Useful information – w/c 10/03/25
March 10, 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: 14/03/25 – 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] Navigating the Misinformation Era: Strategies for Charity Communicators
27 March, online. Is misinformation affecting your charity and audiences? As the world of communications gets knottier, we look to detangle it with this online seminar.
We’ll dive into what misinformation is, how it persists, and the practical ways you can prepare for, address and stop misinformation in its tracks through your comms approach.
[NEW] Free Storytelling Photography Workshops
April, Barrow. Join Signal Film & Media and Photographer Nicholas J.R. White for a series of free creative photography workshops!
Explore the Sankey Photography Archive and learn photography narrative techniques. Create your own photographic series and showcase your work. For 18+ years. No experience necessary,
[NEW] What trustees need to know about AI
Wednesday 26 March, Online. Join NPC for this free event open to all trustees, with a particular focus on those of small and medium-sized organisations.
This one hour webinar will cover all the need-to-know points for trustees to consider when planning for and adapting to AI approaches.
[NEW] Martyn’s Law – implications for venues, communities and spaces
Thursday 20 March, Online. As the eighth anniversary of the Manchester Arena bombing approaches, the sector is encouraged to be preparing for the introduction of Martyn’s Law, new legislation that requires public venues to improve their security and preparedness for terrorist attacks.
This event by the VCS Emergencies Partnership will look at the legislation and the resources available to help prepare. There will also be input from Deborah Higgins, Head of Resilience at the Emergency Planning College, on the courses and resources they’ve developed for the sector in relation to this new legislation.
Introduction to Bid Writing Workshop
Tuesday 8 April 2025, online. This 60-minute workshop will give you an introduction to what Bid Writing for Charities and Community Groups is about.
It will enable you to meet Get Grants Experts, get top tips and expert advice and build confidence in your own skills.
Introduction to Legacy Fundraising Workshop
Monday 7 April 2025, online. This 60 minute workshop will highlight what legacy fundraising entails and provide you with a sample of the crucial information for improving your income from legacies.
Get Grants Showcase: Get Jobs
Tuesday 1 April 2025, online. Get Jobs is a new and completely FREE jobs board for the charity sector. Whether you are a Fundraiser, CEO or Marketing expert, Get Jobs brings you the latest opportunities in the third sector.
Led by the team at Get Grants, get Jobs has decades of third sector experience and will put job opportunities in your organisation in front of the Get Grants community of tens of thousands of fundraisers.
Understanding Neurodiversity in the Workplace: Creating an Inclusive Environment
30 April, online.
Board Leadership Stage 1: High-Performance Boards
29–30 April 2025, 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.
Understanding Governance Stage 1: The Trustee Role
23–24 April 2025, online. Governance fundamentals for new and experienced trustees.
If you are new to the role of being a charity trustee, this course will provide the perfect introduction, while experienced trustees will also benefit from a refresher of their responsibilities and comprehensive updates on evolving elements of the trustee role.
Data Protection Training for Charities
22 April 2025, 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.
Cyber Essentials Training: Mastering the Five Key Controls for Digital Security
15 April, 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.
Introduction to Improving Quality
Thurs 10 April 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.
Find out more about it at our free online workshop.
Data Protection for Fundraisers: What fundraisers need to know and how to prepare
27 March 2025, online. Join Fundraising Everywhere for key updates on data protection for fundraisers in 2025 and 2026!
As the UK’s new data protection bill takes it final steps before becoming law, this session will update you on the expected changes and amendments which will impact fundraising and help you prepare for the future.
Charity Digital Academy: Five time-saving tools for your charity
26 March 2025, online. This course, in just three hours, will show you five game-changing tools to help your charity work smarter, not harder. These tools are easy to use, always come with no-cost and low-cost options, and have been designed to take the stress out of running your organisation.
Please note: Registration will close at 5pm on the 24th March 2025. Registration will not be available after this time.
Charity Digital Academy: Making the most of M365 apps – tips and tricks
18 March 2025, online. This three-hour session helps you master 365 apps, covering web vs desktop, Copilot, Microsoft Forms, Sway, and Teams—plus meetings, file storage, whiteboards, polls, and more.
Please note: Registration will close at 5pm on the 14th March 2025. Registration will not be available after this time.
A Nature for Health Approach Across Cumbria
Thursday 24 April, Carlisle. We know that high quality health and wellbeing, supported by a healthy environment, are the basis for thriving local places and people. And yet, we also know that organisations across our county are grappling with a challenging range of issues, from greater pressures on local services, to nature & climate emergencies and health & wellbeing crises.
As Cumbria looks forward to a period of further devolved powers and responsibilities, it seems an appropriate time to foster conversations that are rooted in cross-sector working, to achieve multiple goals for the health of people & nature.
We would welcome representatives from a variety of sectors and agencies, to join this initial event and participate in structured workshops to establish key areas of focus for Cumbria. Your thoughts, engagement, and outlook as to how we create and sustain positive change, will be key.
Blueprint for change: planning your resources for digital change
Thursday 13 March, Online. Join Hart Square for this free online session. In this webinar, we’ll guide you through the process of understanding how to budget for change.
We’ll explain how to create a robust budget and plan that aligns with your organisation’s digital goals and reflects the true costs of delivering your project including the often-underestimated costs around resourcing and people.
Five time-saving tools for your charity
26 March, online. Spend less time on admin and more time making a difference!
This course, in just three hours, will show you five game-changing tools to help your charity work smarter, not harder. These tools are easy to use, always come with no-cost and low-cost options, and have been designed to take the stress out of running your organisation.
Supercharge your use of social media
25 March, 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.
Reserves Policy Training
25 March 2025, 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.
Supporting basic digital skills with Learn My Way
Tuesday 11 March 2025, Online. Learn My Way is a free learning platform from Good Things Foundation that is designed to help people learn basic digital skills. The topics are all aligned with the Essential Digital Skills Framework and range from turning on your device and using a mouse or touch screen through to working with Office programmes.
This is a great online session for anyone that is new to supporting people to learn digital skills, whether you’re a digital champion, tutor or hub manager.
A Civil Society Covenant – here we go again? Wrigleys’ Charity Leadership Forum
Monday 24 March, Kendal. A robust, respectful and practical working relationship between the third sector and government in all its forms has long been a desire of charity leaders and is intended to be reinvigorated by the proposed Civil Society Covenant.
This session will consider how senior leaders can engage with the Covenant to the advantage of their charities, and will offer a chance to share learning points from previous iterations of such charters.
The forum will be carried out under the Chatham House Rule and will provide an opportunity for discussion, knowledge and experience sharing.
Practical uses of AI for your charity
8 April, 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.
Fostering psychological safety at your charity
18 March, online. In every work environment it is important to foster a culture where everyone feels safe to voice their thoughts, share ideas and raise concerns without facing negative consequences.
This training course will give charity delegates actionable strategies to cultivate psychological safety and recognise the impact it has on team performance, creativity, and overall well-being.
Preventing Charity Fraud
11 March, online. Led by governance consultant Claris D’cruz, the course has been carefully designed to help you understand how your charity can be susceptible to fraud, how to implement preventative measures and how to deal with suspected fraud if it arises.
A Web for All: Accessibility, usability and inclusivity online
19 March, online. Few and Far, a digital agency that work with non-profits, are hosting a free webinar on accessibility online. This comprehensive session will be led by Col Grist, Co-founder and Creative Director, who brings 15 years of experience working with leading UK charities.
Key highlights:
- Understanding accessibility fundamentals and WCAG guidelines
- Practical tools and tips for improving website accessibility
- Solutions for both physical disabilities and socio-economic barriers
- Real-world examples and interactive exercises
- Full recording and resource pack provided afterward
#DoWith – new campaign by The King’s Fund
26 March, online. Radical and hopeful change in how public services work with people and communities is urgently needed.
Do With is a network of people and organisations calling for a radical shift in the public sector from ‘doing to’ to ‘doing with’.
Click here to find out more about the campaign and to sign up for the event
Shopmobility 30th Anniversary
Thursday 3 April, Carlisle. Shopmobility Carlisle are holding a drop in event (Coffee and Cake) to celebrate the official opening above back in 1995. Anyone is welcome to come along between 10am and 3pm.
Shopmobility Carlisle information
Free film-making charity workshops
Various dates, online. These workshops by The Saltways are open to anyone involved with a charity who is interested in creating more effective content, including fundraisers, communications managers, front-line staff, beneficiaries, and even marathon runners.
A practical and interactive session. You will learn the fundamentals of film-making, from planning and shooting to editing and sharing your content.
Our experienced professionals will guide you through the process, providing tips and tricks for creating compelling content that effectively communicates your charity’s mission and impact. Don’t miss this opportunity to take your content creation skills to the next level and make a real impact with your charity’s message.
How to master email marketing
12 March, 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.
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.
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
VCFSE News and Information
[NEW] Fundraising Regulator to produce AI guidance this year, event hears
The Fundraising Regulator will produce guidance on how fundraisers should use artificial intelligence (AI) later this year, an event heard yesterday.
Speaking at the annual ELEVATE conference in London, Paul Winyard, head of policy at the Fundraising Regulator, said the new guidance would accompany the revised code of fundraising practice.
Winyard said the regulator’s futures working group, made up of members of senior management as well as board and committee members, has been “keeping a close eye on AI” as part of its research into the future of fundraising more generally.
[NEW] Rural communities set to benefit from up to £38 million in Government funding
The Government has announced that up to £33 million will be directed to the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF), which is used to improve local infrastructure and essential services that benefit rural communities and help businesses in rural areas to expand, creating jobs and kickstarting the rural economy.
As part of the Plan for Change, the Government is working to promote economic growth across the country, including in rural areas. This funding will help to support local economies and sustain communities across the countryside. REPF allocations to individual local authorities will be made in line with the existing allocations methodology, with final confirmed allocations to be published in due course.
[NEW] Shifting the procurement landscape to benefit social enterprise
The Procurement Act and the accompanying National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS) both came into effect on Monday 24 February. This new framework is the biggest change to how government spends its money in a generation, opening up new opportunities for social enterprises selling to the public sector.
The statement highlights that public bodies should look to maximise their spend with social enterprises and to help achieve it there will be targets set for central government from April next year.
It brings recognition that Social Enterprise UK have long been campaigning for. To help you understand exactly what it means for the sector, they’ve written an article explaining everything you need to know.
[NEW] Peers vote to exempt small charities from rise in Employer NICs
Charities with revenue under £1m could be exempted from the Government’s rise in Employer National Insurance Contributions following a lively debate in the House of Lords on 25th February. Charity Finance Group reports that peers voted in favour of Amendment 4 to The National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill, which would exempt charities with annual revenue less than £1 million from the employer NICs increase.
The vote passed with 235 in favour and 149 against and represents a significant victory for smaller charities that constitute approximately 95% of the UK’s 170,000 registered charities. Since the Bill has been amended in the House of Lords, it will now return to the Commons for consideration of the changes.
How to retain service delivery staff and volunteers
Keep hold of your brilliant service delivery team with these four steps.
Cumberland Council newsletter
You can read Cumberland Council’s newsletter from 09/03/25 here, including:
- Council agrees budget: investing in communities and services
- Cumberland to benefit from share of Sport England £250m investment
- Community Panel meetings
Westmorland and Furness Council newsletter
You can read Westmorland and Furness Council’s newsletter from 07/03/25 here, including:
- Ukrainian evacuees in Westmorland and Furness reflect as the war enters its fourth year
- Child and Family Support Services update
- Special monthly markets returned to Barrow town centre
The seven main types of charity fraud
Criminals are targeting charities in a variety of ways. Explore the core risks that currently pose a risk to your charity.
Funding Opportunity – The Fore’s Summer 2025 Funding Round
We offer unrestricted funding to help your organisation grow, become more sustainable, efficient, or resilient.
We are interested in organisational development, and we believe that by asking you and your charity what you need, our grants will create a transformational impact on your organisation.
More information on who can apply, and how to apply, is available in this document. Registration closes on Thursday 3 April.
How are charities navigating social media in a post-truth world?
Recently, the evolving social media landscape has left many charities feeling conflicted about how best to use their accounts to continue connecting with both others in the sector and the general public.
Charities once simply used social media as a tool to spread awareness of their cause and engage directly with beneficiaries, funders and each other.
However, changes to how these platforms combat hate, vitriol and misinformation – as well as their increasingly controversial owners – have caused some charities to rethink how best to support their often vulnerable communities.
BBC Children in Need to Pause Grant Applications for Four Months
Groups who are planning to apply to the BBC Children in Need Core or Project grants programme will need to act quickly as the funder has announced it will be unable to accept Expressions of Interest over a four-month period, during which time it will be moving to a new grantmaking system.
Expressions of Interest will close on 15 April 2025 and are expected to reopen in mid to late September 2025. Over the next five weeks, registered charities and not-for-profit organisations who work with disadvantaged children and young people of 18 years and under living in the UK, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands can apply for either core costs or project costs.
The maximum grant is £120,000 (or £40,000 over three years), though most grants made are for much less than this.
More information about the transition to the new grantmaking system can be found on the BBC Children in Need website
Surveys, Research, Feedback and Reports
[NEW] Take part in this year’s charity CRM software survey
Charity Finance and Fundraising Magazine are conducting a survey to gauge how happy charities are with their CRM packages and what they need to be able to do with their data.
The annual survey collects information about the CRM provider charities use, how often they review their systems, and their overall satisfaction levels.
The findings, which provide valuable insights into the market, will be published in Charity Finance and Fundraising Magazine.
Find out more and take the survey here
[NEW] Latest VCSE Barometer Report highlights over half of Charities expect a negative impact as a result in increased Employer NICs and National Living Wage
The latest wave of the VCSE Barometer Survey, conducted by the VCSE National Data and Insights Observatory at Nottingham Trent University, has been analysed and a new report published. Organisations were surveyed on their financial outlook and, in particular, the impact of upcoming rises in NLW and employer NICs.
Nearly half of the 665 organisations that gave their views say that rises in ERNICs (54%) and the NLW (47%) will negatively impact their financial position, rising substantially for organisations with a paid workforce. One large charity reported “We face a triple impact of rising costs, rising demand and additional pressures; none of which are supported by existing funders”.
Charity mergers rise by 31%, research finds
The number of charity mergers increased by 31% last year, after previously dropping to a record low, according to new research.
In the year to April 2024, there were 63 charity mergers overall, compared with 48 in 2022-23 and 51 in 2021-22, according to Eastside People’s Good Merger Index, published this week.
Last year’s mergers involved 131 organisations, compared with 96 in 2022-23 and 103 the year before.
More than half of charities anticipate negative impact from living wage and national insurance increases, report warns
More than half of charities are anticipating negative impacts from the rises in the national living wage (NLW) and employer’s national insurance contributions (NICs).
The latest VCSE Barometer Survey, conducted by the VCSE National Data and Insights Observatory at Nottingham Trent University (NTU), surveyed organisations on their financial outlook and the impact of upcoming rises in NLW and employer NICs.
The Barometer was launched during the pandemic. Its latest wave shows that income, increasing demand and volunteer recruitment remain the top three concerns.
Research shows more collaboration between civil society and trade unions than expected
New research has highlighted that there is more collaboration between civil society and trade unions than previously thought.
The research project, entitled Working Together in Civil Society: A Study of Collaboration Between Trade Unions and Civil Society Organisations, found that just under one third of civil society organisations (CSOs) surveyed had recognition agreements with trade unions.
Undertaken by Sara Abdaless at Northeatern university London, Michael Rigby at London South Bank University and Stephen Williams at Portsmouth University, the project began in the late summer of 2023, and collated 50 responses from CSOs and 34 from trade unions.
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.
