Useful information – w/c 14/07/25
July 14, 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: 14/07/25 – 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
Making the most of M365 apps – tips and tricks
15th July, online. This three-hour session shows you how to master 365 apps. The first section will cover an overview of the apps available. It will explore web vs desktop applications, the joys of Copilot, the best way to use Microsoft Forms, and the secrets of Sway.
The second section is dedicated to Teams, exploring meeting and channel management, file storage, whiteboards and polls, and so much more.
Cumbria Safeguarding Adults Board – Practitioner’s Forum
Wednesday 16th July, online. CSAB are introducing the first of regular Practitioners Forums for staff working with adults at risk. The Practitioner Forum forms part of the CSAB Learning & Development Strategy 2024/26 and will be hosted on a quarterly basis facilitated by colleagues from across the partnership. Forum’s will take a themed approach with supported discussions providing the opportunity to explore in a safe space;
- What has worked well/not in some cases?
- Opportunity to reflect on practice.
- Discussion time in a multi-agency forum.
- Opportunity to use as evidence for Continuing Professional Development.
- ‘Professionals Spotlight’ to improve understanding of each other’s roles.
- Identify barriers to partnership working to identify how to improve.
CSAB welcome professionals across the system to attend our 1st Forum. Please attend ready and willing to take-part in discussions.
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.
ADHD Awareness Event
23rd July, Whitehaven. Authentically ADHD is an ADHD awareness event, in partnership with Sellafield’s A.D.Ders group. If you would like to find out more, come and join us: This event is open to professionals, members of the community and health and social care stakeholders.
Click here to view an event flyer
If you are an organisation which would love to be involved, reach out to:info@healthwatchcumberland.co.uk
[NEW] Cumbria Connect to Work – Market Engagement Session
Thursday 24th July, online. Cumberland Council, in partnership with Westmorland and Furness Council and Enterprising Cumbria, is excited to announce an incredible opportunity to partner with us on the Connect to Work programme across Cumbria. We are launching our market engagement phase for the Cumbria Connect to Work programme to improve employment outcomes across the region, with a particular focus on supporting people who face barriers to entering or remaining in work.
Connect to Work is a voluntary programme, delivering the evidence-based Supported Employment model, ‘place, train, and maintain’, via two distinct types of interventions based on the needs of the participant – Individual Placement and Support (IPS) and Local Supported Employment (LSE).
This opportunity seeks a lead organisation to function as a Service Coordinator, bringing together the rich tapestry of smaller local delivery organisations embedded in local communities, building capacity and capability within that network and supporting direct delivery where it is necessary and right to do so.
Find out more about this overview session here
Meet the Funder Event: Lloyds Bank Foundation
Tuesday 29th July 2025, online. Get Grants is delighted to host a Meet the Funder event featuring Peter Cunnison from Lloyds Bank Foundation West Midlands.
This session will provide valuable insights into their DDPO (Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations) Grant Programme.
Advanced Excel – tips and tricks
29th July, online. Join this 3 hour session to find out how to optimise your spreadsheets so they can do what they’re meant to be doing – saving you time, facilitating effective service delivery and enabling you and your team to get insight into the bigger picture.
Accessibility Basics: Inclusive Websites for People with Sight Loss
Wednesday 6th August, Online. Join Vision for Access CIC for a practical and engaging session on website accessibility, focusing on making online spaces more inclusive for people with sight loss.
Whether you’re a small business owner, charity worker, or content creator, this event will give you the confidence to improve your website’s accessibility – even if you’re not a tech expert.
Budgets Masterclass
Monday 11th August 2025, online. Presenting your budgets and financial information is a key element of any application’s success – incorrect and unclear budgets give funders easy reasons to reject your application!
Get Grants Director John Ellery will use his decades of experience writing and assessing funding applications to show how you can design clear budgets that give your application the best chance of success.
[NEW] Sir John Fisher Foundation Webinars
Wednesday 13th & Thursday 14th August, online. The Sir John Fisher Foundation is running a series of webinars for groups who may be interested in making an application to them. The sessions will provide an opportunity for groups to get a better understanding of what to include in a funding bid as well as information about the Foundation funding priorities.
This link below provides more information: Thinking Of Applying to Us? – Sir John Fisher Foundation
If you would like to receive an invite to this workshop, please email grants@sirjohnfisherfoundation.org.uk to receive a MS Teams Link.
Charity Digital Academy: Writing a Successful Funding Application
19 August 2025, online. This 3 hour course provides a beginner’s guide to how to write a successful funding application, using the National Lottery Community Fund’s Awards For All online application form as an example.
In these 3 hours you’ll get:
- The chance to go through a successful funding application and understand how you can emulate it
- Advice on key elements such as writing project outcomes, evidencing co-production and creating an accurate budget
- Time to start sketching out your own application, ask questions and get expert advice
- The chance to step back and decide what you need to do next to lay the foundations for a strong application for your project
Introduction to Improving Quality
Thurs 18th Sept 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.
This event is free but you will need to book.
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.
[NEW] Festival of Trusteeship
3rd-7th November 2025, online. The Festival of Trusteeship is a week of inspiring discussions, practical tools and bold ideas to reimagine trusteeship. Led by Eastside People, this event is part of the Festival of Trusteeship during Trustees’ Week 2025, proudly supported by the Institute of Leadership.
With online events on topics including engaging younger people in trusteeship, how to build confidence as a trustee, and how to deal with times of crisis, this is a collection of events to inspire and inform your trustees.
Festival passes are available now, and lots of the events are free. Find out more here, and please share with your board and your local networks.
VCFSE News and Information
[NEW] Devolution Update
Both of Cumbria’s Unitary Councils have written to government to ask that Mayoral elections get put back until May 2027 (rather than the current proposal of May 2026) – to allow more time to prepare, but also meaning that the election would take place at the same time as the next round of Council elections (which would mean a significant cost saving).
Request to defer Cumbria mayoral election to save money – BBC News (and copy of the letter here).
[NEW] Sector umbrella body calls for greater involvement of charities in NHS 10-year plan
A sector umbrella body has called for charities to be more involved in the NHS 10-year health plan announced by the government earlier this month.
The National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA) published a statement last week in which it urged greater involvement of the charity sector and “cross-sector collaboration” within the new 10-year plan.
It noted that the plan “seems to signal a shift away” from the charity sector, and described the reduction of Integrated Care Services (ICSs) as adding “a further layer of disruption, risking the progress made in many systems”.
[NEW] Protect public trust gains when using ‘soft opt-in’ powers, regulator boss tells charities
The chief executive of the Fundraising Regulator has said that charities must carefully consider how they use new powers to contact supporters in order to protect public trust in the sector.
Speaking at the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Charities and Volunteering last week, Gerald Oppenheim said his organisation’s upcoming guidance on how charities can use “soft opt-in” powers to contact supporters would be “absolutely clear about the dos and don’ts”.
The soft opt-in powers, due to be given to charities through the recently passed Data (Use and Access) Act, will enable charities to send electronic communications to a person without their consent if certain conditions are met.
[NEW] Is your charity ready for end-of-year giving?
The final months of the year are a golden opportunity for fundraising, with two-fifths of all donations made between October and December. But with over 168,000 UK charities competing for attention, how can your organisation stand out?
iRaiser’s guide, “9 Steps to Plan Your End of Year Fundraising Campaign,” has the answers. Based on hundreds of successful campaigns, it offers a clear roadmap to help you plan, launch, and optimise your year-end appeal.
From engaging new supporters to reactivating loyal donors, the guide walks you through the four key phases of a successful year-end strategy.
[NEW] 250 fully funded Digital Learning Grants available
The Digital Learning Grant is back! JustGiving and Fundraising Everywhere have again teamed up to offer their free coaching programme designed to boost fundraising professionals’ digital skills and confidence.
Participants improved their skills by up to 136% in 2024, so the 2025 Digital Learning Grant is not to be missed – AND there’s more places than ever, with 250 spots up for grabs!
With a carefully curated online learning hub, 1:1 coaching calls, free workshops and access to online events, learn at your own speed and grow your skills in strategy, innovation, accessibility and much more.
[NEW] Search for new governors to help shape future of healthcare in Cumbria
A unique opportunity to influence the future of healthcare in the county is now available, as North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC) is looking for new public and staff governors to join its Governors’ Council.
NCIC manages both acute and community services, including maternity, stroke and A&E services at the Cumberland Infirmary and West Cumberland Hospital. It also runs community hospitals and community services, some of which are provided on a Countywide footprint. This means there are lots of opportunities to get involved and help shape the future direction of the Trust.
This year, there are 11 Public Constituency vacancies (Allerdale 1, Carlisle 1, Copeland 2, Eden 3, Furness and South Lakeland 3 and North East England and Yorkshire 1) and five Staff Constituency vacancies (Allerdale and Copeland 3, Carlisle and Eden 1 and Furness and South Lakeland 1).
[NEW] Recognising and nurturing the microbiome: moving from ‘doing to’ to ‘#doing with’
In this blog by Sam James (NAVCA) and Catherine Leyshon (University of Exeter), they explore why it’s so important that the statutory sector works closely with communities, to improve health and wellbeing and ensure people can thrive.
[NEW] How to access government funding
Charities are being urged to take note of the UK government’s priorities for its grants and contracts.
Surveys, Research, Feedback and Reports
[NEW] Most charities with Barclays accounts experience banking issues, survey finds
Most charities that have accounts with Barclays have experienced banking issues, according to a survey of trustees.
The Charity Commission reported last week that 58% of Barclays customers reported banking issues, compared with 38% of trustees generally.
Its survey of more than 2,500 trustees in England and Wales, conducted in February, found that overall, fewer had reported banking issues for their charity than in 2024 (42%).
[NEW] ‘Substantial growth’ in AI adoption as three-quarters of charities now use it
There has been “substantial growth” in the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) over the past year, as more than three-quarters of charities are now using the technology, according to a new report.
The Charity Digital Skills Report 2025, published last week, shows that 76% of charities are now using AI tools compared with 61% in last year’s survey.
Moreover, the proportion of charities developing an AI policy has tripled since last year, from 16% to 48%.
[NEW] Gap between charities’ income and expenditure cut as spending rises 10%
The gap between income and expenditure across the charity sector shrank in 2023 to its lowest level in five years as spending grew by 9.6%, new figures show.
Charities’ total gross expenditure reached £95.7bn as a result of the rise, while total gross income was £96.4bn, an increase of 6.8%, analysis of annual returns by the Charity Commission reveals.
“This reflects further broadening and deepening of the positive societal impact of charities, as they expend increased resources to deliver their charitable aims,” the report said.
[NEW] One in five women in charity sector have been sexually assaulted at work, survey finds
More than one in five women working in the charity and not-for-profit sector have been sexually assaulted in the workplace, findings from a new survey have revealed.
In response to a survey of almost 700 female members of trade union Unite working in the sector, 22% reported that they had been sexually assaulted in the workplace.
Some 5% said they had been a victim of sexual coercion – when a person pressures, tricks, threatens, or manipulates someone into engaging in sexual activity without genuine consent – at work.
[NEW] UK’s top 1% of earners donate £52 a month to charities, research finds
The government has been urged to boost high-net-worth (HNW) giving as research published last week reveals that the UK’s top earners currently make “relatively small” donations to charities.
Research by think tank PBE found that the country’s top 1% of earners made charitable donations of around 0.2% of their gross income, or a median donation of £623 a year and £52 a month, between 2020 and 2022.
PBE’s research was conducted for the second annual Giving and Impact Summit in London yesterday, at which civil society minister Stephanie Peacock said the government “recognises the vital role the impact economy can play in helping to drive stronger economic growth across the country”.
[NEW] New research shows local, resident-led regeneration has doubled business growth in the UK’s most disadvantaged communities
A new report by Local Trust, Everybody Needs Good Neighbourhoods 2, provides compelling evidence that supporting residents to lead local change strengthens local economies, lowers child poverty and reduces crime.
The research builds on a previous publication, Everybody Needs Good Neighbourhoods, and is the first of its kind study of deprived neighbourhoods using long-term data. It compares the Big Local programme – the largest community-led regeneration initiative in the UK – with 29 similarly deprived areas without any neighbourhood-led initiatives (NBI) over a 15-year period.
The study finds that areas with neighbourhood-led initiatives have delivered statistically significant improvements where it matters most – including business growth, child poverty and crime.
Find out more about the research here
[NEW] Responding to the 2024 racist riots
In August 2024, the UK saw widespread racist riots targeting minoritised ethnic and religious communities. The unrest, falsely linked to a tragic event in Southport, was rooted in racism, Islamophobia, and misogyny. The government’s failure to recognise the true scale and underlying causes of the violence underscored the urgent need for collective action.
In response, the Race Equality Foundation, with partners Muslim Charities Forum (MCF) , the Alliance for Racial Justice, and NAVCA launched a sector-wide initiative in September 2024 to analyse these events, reflect on their causes, and support action to prevent future racist violence.
The new report outlines six clear and actionable policy solutions to address the root causes of the 2024 racist riots and build long-term community resilience.
[NEW] Labour MPs post more about charities on X than other politicians, research finds
Labour MPs have mentioned individual charities more on X, formerly Twitter, than those from other parties over the past year, according to new research.
PoliMonitor found that most of the mentions of charities on the social media platform since the general election came from Labour MPs (2,347), followed by Liberal Democrats (457) and Conservatives (443).
It also reported that Labour MPs promoted charities that had criticised their party’s policies – such as Age UK, which has criticised its policy on winter fuel payments – more than those from other parties.
[NEW] Faith and cultural identity ‘significantly’ influence in-memory giving, report finds
Faith and cultural identity play a significant role in how and why people give to charity in memory of a loved one, according to a new report by Legacy Futures and Smee & Ford.
Published last week, the In-Memory Giving in Multi-Cultural Britain report says that faith and culture shape the channels and causes to which people donate, with religious individuals more likely to give in memory than those who are not.
The report says that over the past year, over one-third of adults in the UK have made an in-memory donation.
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.
