE Infrastructure Organisations (LIOs) in facilitating relationships between councils and smaller VCSE organisations. The project is intended to build and maximise the impact of these relationships, and ensure councils are working as closely as possible with LIOs to maximise the role of smaller VCSE organisations in both service delivery and community engagement.
If you have any examples of collaborative working between a local council and a local VCSE infrastructure organisation, then they would like to hear from you. This is your chance to share your views on what works, what doesn’t, and why. All information will be anonymised and neither you, your organisation or local area will be named or identified in the final publications.
Healthwatch Cumberland surveys
We are currently running a men’s mental health survey, to question if there is still a stigma around mental health for men in Cumberland. It is open to both men and women to respond.
If you have had any contact with Hospice at Home, we would love to hear your experience. The hospice at home project will help improve their practice moving forward by feedback from those supported, worked with or been involved with the charity.
Healthwatch Cumberland are putting together a work plan for 2024 but we need your help. We have a poll which asks what projects you think we should focus on for next year.
Snow Event: 3-4 December 2023 – Community Debrief Questionnaire
This survey aims to gather feedback from communities in Cumbria that were affected by the heavy snow over the weekend of 3-4 December 2023 (and the impacts of that snow, such as power loss, that lasted into the following week).
The information gathered will be shared with Cumbria’s Local Resilience Forum – the partnership that brings together partners including the Councils and Emergency Services to plan and prepare for emergencies.
Complete the questionnaire here
Westmorland & Furness Council development areas feedback
Cumbria CVS hosted another Meet the Council event with Westmorland and Furness on Monday 11 December 2023, providing third sector organisations and other stakeholders with the opportunity to engage and provide feedback on two current areas of development for the Council:
- WAF approach to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and
- Customer Service.
Although many organisations attended on the day, the Council teams are still keen to hear from other persons/organisations and so a short survey has been established to help provide this opportunity.
Simply click on this link and log your feedback (positive and/or negative)
The survey will close on Friday 5 January 2023 but there will still be other opportunities to feed into these approaches/strategies as highlighted at the meeting.
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.
