Useful information – w/c 31/03/25
March 31, 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: 31/03/25 – 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
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.
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.
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.
[NEW] 5 key steps to boosting fundraising with data
8th April, online. You’ve heard it before, “Data driven decision-making is the key to raising more funds”. But what data should you gather? How do you manage it, make it usable, and how do you turn it into more income for your charity? That’s the magic that often separates high-performing campaigns from the rest.
And that’s what we’ll unpack in our next webinar, The 5 Key Steps to Boosting your Fundraising with Data.
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.
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.
[NEW] Blueprint for change: Planning your resources for digital change
Thursday 10th April, Online. When it comes to delivering a digital project, successfully navigating the financial and strategic aspects of the project is key.
This free webinar from Hart Square will 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. You’ll come away with a solid understanding of what goes into a change management budget and plan – from how you will invest in effective communication and training, to systems development, implementation, and evaluation.
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.
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.
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] Mental health at work
Thursday 17th April, Online. Workplaces can have an impact on our mental health, as we spend roughly a 1/3 of our life at work. The way in which we address mental health in the workplace will determine whether that impact is positive or negative.
Join Acas for this webinar exploring how employers can positively support mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.
[NEW] Charities SORP consultation
17th April, online. The joint SORP-making body has launched a public consultation on the upcoming version of the charities’ accounting and reporting framework.
To help you navigate the changes, Charity Finance will host a free webinar on the proposed draft of the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP). Chaired by Tristan Blythe, editor of Charity Finance, the session will explore the key changes in the new SORP, the practical implications for charities, and what’s missing from the updated framework. The webinar will conclude with a live Q&A to address your pressing questions.
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.
[NEW] Fundraising Everywhere Face-to-Face Fundraising Conference 2025
23rd April 2025, Online. This conference will equip you with the insights, strategies, and best practices you need to grow and future-proof your F2F fundraising.
What you’ll gain by attending:
- Actionable strategies for recruiting, training, and retaining high-performing F2F teams
- Real-world case studies from charities successfully managing in-house and outsourced teams
- Data-driven insights on improving donor retention and lifetime value from F2F acquisition
- Ethical and compliance best practices to protect your brand and maintain public trust
- Agency vs. in-house comparisons – how to make the right choice for your charity’s goals
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.
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.
CRFM 1st birthday party
25 April, Carlisle. We want to celebrate CRFM 1st Birthday as a community, because we are a community radio station! Can you believe that CRFM have been on air for a year as of April the 15th 2025? …..
No neither can we, so to celebrate CRFM are holding a listener 1st birthday party at the Box Arena in Carlisle. Doors open at 7pm with presenters playing music and the show starts at 8pm. On stage will be a host of CRFM presenters with some fun and games as well as playing a great mix of music to dance to.
There will also be three performances from the top tribute acts. Britney Spears, Steps and The Venga Boys just to make the night that little bit special. Plus giving away prizes all night. If you would like up to a Max 6 tickets, just fill out the form here. First come first served up to 100 free tickets available.
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.
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 Neurodiversity in the Workplace: Creating an Inclusive Environment
30 April, online.
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.
How to manage charity finances
20 May, online. This course aims, in just three hours, to help you make sense of your finances. It provides a simple, straightforward, plain-English introduction, covering budgeting, reporting, governance, sustainability, futureproofing, and so much more.
In two back-to-back sessions, each lasting approximately 80 minutes, the course offers key insights into the essential elements of charity finance.
[NEW] Charity Digital Academy: How to master strategic planning
28th May – 4th June 2025, online. Master your long term planning with this two part course
Our course, in two three-hour sessions, inspires charities to embrace long-term planning. The course will allow you to think strategically, understand the importance of charity governance, develop an in-depth strategic plan, understand the tensions that arise between operational and strategic priorities, keep your strategic plan on track, and so much more.
Getting to work on Modern Slavery in Cumbria
Thursday 29 May, Penrith. Our keynote is from Causeway who provide a range of services which support survivors of modern slavery to recover from trauma, be protected from further harm, and develop safe and fulfilling lives.
They receive referrals from the Salvation Army, who are the government contract holders for adult victims of modern slavery in England & Wales.
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.
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
Reimagining Service Delivery Summit
12 June 2025, online. Free online event, to explore collaborative and user-cantered service delivery.
Explore how charities can make the most of their resources to deliver the best services. We will also discuss ways to shift perceptions of service delivery, ensuring users remain at the centre of these conversations and much more.
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.
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.
VCFSE News and Information
[NEW] Cumberland Council newsletter
You can view Cumberland Council’s newsletter from 30/03/25 here, including:
- Clean-up at popular Workington footpath
- Help design Cumbria’s first community flag
- Travel Actively Carlisle’s FREE half term event
[NEW] Westmorland and Furness Council newsletter
You can view Westmorland & Furness Council’s newsletter from 28/03/25 here, including:
- Be part of history – design Cumbria’s first community flag!
- Repurposed food service grows in repurposed church sports hall
- Cumbria devolution consultation
[NEW] Five steps towards a charity merger
A successful merger can give charities a more secure future, allowing them to save costs and deliver great services. But it’s a big decision that needs careful consideration and a lot of planning.
[NEW] Three essential steps to improve your fundraising strategy
Digital fundraising is evolving fast, but many charities struggle to keep up. The latest Charity Digital Skills report found that two-thirds of charities were not fundraising effectively online in 2024, with two in five performing poorly and a quarter not engaging at all.
With increasing demand for charity services and economic uncertainty, a strong fundraising strategy is essential. A well-crafted plan helps charities maximise income, retain supporters, and embrace new opportunities.
To help, Blackbaud has created a Strategic Fundraising Toolkit, offering step-by-step guidance on building a successful strategy, from donor acquisition to using technology for growth.
[NEW] Analysis: Muted response from sector bodies as chancellor neglects charities
Rachel Reeves’ spring statement was a damp squib for charities, with the sector not mentioned in either the chancellor’s speech or the accompanying documents.
In their responses, some sector membership bodies highlighted the absence of support for charities. The Charity Tax Group and Charity Finance Group both expressed disappointment that Reeves announced no measures to ease the impact of her previously announced employer national insurance contributions (NICs) rise, estimated to cost charities £1.4bn a year.
Disability and welfare charities voiced deeper concerns about Reeves’ confirmation of benefit cuts, which will push 250,000 people into poverty over the next five years according to the government’s own analysis.
[NEW] ‘Nothing to ease charities’ concerns’ – sector bodies react to spring statement
Charity sector bodies have responded to chancellor Rachel Reeves’ first spring statement, with some expressing disappointment at its lack of new support for charities.
Reeves’ statement, delivered last week, was shorter than her autumn budget and did not mention charities but confirmed previously announced cuts to aid and welfare spending.
Some sector bodies criticised the lack of additional support for the sector in the face of rising national insurance contributions.
[NEW] Free anti-racism guide urges charities to move beyond diversity initiatives
ACEVO and Voice4Change England have recently published An Anti-Racism Companion Journal, which warns that increasing a charity’s employee ethnic diversity may change who does its work without changing what the work is. The guide says that says that EDI practices largely focus on increasing Black and minoritised ethnic representation rather than ending racism, and that “racist harms persist even with an emphasis on diversity and EDI”.
The companion journal offers insights on vital topics that can advance anti-racism and race equity in civil society and beyond. It is designed to help you develop your own practice on anti-racism and race equity, as well as that of your organisation and those you work with.
[NEW] Charity regulator warns about fraudulent letters sent on its behalf
The Charity Commission has warned charities about fraudulent messages recently send to charities and trustees. The messages typically request action to be taken such as removing a trustee or chief executive from their position, releasing funds as part of a grant or supplying documents such as a passport or utility bill.
They may be signed as coming from ‘the Commission,’ Chief Executive Officer and/or its Directors. The incidents have been reported to Action Fraud and the regulator will continue to monitor the situation.
[NEW] New National Minimum Wage rates due to take effect from 1st April
New National Minimum Wage/Living Wage rates of pay come into effect in April. By law, an employer must pay a minimum amount on average for the hours an employee works. This is called the National Living Wage (NLW) for anyone aged 21 or over, and the National Minimum Wage (NMW) for anyone aged under 21 or an Apprentice
Following the Government’s announcement to increase the National Living Wage last Autumn, Katherine Chapman, Director of the Living Wage Foundation, said: “It is really positive to see increases to the minimum wage that will help workers keep pace with the cost of living, particularly as prices remain high.
It is important to remember that the government’s rate is the legal minimum employers must pay — it is separate to the real Living Wage which is a voluntary standard and the only wage rate that is solely based on the cost of living. The real Living Wage is currently £12.60 an hour in the UK and £13.85 in London.”
Make sure you’re up-to-date with the incoming changes by visiting the Acas website for guidance.
[NEW] Commission to highlight charities’ financial resilience in first-ever sector risk assessment
The Charity Commission is to publish its first-ever risk assessment of the sector including a focus on charities’ financial resilience, it has announced.
Amie McWilliam-Reynolds, assistant director, intelligence and tasking at the commission, told an event last week that the risk assessment would also highlight the abuse of charitable status for private benefit and “oversight gaps for charities delivering services”.
Speaking at Grant Thornton’s Charity Conference 2025, McWilliam-Reynolds told delegates that 2025-26 will be the first year the regulator publishes a risk assessment of the sector and that it would “support trustees and charity leaders to understand the risk landscape at sector level and support decision-making”.
Surveys, Research, Feedback and Reports
[NEW] Report calls for prize draws such as Omaze to be regulated like charity lotteries
The Lotteries Council has published a report calling on the government to bring prize draws such as Omaze under similar regulations to those imposed on society lotteries.
A report by nfpResearch commissioned by the Lotteries Council warns that the recent rise in large prize draws could threaten the future viability of society lotteries, which must adhere to stricter gambling rules.
At present, charity lottery operators are restricted to each sell £50m of tickets a year and offer a maximum prize of £500,000 while giving at least 20% of their proceeds to good causes.
[NEW] Three tiers of accounting rules proposed as new Charities SORP consultation launches
A public consultation on the next version of the charities accounting and reporting framework has been launched, with three tiers based on income levels proposed.
The Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) has been updated to reflect changes introduced by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) to FRS 102, the financial reporting standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland.
In particular, it reflects changes to how charities will need to recognise certain types of income and certain types of leases in their accounts.
[NEW] Charitable giving reached £15.4bn last year despite drop in donors, CAF reports
Donations to charities from the British public amounted to an estimated £15.4bn last year, but fewer people are giving, according to the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF).
According to CAF’s latest UK Giving Report, 55% of people said they donated to charity in the previous 12 months, either directly or through sponsorship, down from 58% in 2023 and 65% in 2019, the last year before the Covid-19 pandemic.
CAF estimates that 5.2 million fewer British people donated to charities or sponsored someone for charity last year than in 2019 and 1.6 million fewer than in 2023.
[NEW] Riots to resilience: Five ways to turn lessons into action
The Voluntary and Community Sector Emergencies Partnership and research and innovation organisation Neighbourly Lab have released a new report highlighting five ways communities can bolster their resilience against riots, should they happen in future.
The report, Riots to Resilience: Five ways to turn lessons into action, shares stories and experiences from the racist and Islamophobic riots of August 2024, showing what worked and what was missing, and developing that learning into five ways communities can be more resilient in future.
[NEW] Breaking Point: The Mental Health Crisis in Small Organisation Leadership
A report from Fair Collective has found that 85% of small charity leaders in England experience poor mental health due to their role, and within that, 20% reported a severe impact with incidences of suicidal thoughts, hospitalisation and burn out.
The report is the output of research delivered by Fair Collective in partnership with NCVO and with funding from The Talent Fund. The research focused on the mental health of small organisation (majority income under £1 million) leaders in England and was conducted between August and October 2024.
The research has identified specific recommendations that could make a real difference to small charity organisations, aimed at individual leaders, small organisation boards and funders, which the report outlines in detail.
Read more and download the report here
[NEW] UK Government ‘Digital Inclusion Action Plan.’
“We’re making sure everyone can be included in our digital world.” The UK government’s new digital inclusion plan aims to tackle growing exclusion risks as AI adoption rises. It emphasises collaboration, funding local initiatives, and supporting vulnerable groups like older adults and low-income households.
Charities, local authorities, and communities are key to its success, with new funding opportunities for charities to address digital exclusion. Over the next 12 months, the Digital Inclusion Action Plan: First Steps will kickstart our drive to improve digital inclusion.
This call for evidence is seeking views on the action plan, including the first 5 actions. DEADLINE: 11:55 pm on 9 April 2025.
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.
