Useful information – w/c 08/06/26
June 8, 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: 12/06/26 – 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
Free certified course: Digital Strategy Accelerator
The Charity Digital Strategy Accelerator, otherwise known as the CDSA, guides you through the process of creating a digital strategy from beginning to end, with a certificate available upon completion. It is a free, online, self-paced course, made up of twelve modules, each helping you build towards an impactful digital strategy for your charity.
It helps you develop projects realistically, by understanding your current digital landscape, and factoring in budgetary and time constraints alongside your charity’s ambitions.
Modules include:
➡️ Digital governance
➡️ Strategic alignment
➡️ Discovering user needs
➡️ Embedding responsibility and ethics
➡️ Planning, writing and delivering your digital strategy
Leadership Training – Bursaries available
Are you a leader in a small business or charity in West Cumberland?
OneAIM together with Centre for Leadership Performance Cumbria have bursary places available on the upcoming cohort of the Leader 2 Leader programme.
Closing date for applications is 30th June, and full details are available in this document
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.
Great Big Green Week Events
Saturday 6th – Sunday 14th June. To explore all the Great Big Green Week events taking place across Cumbria, click here.
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.
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.
Cumbria Diversity Carnival
Saturday 20th June, Carlisle. Participants will meet at the Old Fire Station from 11am, with the parade starting at 11.30am. The parade will travel through Carlisle city centre and return to Bitts Park at approximately 1pm for a free Big Lunch.
Cumbria Diversity Carnival is being organised by local youth and community groups, including Pride in North Cumbria (PiNC), Multicultural Cumbria, Cumberland Sanctuary Network, Carlisle One World Centre and Afrikana.
The event will celebrate the diverse communities that live, work and learn in Cumbria, with representation from LGBTQ+ organisations, diaspora communities and disability groups. This year’s carnival will also mark key dates including Refugee Week, Pride Month and Learning Disability Week.
#SmallsForSmalls Week
Monday 22nd to Friday 26th June, online. #SmallsForSmalls Week is back, with loads of webinars, resources, reports and guides for small charities organised by the smalls themselves and their friends.
Find out what’s available here
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.
Insight to execution: Turning AI Experiments into Real Results
Thursday 25th June, Online. Most non-profits understand AI’s potential but struggle to turn experiments into workflows that deliver results.
Join Hart Square for this free webinar to learn what charities and membership organisations they work with are doing: which tasks they’re automating safely, how they’re turning early wins into repeatable workflows, and how they maintain human oversight while improving efficiency.
Finance for Trustees
Thursday 25th 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.
What we can learn from Big Local and public service innovation in Liverpool City Region
Monday 29th June, online. What does community-led systems change look like in practice?
Voluntary Sector North West (VSNW), in partnership with Local Trust, is launching the first session in the Big Local North West Learning Programme.
Co-hosted with the VS6 Partnership, the session will draw on more than 15 years of learning from Big Local and explore how resident-led approaches in the Liverpool City Region can drive neighbourhood change and influence wider systems. The event will bring together funders, commissioners, VCFSE organisations and community partners to explore community power, public service reform and place-based working.
Find out more and register here
AI for Managers and Team leaders: Lead with Confidence
Tuesday 30th June, online. This practical, one-hour session is designed for managers who want to use AI effectively, ethically, and with confidence.
AI is reshaping how teams work — and middle managers are at the centre of that change. This practical, one-hour session is designed for managers who want to use AI effectively, ethically, and with confidence.
Whether you feel like AI is moving fast around you, or you simply want to know where to start, this session will give you the tools and clarity to lead your team through it.
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
Introduction to Google Analytics 4
Wednesday 5th August, online. 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.
Google Ad Grants for beginners
Wednesday 12th August, online. Is your charity looking to set up a Google Ad campaign, but don’t know where to start?
This 2-hour course is specifically for nonprofit staff who have been awarded the $10,000/month Google Ad Grant, but do not know the basics for setting up their first campaign.
You will learn:
➡️ What is a Google Ad Grant?
➡️ How to structure your charity’s account
➡️ Google Ads & Keywords
➡️ Setting up a conversion with Google Analytics.
➡️ Google Ad Grants compliance and maintenance
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] New updates to the Code of Fundraising and what it means for charity comms
The shift to principles-based fundraising regulations gives comms teams more flexibility than before, but it also raises the bar on accountability. Kirsty McEwen, lawyer from Higgs LLP, outlines what you need to know about the changes to the Code of Fundraising.
How community-centred storytelling unlocks funding, growth, and long-term support
Charity Digital explore how charities can create lasting connection with their supporters by sharing the stories of their community.
Cumberland Council newsletter
You can view Cumberland Council’s newsletter from 05/06/26 here, including:
- The Carlton, Maryport gets ready to take centre stage
- National Volunteers’ Week – sign up and be part of the Tour de France
- Carers Charter to launch during Carers Week
Westmorland and Furness Council newsletter
You can view Westmorland and Furness Council’s newsletter from 05/06/26 here, including:
- Gold-winning volunteers celebrate community rail
- How Community Power can build better services and stronger communities
- Volunteer at the Tour de France Grand Départ GB 2027 💛
Most charities’ boards ‘do not understand fundraising’, says CIOF leader
Fundraising is misunderstood by board members and senior leadership teams in many charities, the head of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising (CIOF) said this week.
Speaking at its Fundraising Convention yesterday, CIOF chief executive Katie Docherty said some charities were mistakenly reducing their fundraising spend “because the return on investment for fundraising takes longer”.
“There’s the ongoing problem that fundraising is seen as a cost to each charity rather than something that should be invested in,” she told the event in London.
How AI is helping charity marketers do more
AI is no longer limited to standalone chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude or Copilot. Many of the tools charity marketers already rely on now include AI features designed to speed up workflows, reduce admin and help teams create, organise and distribute content more effectively.
In this article for DSC, José Blázquez explains how these AI-powered features are helping charity teams streamline content creation, admin and audience engagement, while emphasising that human judgement, authenticity and relationships remain essential to effective charity marketing.
Third Sector Podcast: Lawfare, trustee whistleblowing and how Reform UK could affect the voluntary sector
In the latest podcast from Third Sector, host Lucinda Rouse is joined by Third Sector colleagues to talk about significant sector stories from the past month.
Dami provides insight into the resignation of ex-British Psychological Society trustee Nigel MacLennan from his post as chair of Playground Proms, after a tribunal rejected his claim to whistleblowing protections in a dispute with the BPS. And Andy considers why charities working under a Reform UK-led council seem so reluctant to speak about their experiences, and what any future government led by the party could mean for the sector.
Local Data for Charities: A Guide to Funding, Strategy and Community Planning
Whether you are preparing a funding bid, shaping your strategy, or planning services, having a clear understanding of local needs is essential. For many organisations, however, accessing and using that data is not straightforward. Information is often spread across multiple sources, presented in different formats, and requires time and expertise to bring together. Even when the data is available, turning it into something clear, credible and usable can be challenging.
This guide from OCSI brings together the key concepts, data sources and approaches that are useful to understand local areas effectively, and how to use that insight for real world decisions.
Communicating Effectively with Your Bank – a webinar with Charity Finance Group
VONNE hosted Clare Mills, Co-Chief Executive Officer at Charity Finance Group, recently for a webinar about banking services and communicating effectively with your bank. The session drew on Charity Finance Group’s recently updated toolkit, Communicating with your bank: Raising an issue or concern.
Clare shared clear, actionable advice, resources and real-world examples to help attendees feel more confident, informed and in control when dealing with your bank.
Cumbria Bus Reform Pilot Study – invitation to stakeholder engagement
Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council are working with their advisers, Jacobs and Oxera, on a government funded Bus Reform Pilot for Cumbria.
The pilot will explore whether new approaches to planning and delivering bus services could help improve public transport across Cumbria, particularly in rural areas, and whether there are gaps in existing provision that could be addressed through reform.
Over the coming months, the councils will be engaging with residents, businesses and key stakeholders to understand current experiences of bus services, what is working well, and where improvements may be needed. You are being contacted because your experience or organisation may provide valuable insight into local transport needs.
You may be invited to take part in activities such as online questionnaires, workshops or one to one discussions. Taking part does not commit you to any position and all feedback will be considered alongside other evidence as part of the pilot. A short overview of the project and the planned engagement approach can be found here
If you have any questions or would like to register an early interest in contributing to engagement activities, please contact: cumbriabusreformpilotstudy@jacobs.com
Towards meaningful action – NGOs & far right authoritarianism
A report published by thinking, doing, changing follows on from concerns raised by sector umbrella body NCVO that charities’ employees, volunteers and beneficiaries are feeling “increasingly unsafe” amid a climate of increasing social division.
This new piece of research (drawing on a survey and focus group) explores how NGOs are impacted, how they are responding, what the blockages to a significant strategic response are, and how these might be overcome.
You can read a summary of the findings here
Clinks – State of the Sector Report 2025
Clinks have recently published their 2025 State of the Sector report, highlighting the unique needs and challenges faced by the voluntary sector working in criminal justice in England and Wales.
Drawing on responses to their online survey and area-based and thematic focus groups, the report examines the context in which the sector operates and its implications, including increased demand for their services, users presenting with more complex needs and vetting difficulties. Despite these difficulties, the report highlights examples of good practice, and offers detailed recommendations for funders, commissioners and policymakers.
Charities underinvesting in legacy fundraising, figures suggest
Charities may be underinvesting in legacy fundraising despite it remaining the single largest source of voluntary income, according to new figures.
The Chartered Institute of Fundraising’s (CIOF) 2026 benchmarking survey found that while 37% of all voluntary income comes from gifts in wills, charities are directing only 15% of fundraising expenditure towards legacies.
Based on data from 104 charities, representing £2.2bn of voluntary income, the survey also found that larger charities are getting a greater proportion of their income from legacies than smaller organisations.
UK drops to 75th most generous country in CAF rankings
The UK is now the 75th most generous country in the world, according to figures from the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF).
CAF’s latest World Giving Report research ranked the UK 11 places lower than last year in terms of the proportion of donors’ income that is given to good causes.
On average, people in the UK gave 0.7% of their income via charities, religious routes and directly to people in need, lower than a global average of 1% and Nigeria’s chart-topping proportion of 2.8%.
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.
