Useful information – w/c 01/06/26
June 1, 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: 04/06/26 – 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
Every Life Matters – Training
Every Life Matters offer a range of suicide prevention and mental health training, including Suicide Alertness, Safety Planning, Mental Health First Aid and Mental Health Awareness in the Workplace.
There are dates for sessions from now until December in this leaflet, online and around the county in-person: Cumbria Training 2026
Free film workshops
The Saltways, a video production company specialising in working with charities, are running free workshops for charities.
These workshops are open to anyone involved with a non profit who is interested in creating more effective video content, including fundraisers, communications managers, front-line staff, beneficiaries, and even marathon runners. There are free workshops taking place throughout June and July.
Spaces are limited, so book your place here.
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.
Conflict Management Webinar
Thursday 4th June, Online. SAFE is a programme which shares Community Security Trust’s security knowledge with groups outside the Jewish community that are vulnerable to violence, extremism or hate crime.
This free webinar looks at verbal and non-verbal communication, conflict management styles, how to ‘spot the signs’ as a situation begins to escalate, de-escalation techniques and the legalities around self-defence.
Improve your funding strategy with expert insights
Thursday 4th June, online. Join GrantFinder for a focused 45-minute session exploring practical funding strategies and emerging opportunities in 2026. The session is designed for:
- Local authority teams
- Charity and VCSE leaders
- Anyone looking to strengthen their funding strategy
Join leading experts from the National Lottery, Local Authority and a National Children’s Charity and discover what drives winning bids. You’ll gain practical insights, insider strategies, and a clear view of funding opportunities in 2026.
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.
Energy Market Insights for Charities: Managing Risk & Collective Purchasing
Thursday 11th June, online. In a volatile energy market shaped by ongoing geopolitical uncertainty, charities are under increasing pressure to manage costs effectively while avoiding unnecessary risk.
This free webinar, hosted by Ben Mason, will explore current energy market conditions and provide practical guidance on:
- Understanding recent energy market movements
- Reducing procurement risk in gas and electricity contracts
- The benefits of collective purchasing for charities
- Practical considerations when reviewing energy agreements
This session is particularly relevant for organisations looking to improve financial resilience and make more informed energy purchasing decisions.
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.
Webinar: Turning digital storytelling into real-world support
Thursday 11th June, online. Every charity has a mission, but in today’s digital-first environment, how that mission is communicated online can directly influence trust, visibility, and growth. Charities today must do more than simply exist online. They must effectively communicate, build trust, and adapt to rapidly evolving digital trends.
But among the challenges charities are currently navigating is how to stand out online. With often limited digital expertise internally, and rapidly changing digital tools and emerging trends, organisations are finding it difficult to turn online engagement into tangible support.
This webinar will help simplify these challenges through clear, practical guidance and real-world examples. The session brings together Public Interest Registry, name.com, and charity leaders to explore how nonprofit organisations can strengthen their digital foundations, from domains and websites to storytelling and emerging tools like AI, to better connect with supporters and turn digital presence into meaningful action.
[NEW] Healthy Hearts Roadshow
All are invited to join upcoming community events where you can have your blood pressure checked and get practical advice from the Healthy Hearts Team.
💖 Tuesday 16th June 10.30 – 2pm – Hawcoat Park Sports Club
💖 Wednesday 17th June 10.30 – 2pm – Staveley Fire Station
💖Thursday 18th June 10.30 – 2pm – Holme Village Square
💖Thursday 18th June 10.30- 2pm – Milnthorpe Village Square
💖Thursday 25th June 12 – 4pm – Coniston Sports and Social Club
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.
Community Fundraising Conference 2026
Wednesday 17th June, online. Join Fundraising Everywhere as they explore the reality of community fundraising, volunteers showing up late, supporters with brilliant ideas and unrealistic timelines, and events that work… until they don’t.
This conference is for the fundraisers who keep community fundraising alive, the ones who say yes when they probably should say no, who turn small budgets into big impact, and who know it’s about so much more than the income it generates.
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.
Small Charities Week
Monday 22nd – Monday 29th June. Small Charity Week is a national celebration of the vital role small charities play in communities across the UK.
It shines a light on the organisations creating connection, opportunity and hope where it’s needed most. Whether you are planning an event, sharing your story or looking for ready-to-use resources, help is available to make the most of the week. There’s also a guide on how to get ready.
Developing a Fundraising Strategy
Tuesday 23rd and Wednesday 24th June, online. This popular two day course will walk you through a tried-and-tested framework for developing a fundraising strategy, enabling you to evaluate and prioritise the most valuable fundraising activities for your organisation and make the best use of your limited resources.
You’ll be shown you how to analyse your current fundraising performance, explore future opportunities and challenges, and identify key fundraising audiences – then scope out and prioritise a range of different types of fundraising, identify key building blocks to put in place for long-term success, and accurately forecast the likely financial return.
Digital Exclusion — What It Is & What You Can Do
Wednesday 24th June, Salterbeck. An interactive workshop exploring who is being excluded, why it happens, how it affects people, and what your organisation can do help them.
This free workshop will help you:
- Understand what digital exclusion looks like
- Identify who is affected and why
- Recognise the impact on health, wellbeing and finances
- Explore practical support your organisation can offer
- Learn about local help available, including Digital Champion training
Why it matters:
Digital access is essential for daily life — yet many people in our communities still face significant barriers. This session will help you support them with confidence.
Free networking lunch included.
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.
Reserves Policy Training
Thursday 2nd July, online. Learn how to develop a reserves policy for your charity.
This half-day online course has been designed to help charity finance professionals develop a reserves policy that meets the requirements of the Charity Commission and SORP but which is also focused on financial risk and forms an integral part of the charity’s financial strategy.
Cyber Essentials Training: Mastering the Five Key Controls for Digital Security
Tuesday 7th July, online. This three-hour workshop offers an accessible introduction to Cyber Essentials, a government-backed framework designed to help organisations protect themselves from the most common cyber threats.
It also includes coverage of the 2026 ‘Danzell’ updates, explaining what has changed and what it means in practice for your organisation.
Over two engaging sessions, we’ll break down the scheme’s five critical controls and run a live hack, including reconnaissance and initial access, where you will play a lead role in the operation. By the end of the training, you’ll be equipped with actionable strategies to strengthen your organisation’s digital defences.
The Future of Marketing
Thursday 9th July, online. Join Charity Digital for a dynamic day of insight, inspiration, and informed discussion exploring the evolving world of modern marketing. This online event brings together bold ideas and practical expertise, creating a dynamic space where attendees and sponsors can build meaningful connections and amplify their impact.
It will welcome hundreds of engaged, forward-thinking marketing professionals from across the not-for-profit sector, fostering a vibrant online environment for learning, collaboration, and shared innovation.
New course: Creating an interactive dashboard using Power BI
Tuesday 21st July, online. As brilliant as it is, sometimes Microsoft Excel can’t deliver everything you need when it comes to data analysis, visualisation and publication.
This is where Microsoft’s Power BI steps in, enabling you to take your data analysis to the next level creating and sharing powerful, interactive and secure dashboards which can be shared privately or published and embedded in your website.
➡️ Getting to grips with Power BI’s basic building blocks
➡️ Getting data from Microsoft Excel
➡️ Creating & customising charts and visualisations
➡️ Printing, sharing & publishing reports
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] The latest news about neighbourhoods
MHCLG have announced a new Neighbourhood Guarantee, which will set clear expectations on the level of public services they should expect in their area. This will include things such as cleaner streets, filled-in potholes and other public services, measured using the Local Outcomes Framework platform. Local leaders will be asked to work closely with central government to achieve these.
Community Power Pilots will work in up to 25 places to support councils, community groups and local residents to co-design solutions to local problems, explore longer term models of community involvement in service delivery, and help build neighbourhood and community capacity for the future.
You can read a little more information here. It is as yet unclear how they will relate to existing neighbourhood programmes, or work in practice.
Approved Mileage Rates – AMAP
On 21st May, the government increased the approved mileage rate for employees and volunteers using their personal vehicles for business / volunteering purposes.
For cars and vans, the new rate is 55p for the first 10,000 miles and 25p per mile over that. The rate changes applies for the whole of the 2026-27 tax year and so will apply retrospectively to all miles travelled since 5th April 2026.
More information is available here
EHRC Draft Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations and the Equality Act 2010
The EHRC have published the draft code of practice for the Equality Act 2010, updated following the ruling on sex and gender reassignment by the Supreme Court in April 2025. The code is still in draft form and, once in force, will become statutory guidance to explain how the Equality Act applies in practice. The EHRC have produced a blog explaining more about the changes that relate to sex and gender reassignment here.
It explains the meaning of sex under the law, including for people with a gender recognition certificate, and the protections given to a trans person in law. It also explains more about single-sex services, toilets and asking about a person’s sex, and the limited legitimate circumstances where this could be done. There is also guidance for societies / membership organisations etc. on legally restricting membership to people who share a particular protected characteristic.
Assuming there are no parliamentary objections, the draft code will become statutory guidance around the end of June. The Charity Commission will then publish its own guidance for charities, the timeline for which is currently unknown.
Gov.UK updated guidance: What is a charity trustee?
The UK Government has updated their guidance for the not-for-profit and voluntary organisations.
It is an introduction to the role of a charity trustee, what they do, and the benefits of getting involved, who can become a trustee and getting started.
Guidance published to help not-for-profits overcome barriers to win more contracts
The National Social Value Taskforce has produced guidance that aims to help voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) organisations overcome “structural disadvantage” to win more public contracts.
Published this week, the guidance addresses the roles sector organisations can play as direct suppliers, subcontractors and social value partners.
Developed by the National Social Value Taskforce VCFSE working group, it considers the challenges that restrict VCFSEs’ participation and makes recommendations to improve collaboration, inclusion and accountability in procurement.
How to Create a Plan for Every Major Donor
Veritus Group has partnered with The Civil Society to share a free white paper designed to help you strengthen and grow major donor relationships.
“Creating Strategic Plans and Goals for Every Major Donor” provides a practical framework for developing intentional, donor-centred plans that deepen relationships, align with donor passions, and grow giving over time.
Why this matters: organisations that take a strategic, relationship-led approach consistently see stronger results.
Understanding digital exclusion and homelessness
The key facts charities need to know about homelessness and digital exclusion to ensure services can be accessed by all, in this article from Charity Digital.
Cumberland Council newsletter
You can view Cumberland Council’s newsletter from 29/05/26 here, including:
- Go ahead given for Cumberland Sports Village
- Get involved with the Grand Départ 2027
- Wigton flood report sets out findings and next steps following November 2025 flooding
Westmorland and Furness Council newsletter
You can view Westmorland and Furness Council’s newsletter from 29/05/26 here, including:
- Give a Day to Kendal to start a week of community action
- Drop-in sessions on the future of local care homes
- Home to School Transport application reminder
What should charities look for in a mobile provider in 2026?
Mobile connectivity is an essential part of delivering services and collaboration for charities. Here are the seven things charities need to look for when choosing a mobile provider to make things happen.
EHRC guidance to create ‘uncertainty and concern’ across sector, trans groups warn
New guidance on implementing equality law is “exclusionary” and will create “significant uncertainty and concern” across the charity sector, campaigners against transphobia have warned.
Last month, the government laid the long-awaited Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) draft updated Code of Practice in parliament.
The code provides guidance across all nine protected characteristics and up-to-date examples of how the Equality Act 2010 applies to everyday situations.
Data privacy and fundraising – updated guidance from Fundraising Regulator
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has now published their eagerly anticipated updated guidance on direct electronic marketing, to help ensure charities comply with the new law on charitable purposes soft opt-in.
The introduction of soft opt-in represents an opportunity for charities to strengthen relationships with supporters and potentially facilitate greater fundraising. However, charities must avoid using the new provision in ways that could damage public trust and confidence in charitable fundraising. This guidance from Fundraising Regulator covers the responsible use of charitable purposes soft opt-in.
New employment rights: guidance for businesses and workers
The Employment Rights Act became law in December 2025 and is applicable to all employers, including VCSE sector organisations. Since February 2026, these upgraded employment rights have begun to take effect, with changes being introduced gradually by the Government across 2026 and 2027, giving employers time to prepare and ensuring workers have clear information about their new rights.
Policies within the legislation are designed to help more people stay in work, support productivity and boost living standards, and a toolkit has been created by the Department for Business and Trade to explain the changes being introduced as part of the Government’s plan to Make Work Pay (MWP). Both employers and employees can also find guidance and support on the Employment Changes website, which will be regularly updated with information.
Hot weather communications
To support stakeholders with their hot weather communications this year, the UK Health Security Agency have updated their communications toolkit for 2026. The material in this toolkit is intended to provide basic health information that can be communicated during hot spells so that the right messages reach the right people at the right time. This year, they have included some new messaging on staying safe from direct sun.
The toolkit supports UKHSA’s Adverse Weather and Health Plan (AWHP) and Weather-Health Alerting (WHA) system, which issues Heat-Health Alerts (HHA).
The core alerting season for HHAs starts on Monday 1 June. Individuals and organisations that wish to receive the impact based HHA must register to receive the alerts where users will be able to specify which regions they wish to receive alerts for. The alert status is also publicly available on the UKHSA Data Dashboard.
Concern as figures show fewer charities prioritise cybersecurity
Concern has been expressed over new government figures showing a reduction in the proportion of charities deeming cybersecurity a high priority.
The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology’s cybersecurity breaches survey for 2025-26 shows that cybersecurity was considered a high priority for senior management in six in 10 charities (60%).
This is a “significant decline” from the 68% recorded in 2024-25, and was driven by smaller charities (income of less than £100,000), whose prioritisation fell from 64% to 53%.
Inquiry invites faith charities’ input around children’s safeguarding regulatory loopholes
Faith charities are among the organisations invited to give evidence to a parliamentary inquiry into loopholes in children’s safeguarding regulations relating to religious communities.
MPs from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Safeguarding in Faith Communities have launched the inquiry, established in April, to improve protection for children in faith settings.
A 2025 briefing note published by Christian safeguarding charity Thirtyone:eight, the secretariat to the APPG, warns of “significant” gaps in the current definition of regulated activity – which barred individuals must not do – within faith communities.
Large charities ‘dominate’ public contracts won by sector, government research finds
Government-commissioned research has found that larger charities win most public procurement contracts delivered by the sector, with small and micro organisations “almost entirely absent” from the market.
The UK Data Spine’s figures, published last week, form the first comprehensive register of all 771,000 civil society organisations, including 194,000 charities, in the UK.
Researchers found that, in civil society, public procurement is “dominated by large and major organisations”.
The Status of UK Fundraising 2026 is here!
The Status of UK Fundraising 2026 has just launched – offering one of the clearest, most current views of how charities across the UK are navigating today’s challenges and opportunities.
Drawing on insights from hundreds of sector professionals, the ninth edition of the report captures a moment of real momentum, with organisations adapting, innovating, and finding new ways to drive giving.
Whether you’re looking for a temperature check on your performance or considering where to focus next, these benchmarks can inform your strategy.
‘Cultures of timidity’ holding back charities’ response to far-right threat, report warns
Reticence around being “dragged into” culture-war issues is hindering charities’ response to serious threats posed by the far right, a new report has warned.
The research published in May, which surveyed people involved with 55 UK-based NGOs with incomes above £100,000 – three-quarters of them charities – finds over half view the rise of far-right authoritarianism as an existential threat.
The participants’ organisations varied in terms of size, mission and focus, including those dealing primarily with local, national and international issues.
Overcoming Hate: Social enterprise solutions for the LGBTQ+ movement
Social Enterprise UK have released a new report, Overcoming Hate: Social enterprise solutions for the LGBTQ+ movement.
This report briefly reviews the ecosystem of LGBTQ+ support provision, the profile of social enterprise support within this, and seeks to understand the potential for social enterprise models to address gaps and needs across this provision.
Based on limited evidence on LGBTQ+ businesses, service provision and social enterprise models addressing gaps in provision, this paper found some indication that increasing the proportion of LGBTQ+ community support delivered through social enterprises may help improve the financial sustainability of existing services. It may also bring wider benefits, including more joined-up support, longer-term planning, and ultimately more systemic change – provided these social enterprises receive greater attention and targeted support.
People seeing ‘positive impact’ of charities locally twice as likely to donate, CAF finds
People who see a “positive impact” of charities in their local community are twice as likely to donate locally, new research has found.
The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) published its UK Local Giving Report 2026 this month, which maps generosity across the country.
The report shows that where people can see the impact of charities, they often give more overall (64% versus 46% of those who have not seen any impact or think it has been negative).
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.
