Useful information – w/c 01/12/25
December 1, 2025
Events, training, charity news, surveys, research, feedback, reports, services and much more – in one handy place!
This page will be updated with new information as we receive it during the week. Please check back regularly. (Last update: 01/12/25 – items added on this date are marked as [NEW])
You’ll also find the latest Health and Wellbeing news, events and opportunities in the current post on our News page here.
You can view previous Useful Information posts here to catch up on our archive of information.
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16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence
25th November – 10th December. The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign that begins on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day.
We’re pleased to share this year’s programme of Lunch and Learn sessions, accessible to all those across the Partnership. Full information on how to book a place for each session is included in the attached document.
Managing Volunteers – The Nuts and Bolts
Tuesday 2nd December, online. Volunteers are a hugely important supplementary resource for charities. However, they must be supported and protected, and their contribution recognised.
This session summarises briefly the key elements and headline information your organisation must have in place to achieve this.
[NEW] Creating workplaces respectful of religious and cultural difference through times of increased conflict and polarisation
Tuesday 2nd December, Online. Join Inclusive Employers for this free leadership webinar to develop practical strategies for fostering respect and understanding during times of global polarisation.
When global conflicts intensify, the ripple effects reach every workplace. Religious and cultural tensions can surface in unexpected ways, leaving leaders uncertain about how to respond with sensitivity and confidence.
This thought leadership webinar gives you the strategic insight and practical tools to turn these challenges into opportunities for deeper inclusion. You’ll learn how to create an environment where colleagues of all faiths and backgrounds feel respected, valued and safe to bring their whole selves to work.
Free Mental Fitness Walk in the Lake District
Saturday 7th December, Coppermines Valley. A full day walk with Mind Over Mountains, starting around 9am an finishing approx 4pm. We will cover around 6 miles in total, and this walk is graded moderate.
We take regular breaks throughout the day to explore mindfulness techniques, and participants have the opportunity to connect with a coach and counsellor from our wellbeing team during the walk.
For anyone over the age of 18. We are not a crisis charity, but we are here to support anyone – whether they are struggling with the day to day and need some time out, or they consider themselves to be thriving and want to sustain their mental health through physical activity outdoors in nature. No pressure, no judgement.
How to excel as a charity trustee
9th December, online. Trustees are the backbone of every charity. But excelling as a trustee can often feel difficult, with so many demands and often little support.
In just three hours, this course aims to give trustees the tools and confidence to excel. We will explore the responsibilities of trustees, the expectations of them, and the core skills trustees need. It will help to clear up misconceptions about responsibilities and the time commitment typically involved. We offer guidance as to how to attain any skills you might not possess.
The course is perfect for trustees and people interested in becoming trustees. The course provides a safe space to ask questions of the presenter and explore how you can improve.
How to master email marketing
10th December, online. This course aims, in just three hours, to boost your email marketing.
The course provides a hands-on approach, showing charities the basics of email marketing, the best platforms, strategies for effective list-building, the importance of segmentation, tips and tricks for crafting effective emails, the best way to write a subject line, the virtues of personalisation, and so much more.
Anti Racist Cumbria ‘Community Conversation’ Workshop: Difficult Conversations
11th December, Barrow. Why is it we find it difficult to talk about racism?
If we don’t have the conversations, how can we take the opportunities to challenge for change? These workshops support us to reframe what might seem like a ‘difficult conversation’ and resourcing ourselves to recognise it as a ‘Courageous one.’
Get in touch to register or for more information: niall@antiracistcumbria.org or 07979 551999
Flyer for the event series here
Clinks Area Engagement Criminal Justice Forum
Thursday 11th December, online. Clinks is inviting voluntary sector organisations working in the criminal justice system to join their upcoming Area Engagement Criminal Justice Forums.
These events offer a chance to meet the Clinks team, hear updates about area engagement and policy work, and explore how your organisation can build connections with local partners such as Prisons and Probation.
Whether you’re a small grassroots project or a larger charity, these forums are a valuable opportunity to network, share good practice and discuss challenges in delivering services in the criminal justice system.
Anti Racist Cumbria ‘Community Conversation’ Workshop: Courageous Conversations
12th December, Barrow. Why is it we find it difficult to talk about racism?
If we don’t have the conversations, how can we take the opportunities to challenge for change? These workshops support us to reframe what might seem like a ‘difficult conversation’ and resourcing ourselves to recognise it as a ‘Courageous one.’
Get in touch to register or for more information: niall@antiracistcumbria.org or 07979 551999
Flyer for the event series here
Practical uses of AI for your charity
16th December, online. This course aims, in just three hours, to boost your everyday use of AI.
The course takes a hands-on, practical approach, showing charities how to use AI to improve meetings, boost email marketing, smash data analytics, enhance workflow efficiency, and so much more.
[NEW] Planning your strategic communications for 2026
Tuesday 16th December, Online. Join Media Trust’s series of free interactive drop in clinics for charities with global PR and communications agency Edelman. Each hour-long drop-in session will focus on a different communications strategy topic. Joined by 2-3 expert volunteers from Edelman, you’ll have the chance to ask your most pressing questions and get their guidance.
You’ll also have the opportunity to connect with a small group of charities facing similar challenges, so you can tackle them together.
This session will concentrate on how to clarify your charity’s mission and brand while setting measurable communication goals for the year ahead.
Introduction to Google Analytics 4
13th January 2026, online. Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is a powerful tool that can supercharge your charity. It provides an accurate and insight-rich understanding of your supporters and donors.
It provides a complete view of user journeys and enables you to make effective data-driven decisions. And, perhaps most importantly, it can drastically improve your marketing and fundraising.
This course aims, in just three hours, to help you get to grips with GA4. It explores recent changes to the platform, how to ensure you have the best data, the metric that you must know, and a general run-through of the interface, dipping into ‘realtime’ reports.
Faith-Based Governance Training
13th January 2026, online. Good governance is often seen as a burden – but it can be one of a charity’s greatest assets.
This faith-friendly course helps senior leaders and trustees understand what good governance really looks like and how to make it work in a faith context. It explores how to clarify roles, strengthen decision-making, and build confidence around risk. Scenarios and case studies help participants develop skills in practical, relevant ways.
Understanding Governance Stage 1: The Trustee Role
15th–16th January 2026, online. If you are new to the role of being a charity trustee, this course will provide the perfect introduction, while experienced trustees will also benefit from a refresher of their responsibilities and comprehensive updates on evolving elements of the trustee role.
Brand Reputation Training for Charities
20th January 2026, online. In today’s fast-moving digital landscape, a charity’s reputation is one of its most valuable assets.
Trust, public perception, and the ability to raise funds or deliver services can be significantly impacted by how well a charity manages its brand. From copyright and trade marks to online abuse and data breaches, reputation management is essential. This practical, expert-led training will help you understand the legal and strategic tools needed to safeguard your charity’s identity and uphold public trust.
Supercharge your use of social media
20th January 2026, 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.
Getting started with Google for Nonprofits
21st January 2026, online. This course provides an introduction to the Google for Nonprofits program, which offers eligible UK charities free access to a suite of Google tools, including Google Workspace, Google Ad Grants, the YouTube Nonprofit Program, and Google Earth and Maps.
We will explore these tools and highlight how UK charities are already using them to enhance their operations and impact.
Data Protection Training for Charities
27th January 2026, online. It is important for every charity leader to ensure their organisation is fully compliant with the latest data protection regulations.
This half-day course will guide you through the key points to consider and what measures you should have in place. You will also learn how to avoid some common data protection pitfalls.
Finance for Trustees
29th January 2026, online. How confident are you that you really understand your charity’s finances?
It’s a complicated business, what with managing different types of funds and income, the accounting and reporting rules, as well as dealing with tax and VAT. This course, lead by the team from leading accountancy firm BDO, will give you the tools to get to grips with how all that works in your own organisation, and includes time to chat with fellow trustees over the practicalities and challenges you face.
Protecting your Legacy Income
3rd February 2026, online. Managing your charity’s legacy income can be a lengthy and complex process.
From the various tax considerations (Inheritance, Capital Gains), to dealing with contested legacies and all of the adminstration in between, there are many factors that can delay legacy income reaching your charity.
Led by the legacy protection team at VWV, this course has been designed to give clear and practical legal advice for breaking down these obstacles as well as tools for recognising legacy risks early on in the process.
Preventing Charity Fraud
5th February 2026, online. Combining 25 years’ expertise as a charity lawyer and governance trainer with frontline experience from various voluntary leadership sector roles, Claris D’cruz will lead this half-day training course to help your charity prevent and deal with fraud or suspected fraud.
This training is relevant to charity trustees, CEOs, finance directors, finance managers, charity advisors and anyone with responsibility for dealing with fraud in their charity.
Throughout the morning we will explore the types of fraud and financial crime to be aware of, the controls and procedures to prevent fraud and how to handle a fraudulent incident.
The Art of Being an Effective Chair
12th–13th February 2026, online. The role of the chair of the board or a committee is more demanding and can be more complex than most people realise.
This course will help you to chair well and to ensure that board governs effectively and that board committees add value to the governance process. Scenarios and case studies help develop skills in practical ways.
Contract Training for Charities – Managing Contracts with Confidence
26th February 2026, online. For a charity entering into a contract with any other party, there are a number of key factors to consider.
In this half-day session Ed Rimmell, partner at VWV, will share his expertise on managing charity contracts effectively to ensure risks are mitigated, all parties fully understand what has been agreed and what to do if a dispute arises. Ed will also guide you through some common and important contract clauses which are often poorly understood.
[NEW] Start the conversation
Money worries are often a cause of ill health for people in our region. If people are feeling low, it can be hard to manage finances, and people with mental health problems often have lower incomes. The Money and Pensions Service (MAPS) Money Helper Service offers free, impartial information to people across the UK.
There’s also a Money in Mind tool for mental health professionals, which was developed in partnership with the NHS. It helps start conversations with people who may be struggling with money worries.
[NEW] Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) announces the latest recipients of The King’s Award for Voluntary Service
The recipients of The King’s Award for Voluntary Service 2025 have been announced, with 231 organisations in the UK honoured for their “outstanding community service”. Previously known as the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, it was established in 2002 to mark the late queen’s golden jubilee.
Although the number of awardees is lower than last year’s record breaking figure, the award is the equivalent of an MBE and the highest distinction for voluntary organisations throughout the UK. Congratulations to all of this year’s recipients for their hard work and dedication.
[NEW] Free support from expert economists
Pro Bono Economic’s Data First Aid volunteer matching service connects social sector organisations with volunteer economists. They can help you with ad hoc data support, from analysis and research to data visualisation and spreadsheet automation.
Whether you need help drawing out metrics to improve fundraising, support reporting, or make your data more useful, their volunteers can assist with quick, easy, pro bono support. To get matched with an expert, just tell PBE what support you need via their website.
[NEW] Managing financial challenges and protecting your mental health
The current economic environment may not only be taking a toll on your charity’s finances but also on your mental health as you attempt to navigate difficult times. There are difficult questions and challenges to tackle, but the key message is to take early positive actions towards securing the financial sustainability of your charity.
Writing for DSC, Fleur Holden, Partner at Sayer Vincent, has set out a few areas for you to think about in order to help you decide on the next steps when facing financial challenges.
[NEW] Latest ACEVO survey finds little change in pay and diversity amongst charity leaders
The recently published ACEVO Pay and Equalities 2025 survey has once again highlighted that key inequalities in charity leadership remain largely unchanged. Despite job satisfaction and commitment amongst our sector’s leaders, this year’s findings reveal persistent inequalities in pay equity and career development, as well as challenges in diversity and wellbeing across the sector.
The 2025 survey gathered responses from 703 charity CEOs, with only 6% of CEOs identifying as Asian or Minoritised Ethnic and no Black CEOs responded to the survey this year. Furthermore, the number of respondents who identify as having a disability, learning difference or health condition dropped to 17% from 20% last year. Satisfaction with board ethnic diversity is also low, with just a third of CEOs expressing contentment.
[NEW] Latest Third Sector Trends Survey report published
The results of the latest Third Sector Trends Survey have been published, looking into relationships and collaborative working in the VCSE sector. Third Sector Trends has been surveying the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector every three years since 2010, and this year, 8,680 responses were received across England and Wales.
The results found that assistance from business to voluntary organisations has not yet recovered to pre pandemic levels, however the level of business support is much more generous in the poorest areas of England and Wales. The report also highlights that interest in delivering public sector contracts continues to decline amongst VCSE organisations, although willingness to work with the public sector in general remains strong.
[NEW] Charities Aid Foundation research finds the UK’s ‘super givers’
‘Super Givers’ are people who have gone above and beyond to support charities, meaning they have donated money, donated goods, volunteered, fundraised for a charity and sponsored someone else’s fundraising efforts in the past year. According to new research from Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), which is based on findings from a YouGov survey of 21,852 individuals between January 2024 and August 2025, around 1% of people (676,000) in the UK overall would qualify as super givers.
Women are more likely to be super givers, with figures of around 1.5% of women, compared to 0.9% of men, a trend which appears to continue with age.
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.
