Useful information – w/c 09/12/24
December 9, 2024
Events, training, charity news, surveys, research, feedback, reports, services and much more – in one handy place!
This page will be updated with new information as we receive it during the week. Please check back regularly. (Last update: 13/12/24 – items added on this date are marked as [NEW])
You’ll also find the latest Health and Wellbeing news, events and opportunities in the current post on our News page here.
You can view 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
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.
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.
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.
GDPR and Data Security
Tues 13 May, online. Who is trying to access your data and what are the implications of this?
Also, what can you do to make it more difficult for people to steal your data.
Where Are Your Next Generation of Volunteers
Tues 29 April, online. Volunteer numbers have been falling since 2020. Considerable changes have occurred in how the public wants to volunteer. There has also been a rise in younger people wanting to give back to their communities, contribute to their environment, and make a difference in their neighbourhoods.
It is important for any group to start thinking about how it can adapt and remove the barriers so that younger people can get involved in volunteering. This session will offer you some practical ways to make volunteering for your organisation more appealing to younger people.
Management Accounts for Small Organisations
Tues 4 March, online. What do management accounts look like and why should you do them? The session will look at:
- why we do them
- how to do them
- when to do them
- what we do with them
Legal Issues Around Managing Volunteers in England and Wales
Tues 18 February, online. This session introduces the key legal issues around managing volunteers. It will signpost participants to the headline information, policies and procedures which your organisation will need to be aware of, and what needs to be put in place to help you deliver your legal responsibilities to volunteers and those they support.
This is not intended to replace advice from a legal professional.
How to Make Your Social Media More Engaging
Mon 27 January, online. Do you get the most engagement from your Twitter, Facebook or your Instagram posts? Why do some posts get more clicks than others? Find out how to increase engagement.
Prepare for 2025: Free EDI Insights Webinar
January 15 2025, Online. As we navigate an ever-changing EDI landscape, marked by increasing scrutiny and shifting rhetoric, it’s vital for HR and EDI leaders to stay ahead of the curve.
This free webinar, hosted by Janet Tidmarsh and Addie Barnett of Inclusive Employers, offers insights into emerging trends and core principles that will empower you to approach the next 12 months with confidence and impact.
Pension Roadshow
Various dates in February/March 2025. The Pension Roadshow from Adult Learning links in the national 50+ MOT offer and other wellbeing, health related support for older workers.
Click here to view a flyer for more information
Village Halls Week 2025
Village Halls Week will take place on 17-23 March 2025. This week is an opportunity to spotlight the efforts of volunteers who keep these important venues open for the benefit of local residents, groups, and rural businesses.
In England alone, it is estimated that over 80,000 people regularly volunteer their time with village halls, from those on management committees who oversee the day-to-day use of the building and its finances, to those who organise events and group activities for the benefit of the local community.
Village hall groups can register their interest in the campaign here, which will enable them to receive news and updates as well as resources to help them get involved.
Listen Up! Rethinking Mental Health & Hearing in the North
Wednesday 12 March 2025, online and in-person (Newcastle). Event co-organised by the NIHR North East & North Cumbria Applied Research Collaboration and the Sustainability & Resilience Institute. Join us for an important event exploring what we know, and what should be done, about the connections between mental health and hearing. Mental health issues and hearing loss affect millions in England and around the world, with research showing that individuals with hearing loss are twice as likely to experience depression and other mental health issues.
In the North, where historically industrial areas have experienced higher rates of hearing loss, this connection highlights how environmental and socioeconomic factors drive health inequalities across regions. We’ll explore the latest findings on these issues, their impact on living and ageing well, and strategies to improve health and economic outcomes in areas most affected by these challenges.
Online booking
In-person booking
Planning for Fundraising Success: The Impact of Learning and Development on Charity Staff
22 January 2025, online. Fundraising Everywhere are hosting a virtual event report launch. They will explores the impact of access to professional development on charity staff wellbeing and performance.
They discovered that not investing in learning and development could have a negative effect on staff morale and retention, as well as an organisation’s performance and culture.
Find out more and register here
Practical uses of AI for your charity
4 February 2025, 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.
Bid Writing Workshop
Monday 24 February 2025, online. In this friendly 90-minute session, you will have the chance to:
- Get an introduction to what Bid Writing is all about
- Explore what Grant Applications Look like
- Consider the importance of Needs and Outcomes
- Pick up lots of Top Tips to improve your Bid Writing
- Build your confidence and be inspired!
Creating inclusive and accessible remote volunteering opportunities
Tuesday 10 December, online. By the end of this NCVO event, you’ll:
- understand how to overcome barriers that disabled adults may face to volunteering online
- learn how remote volunteer roles can help small charities involve a diverse community of volunteers
- find out how NCVO member organisations create inclusive, accessible and impactful remote volunteering opportunities.
Get Grants free Bid Writing Workshop
Monday 24 February 2025, online. Whether you have a wealth of experience in fundraising or are new to applying for grants this Bid Writing Workshop will help you explore how to identify grant funding opportunities whilst providing advice on writing successful applications and thinking about the common mistakes made by applicants.
How to master email marketing
17 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.
Supercharge your use of social media
10 December, 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.
Learning Events – 16 days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence
Monday 25 November – Tuesday 10 December, online. Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness Community Safety Partnerships are delighted to present a series of Learning Events during the 16 days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence 2024.
This is an annual international campaign that kicks off on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day. We have developed a suite of learning events during the 16 days, delivered via Microsoft Teams – no need to book, simply log in at the required time via the link in the attached poster.
Start a purpose-driven business – free training
The School of Social Enterprise are offering free training for anyone wanting to learn how to transform their ideas into a purpose-driven business that not only makes a positive impact, but also connects you with your community.
There are sessions in Penrith in November and December, and Kendal in November, December and January. See the flyers below for more information.
SOSE KENDAL FLYER
SOSE PENRITH FLYER
VCFSE News and Information
[NEW] Free conversation resources
National charity Linking Lives UK has produced a free resource called ‘Going Deeper’, which is a framework that uses conversation cards and discussion resources to deepen your conversations with people you meet in community groups. A variety of subjects can be informally discussed, including ‘hopes and dreams’, ‘past highlights’, and ‘favourite pastimes’, and feedback so far has shown significant benefits for all involved.
The charity has also just made its ‘Good Conversations’ volunteer training free of charge for a limited time.
Details of both these resources can be found here
Have your say on the council’s 2025/26 budget
Residents and businesses across Cumberland are being encouraged to have their say as part of the council’s budget-setting process for the 2025/26 financial year.
The council is currently preparing its budget for the next financial year and is seeking the views of local people to help shape its plans.
How charities stopped centring service users
Explore how fundraising has changed, question whether grant-funding is built for long-term impact, and discuss how charities can improve campaigns by centring service users.
Cumberland Council newsletter
You can view Cumberland Council’s newsletter from 06/12/24 here, including:
- Changes proposed for waste and recycling collections in Cumberland
- Help shape the Homelessness and Rough sleeping strategy for Cumberland
- Community Panels – meet your councillors
Westmorland and Furness Council newsletter
You can view Westmorland and Furness Council’s newsletter from 06/12/24 here, including:
- Places available now on Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) programme
- Cumbria Economic Summit success
- Clearance work under way at Marina Village site
How to reject a candidate well
How can you turn down candidates in a way that will leave them feeling positive about your charity?
Any interaction you have with a candidate can influence what they think about your organisation – but none more so than at the ego-denting, receiving-a-rejection stage. So, it’s crucial that you do it well.
Government confirms the allocation of £350m of dormant asset funds
The Government has recently announced the 4 areas that have been earmarked to receive an equal share of £350m in dormant asset funds. The Dormant Assets Scheme is a unique and well-established partnership between government and financial services firms, allowing unclaimed money to be used for the public good.
Following a public consultation in 2022, the government has confirmed that the causes dormant assets funding could support in England would be youth, financial inclusion, social investment wholesalers, and community wealth funds.
Using data to tell great stories
Using data and statistics can be a powerful tool to highlight social justice and impact in the charity sector, but many people can feel daunted by adding numbers to your storytelling.
In this blog, NPC’s Principal for Data Sarah Sandford, explores how to overcome your worries about quantitative approaches and exploit the full power of data to inspire action.
Is Your Nonprofit Ready for AI?
Whether you’re just starting out with AI or you’re already innovating around the technology, this workbook will help you better understand the pillars of AI readiness, strategise effectively, embrace new possibilities, and answer important questions about the benefits of AI.
One in three charity retailers plan to cut staff due to NICs hike, survey suggests
More than one-third of charity retailers will be forced to cut paid staff, reduce their hours, or both, due to the employer national insurance contributions (NICs) rise announced recently by chancellor Rachel Reeves.
Those are among the key findings of a survey by trade body the Charity Retail Association (CRA), which concluded that shops will be “severely impacted” by the NICs hike.
Just over a quarter of the 52 respondents to the CRA survey said they will have to close shops after the rise comes into force next year, while two-thirds said they will have to put up prices.
Another successful year for the Walney Extension Community Fund
The Walney Extension Community Fund has announced the last round of funding awards for 2024 and ends the year on a high seeing a huge £679,037 being shared by 31 deserving projects, across the two rounds, this year.
Cumbria CVS are grateful to be one of the recipients, with funding for a South Lakes & Furness project of £27,458! We’ll be bringing you more detail soon…
Guide for councils published to improve commissioning partnerships with charities
New guidance has been issued to improve partnerships between local government commissioners and voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) organisations.
It sets out a series of principles around partnership working towards “designing services that truly meet people’s needs”, with charities delivering almost £17bn of public services annually via grants and contracts.
The Purposeful Collaboration guide, commissioned by NCVO, the Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales and the Local Government Association (LGA), provides tips, case studies and tools for councils.
Charity Awards 2025 opens for entries
The Charity Awards 2025, the longest-running awards ceremony in the charity sector, is now open for entries.
The Charity Awards is Civil Society Media’s annual awards programme which identifies, recognises and rewards organisations doing exceptional work in all areas of charitable activity.
Now in its 25th year, the Charity Awards continues to recognise innovative charitable organisations – regardless of their size, location or cause – that exemplify best practices and deliver sustainable benefits to communities and society.
UK’s largest health research programme to open new clinics in Carlisle and Barrow-in-Furness
Our Future Health, the UK’s largest ever health research programme, is opening mobile clinics in Carlisle (Caldew Riverside Car Park, CA2 5BN) and Barrow -in-Furness (ASDA, LA14 5UG) in addition to our existing clinics around the country. Over the coming months we’ll be expanding our appointment locations in your area, and we will keep you updated on this.
The Our Future Health programme aims to help people live healthier lives for longer through the discovery and testing of more effective approaches to prevention, earlier detection and treatment of diseases. We are aiming to recruit up to 5 million adults who truly reflect the UK population. We launched recruitment last year and are delighted to share the news that we have over 2 million volunteers signed up so far.
Volunteers give their consent to join the research programme and provide secure access to their health records, complete a questionnaire and book an appointment to have a blood sample taken, plus some physical measurements. They will also be offered information about their own health, including their blood pressure.
Fair Market Value for Charities in Partnership Work
A new guide to fair payment for partnership work has been released by a coalition of health charities.
Cancer 52, Charities Research Involvement Group, Health Research Charities Ireland, National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society and the Patient Information Forum (PIF) have made 5 recommendations for Fair Market Value (FMV).
New resources from the Home Office Asylum Mental Health and Wellbeing team
The Home Office have published a new resource, ‘Asylum mental health: workstreams, tools and case studies’, which includes workstreams, resources and case studies developed or endorsed by the Home Office Asylum Mental Health and Wellbeing team.
The aim of the new resource is to raise awareness about what support is available and highlight examples of good practice measures, to support people seeking asylum’s mental health and wellbeing. The North East and Yorkshire and Humber’s guidance on supporting the mental health and wellbeing of migrants in vulnerable circumstances is included in this.
You can find the new resource here
Navigating section 114 notices
In NAVCA’s recent webinar, they presented the stages of financial difficulty a local authority might experience, and the significant impact these can have on the local voluntary sector.
They offered some suggestions for voluntary sector organisations to help navigate the stages and mitigate the impact on communities, hearing insights from voluntary sector groups and local infrastructure organisations involved in the research. Watch the event below.
Free EDI guide published as trustees report facing barriers to progress
Two in five charity chairs and board members have reported facing barriers to implementing an equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) strategy at their organisations, a new survey has found.
The Association of Chairs (AoC) launched its new EDI guide at an event last month, with recommendations for charity chairs and boards to implement at their organisations.
Regulator updates fraud and cybercrime guidance after opening 700 cases
The Charity Commission has updated its guidance on fraud and cybercrime after revealing that it opened more than 700 of such cases over the last year.
Between November 2023 and October 2024, the regulator opened 603 fraud and 99 cybercrime-related cases and received 264 serious incident reports relating to fraud.
Government warned of financial impact on charities as it confirms gambling levy plans
The government has confirmed plans to introduce a gambling levy but been warned that the new tax could affect charities’ finances.
It announced last month that a statutory levy on gambling operators will come into effect in April 2025, allocating the around £84m a year raised to research, prevention and treatment of harms caused by the industry.
Surveys, Research, Feedback and Reports
British public expected to donate £2.8bn to charity during festive season
Members of the British public are expected to donate £2.8bn to charities during November and December this year, according to research published by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF).
The total is broadly similar to last year’s donations, reflecting the festive period as a peak time for charity giving, coinciding with large fundraising events like Giving Tuesday, Children in Need’s annual telethon and the Poppy Appeal.
In light of increased donations during the festive period, the Charity Commission recently issued a reminder on how people can donate with confidence and avoid fraudulent appeals.
Share your thoughts on the support social organisations need
School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) want to understand the needs of ‘for purpose’ organisations including voluntary organisations, charities, social enterprises and community businesses.
Complete the roughly 10 minute survey about skills and support you need before 18th December and you will be entered into a draw to win one of four £100 John Lewis vouchers. You will also be helping SSE provide exactly the support that organisations like yours needs.
Mental health charity Mind publishes The Big Mental Health Report 2024
The charity Mind have recently collated data about mental health problems, stigma and discrimination, alongside real people’s experiences, into one annual report, to give a full picture of the state of mental health right now.
The current mental health crisis is one that cuts across all areas of life – from housing, to benefits, employment and more. This report paints a picture of worsening mental health across England and Wales and services struggling to keep up with demand.
Most charity employers to consider staff cuts due to budget announcements, survey finds
Three in five charity employers are expecting to have to consider reducing their number of staff due to the government’s recently announced increase to the rate of employer national insurance contributions (NICs) and minimum wage rate rises.
The results come from a survey, conducted by the Charity Finance Group (CFG), which show that 87% of employers in the sector are concerned about their organisation’s ability to afford the increased costs.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in her first budget, in October, that employer NICs will increase from 13.8% to 15% from April 2025, and later confirmed there would be no exemptions or reimbursements based on charitable status.
Volunteering rates still failing to reach pre-pandemic levels, government reports
Volunteering rates in England are still failing to reach pre-pandemic levels, according to government research published today.
The latest Community Life Survey says that 16% of adults reported regularly (every month) taking part in formal volunteering in 2023-34, in line with rates in 2021-2022 and slightly below those the year before.
This marks a sustained decline in regular formal volunteering rates since the last pre-pandemic year (2019-20), when the rate was 23%.
Ways to Wellness Maternal Mental Health Services case study
New research from NHS Confederation, in partnership with Local Trust and PPL features Ways to Wellness Maternal Mental Health Services prototypes case study as a positive practice example of neighbourhood working.
The report makes the case for England’s health services engaging with communities to tackle health inequalities.
The Big Question: Understanding Suicide Rates in Cumberland
Why are rates of death by suicide high in Cumberland?
Considerable work on suicide prevention has been undertaken in Cumbria over the last 10 years but, despite being based on available evidence and recognised best practice, it has so far failed to make a difference to suicide rates. One fundamental problem is that we simply do not know why suicide rates in Cumberland are so high.
Can you help with the research? Click here to complete a survey and click here to view a shareable flyer
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.
