Useful information – w/c 09/06/25
June 9, 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: 11/06/25 – 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.
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? Check out the latest edition of Focus on Funding here
Training and Events
[NEW] Free online training for the VCSE sector
Looking to boost your skills or support your team’s development? The Elements Training Portal offers free, high-quality online courses designed for staff, trustees and volunteers in the voluntary and community sector.
Developed by North Tyneside VODA, Connected Voice and Northumberland CVA, courses can be completed in under an hour and include a certificate.
Courses include:
- Charity governance & finance
- Setting up a charity
- Volunteer management
- Safeguarding (adults and children)
- Cyber security
- Climate change
- Fundraising
- Inclusive volunteering
- Understanding your governing document
Flexible, accessible and easy to use – perfect for learning at your own pace.
Find out more and sign up here
How to use Canva for Social Media
Monday 9 June, online. Canva is the great free-to-use online graphic design tool which you can use to create great graphics as well as presentations and videos amongst other things.
This is an introductory session about Canva with a few tips about using it for social media.
How to master email marketing
10th June, 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.
Supporting People with Diabetes in the Workplace
Tuesday 10th June, online. Gain insight into the lived experience of people managing this complex condition and discover inclusive, legally sound approaches to ensure they are supported, safe and empowered at work – from someone who’s lived with diabetes for over 30 years.
Ideal for anyone managing colleagues living with diabetes and HR colleagues.
£50 per person, Fully-funded places for the first five people to book on each webinar, A 50% discount for the next five people to book.
Free introduction to coaching and development
Tuesday 11 June, online. If you’re supporting other people’s development, this free upcoming webinar explores how we build strong foundations for coaching and development that actually sticks. Simon Hill – a former fundraiser and partnerships lead – has worked with social purpose leaders to create a practical toolkit for coaching that’s sustainable, effective, and shaped by your values.
What’s in it for you?
- Real-world tools you can adapt to fit what you already do
- Ways to support colleagues without piling on more work
- Space to reflect on how coaching can strengthen your purpose
Sign up here Open to anyone supporting others in a local infrastructure or VCSE context.
Reimagining Service Delivery Summit
12 June, online. A free online event for charity professionals to unlock new perspectives on service delivery and help maximise value to service users.
Whether you’re a charity leader or a volunteer, working in service delivery, fundraising, or marketing, this event will have something for you. Sessions will help you re-evaluate the relationship between charities and their service users, consider how digital can help charity services go further, and make more room for hope and optimism in service delivery for meaningful change.
Find out more and register here
Introduction to Improving Quality
Thurs 12th June 2025, online. Improving Quality is a clear, simple system, and focuses on the key issues that make a difference for charities.
IQ can either be used for self-assessment or accreditation, and has international recognition: a number of organisations in the UK and the Republic of Ireland are already accredited to it.
Pride Month: standing up to anti-LGBTQ+ narratives
Thursday 12th June, online. Learn how the changing political and media landscape is impacting LGBTQ+ people, how to confidently challenge anti-LGBTQ+ attitudes and behaviours and create safer environments for LGBTQ+ colleagues rooted in respect and allyship.
Ideal for anyone involved with creating inclusive workplaces for LGBTQ+ people, including staff networks and employee resource groups (ERGs).
£50 per person, Fully-funded places for the first five people to book on each webinar, A 50% discount for the next five people to book.
Carers Health and Wellbeing information event
Friday 13th June, Barrow. This event is for unpaid Carers, their families, and anyone else to come along and see the free support that is available from the many wonderful organisations in our community.
There will be café style seating in the hall for FREE tea, coffee, refreshments and pie and peas (until they run out!).
Click here to view a flyer with more information
Learning Disability Week: creating Easy Reads for accessible communication
Monday 16th June, online. Discover the principles of Easy Read, why it matters and how to create clear, inclusive documents that improve access to information for people with learning disabilities and beyond.
Ideal for anyone working with people with a learning disability in any capacity.
£50 per person, Fully-funded places for the first five people to book on each webinar, A 50% discount for the next five people to book.
Celebrate the Month of Community with Lunch and Learn Series
Various dates 16th-27th June, online. Westmorland and Furness Community Cohesion Group would like to invite you, your colleagues, and communities to a series of free online lunch and learn sessions in June to mark The Month of Community.
A variety of sessions will held, including:
- What is Anti-Racism?
- Restorative Justice
- Volunteering – Reducing Loneliness & Supporting Cohesion
- Asylum Seekers & Refugees – Myths V Reality
- Victim Support
- Meet an Iman
- Hate Crime Awareness & Reporting
- Connecting People Through Festivals
For descriptions of these sessions, as well as their dates, times and login details please see the attached flyer.
[NEW] Board Leadership Stage 1: High-Performance Boards
16–17 June, online. A course on governance for both experienced and new chairs and chief executives.
The course is for both experienced and new chairs and chief executives (ideally attending together). Taking place over two mornings, it will help you in your role of building a high-performance board, delivering valuable insights into the key areas of responsibility for chairs and CEOs and providing you with ideas to keep your board moving forward.
Introduction to Engaging with Businesses: Five Things I Wish I’d Known
Tuesday 17 June, online. A basic introduction to engaging and connecting with your local business community.
This session is aimed at small charities and voluntary groups, whether they are at the beginning of their journey in engaging with businesses or wish to develop stronger contacts.
[NEW] Introducing the Charity Digital Code of Practice 2025
17th June, online. The updated Charity Digital Code of Practice launched on 6th June 2025. The Code has been completely overhauled to meet the needs of an increasingly digital sector.
This webinar will explain what’s changed and why, including:
- The incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) across all principles
- A brand new principle: Data
- Greater focus on tech integration and procurement
And much more!
[NEW] How to Recruit and Retain a Diverse Board
18 June 2025, online. Join this online training course to better understand the importance of diversity and lived-experience on charity boards.
Over the course of the morning you will learn about the common challenges involved in recruiting and retaining diverse board members and gain practical solutions for tackling these challenges.
This will be an interactive session with plenty of opportunities to discuss experiences and key topics with fellow charity delegates.
[NEW] Opportunities and Challenges Report Launch
18th June, online. Opportunities and Challenges is the fourth in a series of localised reports by Cumbria Community Foundation based on Cumbrian communities.
Their analysis explores Carlisle’s social needs and community issues, highlighting existing efforts to tackle disadvantage while identifying new opportunities to support thriving communities both within urban Carlisle and the rural communities that surround it.
Community Fundraising Conference 2025
19th June 2025, online. Join the UK’s only Community Fundraising Conference and get practical tools to prioritise relationships, manage volunteers, measure impact and make confident fundraising decisions.
Learn from peers, hear inspiring stories and gain fresh confidence in the role you play at the heart of your charity.
Data Management – One small step to get you ahead
20th June 2025, online. Join TechSoup’s upcoming interactive event to get clear, practical answers to your biggest data challenges.
Learn how to confidently collect, store and share data, and take practical next steps that lead to real, measurable results.
Cumbria Diversity Carnival
Saturday 21st June, Carlisle. Celebrating Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Free event.
Parade starts at 11.30, followed by The Big Lunch in Bitts Park.
Click on the thumbnail image to view the event flyer.
Camp Jojo – showcase open weekend
21st & 22nd June, Hoff. Camp Jojo offer camping experiences for families of children with complex needs & disabilities, and are excitingly establishing their first site in the north of England.
CampJojo are holding a showcase Open Weekend to show people around what they can offer. If you would like to attend or know of any organisations that it would be relevant to, please let Alex know which session you would like to attend.
Contact: Alex Chalmers Alex@campjojo.org.uk
Cyber Essentials Training: Mastering the Five Key Controls for Digital Security
24th June, 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.
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.
Unconscious bias in recruitment: you don’t know what you don’t know
Tuesday 24th June, online. Understand how unconscious bias shapes recruitment decisions, learn strategies to interrupt bias at every stage of the hiring process and build a fairer pathway to inclusive hiring.
Ideal for anyone working in recruitment and hiring managers.
£50 per person, Fully-funded places for the first five people to book on each webinar, A 50% discount for the next five people to book.
[NEW] Understanding Governance Stage 2: Governance in Practice
24–25 June 2025, online. Improve the overall effectiveness of your board.
Designed for experienced trustees, secure in their knowledge of the governance processes and what being a trustee entails, ‘Governance in Practice’ builds on the expertise gained from the stage 1 course ‘Understanding Governance: The Trustee Role,’ focusing on practical solutions to the challenges you face.
This course covers a wide range of governance issues and aims to help you improve the overall effectiveness of your board.
Getting set up with Microsoft 365
25th June, online. The course, the first of three parts, uncovers everything you need to know about Microsoft 365.
The first half of the first session looks at the functionality 365 includes, helps charities to make sense of registration process and domain authentication, explores eligibility, and so much more.
[NEW] Dementia and digital adjustments that can help
Wednesday 2 July 2025, online. Do you or someone you know live with dementia? Aimed at older people and some of the issues they may commonly face, join AbilityNet’s free lunchtime learning session Dementia and digital adjustments that can help on Wednesday 2 July at 1pm.
In the webinar, you’ll learn from our special guest Phil Joddrell from Dementia UK, about touchscreen apps for people living with dementia and guidance on adaptations to make apps more user friendly, to enhance engagement and enjoyment.
AbilityNet BT Digital Skills trainer Anna Dolphin will also share practical ideas for digital tools that can help you manage daily life with dementia and how AbilityNet and BT Group can help you and those you know with dementia with their tech, for free.
Crafting your perfect team: Strategies for requirements gathering and partner selection
3rd July, online. Join Hart Square for this webinar, where we’ll cover how to effectively gather your business and technical requirements to ensure your project is well defined and set up for success from the start.
We’ll share proven techniques for identifying, capturing, and documenting your requirements and how best to align stakeholders, prioritise needs, and avoid the common pitfalls at this stage of a project.
[NEW] Introduction to Digital Accessibility
Thursday 3rd July, online. Get the lowdown on the basics of digital accessibility to see what changes you need to make
Digital accessibility is a crucial aspect of modern-day digital products and services. It not only ensures equal access for disabled people, but it improves the overall user experience for everyone.
This beginner-friendly course will teach you the basics to get you started on your accessibility journey.
Reserves – What They Are and How to Calculate Them
Tuesday 8 July, online. Reserves are a critical element when building small charity resilience. However, they are often, for very valid reasons, miscalculated.
The session will look at Why we hold reserves, how to calculate reserves, what a good reserves policy looks like and how to report on reserves.
[NEW] How to build a disability inclusive workplace
Thursday 17th July, online. At the end of this course you will be able to:
- Recognise the advantages of proactively designing inclusivity into your working practices
- Describe where your organisation currently sits on our disability inclusion gap analysis scale overall and at each stage in the employee lifecycle
- Identify barriers that could stand in the way of implementing cultural change and how technology can act as an enabler
- Make a plan to move forward
This training is suitable for anyone interested in building high performing teams, EDI and disability inclusion.
Getting started with Google for Nonprofits
22nd July, 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.
Get Grants free Virtual Conference 2025
7th-8th October, online. The Conference will provide two days of expert fundraising advice, top tips, Q&As, networking, peer-support, and lots of chat, bringing together thousands of Fundraisers from across the UK for a programme led by Get Grants Experts, funders, and other experts from across the sector.
VCFSE News and Information
[NEW] Inclusive Volunteering Guide
We know that volunteering helps communities to thrive, by improving health and wellbeing, bringing people together, and making a positive difference to local areas.
We also know that it’s not always easy to know where to start to make your organisation more inclusive and accessible for volunteers.
The Inclusive Volunteering Guide, contains tips, advice and projects from local infrastructure organisations.
[NEW] Government pledge to distribute millions more in dormant assets welcomed
Civil society organisations have welcomed a pledge by the government last week to redistribute millions more from long-unused bank accounts to good causes.
The government’s first ever dormant assets scheme strategy, published yesterday, included a pledge to divert £440m to social causes in England by 2028, a £90m increase on previously announced figures.
It pledged to allocate £87.5m through social investment to strengthen the financial resilience of the voluntary sector, including £12.5m for youth organisations.
[NEW] 7 years of the GDPR: What’s next?
Seven years on, it is clear we are entering a new chapter of data protection. With the rapid acceleration of AI technologies and the increasing use of big data to train models and automate decisions, can the GDPR keep pace?
To mark the anniversary, the DPO asked some of their Data Protection Officers to reflect on what’s changed, what’s coming next, and what businesses should be thinking about now.
[NEW] Healthwatch Westmorland & Furness newsletter
Healthwatch Westmorland & Furness’ May newsletter can be viewed here, including:
- Healthwatch England Chair backs our women’s health campaign
- Four things people want from the 10-year NHS plan
- Supporting neurology patients to shape services in South Cumbria
[NEW] How to evaluate a Charity CRM
Finding a CRM that suits your specific needs can feel like wading through treacle, with so many options out there and lots of internal hoops to jump through.
What questions should you ask providers? What does “good” look like? How long will all of this take, and how much will it cost? Here’s a comprehensive guide on How to Evaluate a Charity CRM.
[NEW] Five books and resources for people working in social media
From making the most of LinkedIn to putting together a social media strategy, Charity Digital share some top reads for charity social media teams.
[NEW] What is online hate and how can you combat it?
Charity Digital explore the rise of misinformation and disinformation, examine forms of regulation and self-regulation around hate speech, and provide simple steps to help you combat online hate.
[NEW] NAVCA develops new tool to emphasise local infrastructure organisations’ impact
The National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA) is developing a new dashboard to help its members highlight their work and the impact they make as local infrastructure organisations (LIOs).
NAVCA’s new £70,000 dashboard tool was made possible by a £50,000 contribution from the national social enterprise Fusion21 Foundation, while the additional £20,000 came from its members via match funding.
NAVCA members, academics, local commissioners and expert partners, including sector think tank NPC, are co-designing the new dashboard.
[NEW] ‘Business as usual’ as majority of charities remain on X despite controversies
Despite many charities leaving X, formerly known as Twitter, it remains “business as usual” for the majority of organisations, a charity sector social media expert has said.
In a blog post published recently, digital impact consultant Madeleine Sugden said there was a “noticeable shift” in charities moving away from the Elon Musk-owned social media platform in November in reaction to privacy setting changes, Donald Trump winning the US election and another “small flurry” in January.
However, Sugden said that although more charities have left X since then, the majority of organisations remain on the platform.
MPs raise concerns over gift aid commission earned by fundraising platforms
MPs have raised concerns in parliament about the amount of commission on gift aid taken by online fundraising platforms.
Labour and Conservative MPs voiced their concerns after research by the advisory firm Strand Partners’ claimed that charities missed out on over £7.5m last year because of the commission that online fundraising platforms charge charities for claiming gift aid on their behalf.
In written parliamentary questions, Conservative MP Saqib Bhatti and Labour MPs Jo Platt and Anneliese Dodds asked ministers to look at potentially banning the practice of charging commission on gift aid.
How to write a winning awards entry
Charity Digital share tips for charities when entering awards schemes that can boost their chances of success.
RVS digital volunteering platform
Royal Voluntary Service are developing a new digital volunteer platform to help VCS organisations recruit volunteers.
You can find out more about the platform on the RVS website, and sign up to attend a 30 minute webinar to find out more.
Charity Commission updates guidance on recruiting trustees
The regulator is encouraging charities to use the guidance to help improve their recruitment and induction practices. The refreshed guidance focuses on practical steps charities can take to connect with a broader range of candidates, and to identify and remove barriers that may put people off applying for the role.
The updated guidance encourages charities to write and keep under review their trustee role description and to distinguish between what is required and what can be learnt in the role. It highlights ways to reach more candidates such as posting ads via social media or using organisations that offer trustee finder services. It signposts a range of free resources to help charities reach as many people as possible.
The regulator has expanded the induction section of its guidance to help charities not only recruit successfully to the role but also retain new trustees.
Surveys, Research, Feedback and Reports
[NEW] Financially at-risk councils cutting grants to charities, research finds
Councils facing insolvency have been reducing the grants they make to voluntary organisations, according to new research.
The Directory of Social Change (DSC) found that UK councils’ grant spending with voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations increased to an estimated £599m in 2023-24.
However, it found that the number of grants to VCSEs decreased by around 10% to an estimated 44,212 in 2023-24 following an increase the year before.
[NEW] RNIB National Volunteering Survey
Share your volunteering experiences with us! Calling all blind and partially sighted people.
RNIB want to understand your motivations to volunteer, what stops you from volunteering, and what might encourage you to get involved with a volunteer role in the future.
Got a spare 15 minutes?
Complete the latest Voice of the Customer survey here
[NEW] Lancashire & South Cumbria’s Local Eye Network Survey
RNIB is seeking 15 patients in Lancashire and South Cumbria with eye conditions to share their experiences with eyecare services, inviting them to take part in a survey about their interactions with opticians, GPs, hospital eye clinics, and adult social care services. The survey will close on 30 June 2025.
Interested? The survey is open to patients aged 18 or over, who can comment on services provided in Lancashire & South Cumbria. It closes on 30 June 2025.
[NEW] RNIB National Sight Support Survey
Help improve the support available to people with sight loss. RNIB would like to hear from blind and partially sighted people about the areas of your life where you need support as well as the type of support you have received in the past.
This could be support you have received from RNIB or other sight loss charities, or from NHS ophthalmology services, or local vision rehabilitation services.
Your contributions to this important research will help to improve and ensure the right support is available at the right time to people living with sight loss in the future. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to make a difference.
[NEW] 140 million volunteering hours unused by UK employees, research finds
Research published this month has found that 140 million volunteering hours went unused by UK employees last year, despite 62% of businesses offering workplace volunteering schemes to their employees.
The research, conducted by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) and commissioned by the Royal Voluntary Service, claims that employee volunteering could unlock £32.5bn in productivity gains for the UK economy annually if workplace volunteering schemes were fully utilised.
The news came as Volunteers Week begins across the UK, and shortly after the Royal Voluntary Service announced that it would be launching a digital platform and “volunteering marketplace” to help businesses to maximise their employee volunteering activities amid plummeting volunteer numbers nationwide.
[NEW] Charities Aid Foundation Local Giving Report 2025
The Report, which uses YouGov data across parliamentary constituencies, found that British people give 1.1% of their disposable income to charities on average but those in the least generous area, Kensington and Bayswater, donate less than half this proportion (0.5%).
Sheffield Hallam is the most generous constituency in the country, with residents donating 1.9% of their incomes – nearly twice the national average.
[NEW] UK Social Security System Is “Consciously Cruel” and “Ruining Lives” Finds Amnesty UK
A new report from Amnesty UK takes a deep dive into “the murky and divisive world” of the UK social security system, delivering damning conclusions on how the system punishes and dehumanises people.
For the report, ‘Social Insecurity’, Amnesty collaborated with over 700 people claiming benefits and advisors to provide a platform for the people most gravely affected, showing how politicians are playing with people’s lives. They launched the report on the 8th May as part of a campaign uncovering the realities of social security in the UK.
[NEW] ‘Modest’ growth in charity retail income despite difficult quarter, new report shows
There has been a “modest” growth in charity retail income despite a difficult quarter, according to a report published last month. It states that weather affected footfall in January and Easter falling in quarter two also had an impact.
The Charity Retail Association’s Quarterly Market Analysis analysed figures from January to March 2025. Some 63 charities representing 4,511 charity shops participated in the survey upon which the report is based.
The report noted that total charity retail income had grown by 0.8% year-on-year. Reporting charities saw a 0.3% increase in like-for-like in-store income in January-March 2025 versus the equivalent period in 2024.
A New Relationship: Building a Covenant for Civil Society & Government
The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) and the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (ACEVO) have published a new report: “A New Relationship: Building a Covenant for Civil Society & Government.”
This report includes key findings about the relationship between civil society and government, and makes recommendations for the development and implementation of the forthcoming Civil Society Covenant. These findings and recommendations are based on the engagement activities NCVO and ACEVO conducted in 2024.
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.
