On the day of the next Election Debate, 140+ children’s organisations* are calling on political leaders to set out their solutions to the social problems that can leave millions of children ‘scarred for life’, including child poverty, mental health, domestic abuse and serious youth violence.
They are open to any individual, business, government or non-profit using digital products or services for positive social or environmental benefit. The Impact Awards, now in their fourth year, are grouped into three themes with four categories in each creating 12 awards.
Could you help people in your community become more physically active? Would a grant of between £300 and £10,000 help make your ideas happen?
Sport England want to support projects that help everyone to take part in physical activity whether this is formal sport or informal activity aiming to help people lead more active lifestyles.
Ahead of the General Election, Locality have published a manifesto calling on the next government to rebalance power to our communities, strengthen community ownership and invest in our local infrastructure and public services.
Since the EU referendum in 2016, more political and media attention, if not necessarily action, has been given to ‘forgotten’ or ‘left behind’ places than ever before.
In the run-up to the election, CFG has partnered with ACEVO, Children England, institute of Fundraising, Lloyds Bank Foundation, Local Trust, NAVCA, NCVO and Small Charities Coalition to publish a manifesto for charity finance.
NAVCA is working with NHS England and NHS Improvement to conduct some research into partnerships between NHS Trusts and organisations within the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector.
The National Lottery are offering people and communities with great ideas the chance to receive a grant between £100 and £1,000.
If you have an idea for an event or community activity or even if you want to buy something, that will bring your community together – they would love to hear from you.
Any group of two or more people with a great idea can apply.
For 2020, they are looking for great organisations to support across Wales, the North and Midlands of England.
The Government Equalities Office have provided guidance for those looking to return to work following a career break, as well as information for employers wanting to implement a returners programme at their organisation.
Businesses and organisations across the UK face the same issues around addressing the gender pay gap, accessing talented staff, reducing training costs and improving diversity.
But few people in positions of authority in our society understand that the true value of charity is about more than the combined work of individual charities.
Phishing is the fraudulent act of emailing a person to get their personal or financial information.
These emails often include a link to a bogus website encouraging you to enter your personal details.
In 1969, the National Children’s Bureau published the ground breaking study Born to Fail? It showed how poverty damaged children’s lives, resulting in poor health and underachievement at school. Distressingly, the inequality that they found 50 years ago still persists today. In many cases it is getting worse:
ACEVO wants to gather anonymous information about clauses in governmet grants and contracts that restrict or prohibit funds being used for advocacy and/or public affairs work, or that make reference to the grant-maker's reputation.
Two examples of such clauses are:
"The provider shall, shall not do anything (by act or omission) that would, or would be reasonably likely to:
(i) damage the reputation of the Authority or the Contractor;
Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock is setting out his ambition for every patient in the country to have access to social prescribing schemes on the NHS as readily as they do medical care.
They have supported Lord Hodgson’s recommendations to reform the Lobbying Act and other electoral law for non-party campaigners. They have also worked to get government to make sure grants and contracts don’t constrain charities’ right to campaign.
The event will bring together a range of organisations from communities across the UK - including members of the Online Centres Network, other organisations delivering digital inclusion activity, national partners, funders and stakeholders - and more.
Good mental health is vital in allowing young people to learn, build resilience and develop the skills they need to grow into well-rounded, healthy adults. But how can we ensure that schools, colleges and universities are nurturing environments which promote their wellbeing?
The Baring Foundation is pleased to announce funding for a new sector support body for the creative ageing field has been awarded to a partnership led by Manchester Museums.
The Baring Foundation is backing the creation of an agency that will advocate for and support the cultural sector to be more age friendly.
Since 2010, the Baring Foundation has dedicated its arts funding to work with older people. David Cutler, Director of the Baring Foundation said:
Public Health England (PHE), in partnership with the NHS, has launched Every Mind Matters to help people take simple steps to look after their mental health, improve their mental wellbeing and support others.
Minister for Civil Society Baroness Barran announced the funding, which aims to support frontline, grassroots organisations that bring people together and help them build social connections. These could include community cafés, street parties, coffee mornings or local walking groups.
For the worker experiencing symptoms:
For their employer:
JRF want to inspire action and change to solve UK poverty, but they know there’s a lot of work to do if more people are to understand it and call more loudly for solutions.
Power to Change commissioned Kantar Public in early 2018 to conduct a ‘hyperlocal’ version of the national Community Life Survey in seven locations in England.
Date: Thursday 31 October
Time: 11.00am – 12.00pm
Date: Tuesday 22 October
Time: 2.30pm – 3.30pm
The grants HMPPS is offering are for activity over two years (April 2020– March 2022) and are aimed at supporting rehabilitation of people in the criminal justice system. They are open to voluntary sector organisations to support the piloting of new services, approaches or extending/developing current programmes. This means the grants cannot be used to fund existing work.
The Office for Civil Society (OCS) – part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport – has issued a newsletter dedicated to helping civil society organisations to prepare to leave the European Union on 31 October.
The newsletter includes:
Cascading Leadership is a free peer-to-peer leadership development programme for voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations working in health and wellbeing. It enables VCS leaders to share their extensive and varied expertise with peers, to talk about some of the challenges they face and to plan new ways of working.
Safeguarding should be a core value of every voluntary organisation and considered a personal responsibility of everyone working in them, NCVO today urged.
So they are giving away hundreds of thousands of trees to schools and communities.
The #iwill Fund is an England wide joint investment that brings together £40 million in funding from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and The National Lottery Community Fund, creating a central investment pot.
The government has opened a consultation on sexual harassment in the workplace and the legal protections available under the Equalities Act 2010. This has the potential to change how organisations safeguard and support not only their staff but also their volunteers.
The role of external suppliers in delivering services to the public and to government has been expanded significantly over the past 40 years. Their report assesses where outsourcing has worked and where it has not, and why, and makes recommendations on how to improve the way government contracts out services.
In March 2019, Public Health England convened a workshop to explore the employer demand for an advanced level apprenticeship (level 3, see academic levels) for community-centred roles (such as social prescribers, link workers, community connectors, health trainers, and other similar roles).
Anne Longfield, the Children’s Commissioner for England, has published ‘Guess How Much We Love You: A Manifesto for Children’ ahead of any upcoming General Election.
The mission of the Institute for Community Studies is to include the voices and improve and inform the efforts of all people working in and with their communities across the UK.
THE EXTENT OF THE CRISIS
Comparing local authority funding across time is complicated as the composition of funding has changed, as well as the demographics and needs of the populations local authorities serve. Nevertheless, our indicative estimates find:
The Making Tax Digital scheme will soon be mandatory for all organisations that process tax – Charity Digital News have found a list of resources where charities can go to find out all the details and comply.
From October 1st this year, tax is going digital for all charities. The Government is enforcing major new rules about how organisations process and submit tax and payments, with a strong emphasis on digital processes and tools.
Buried among the unprecedented constitutional turmoil in Westminster today, the chancellor delivered a fast-tracked one-year ‘spending round’, with the eagerly awaited full multi-year ‘
The PHE Strategy 2020 to 2025 sets out how Public Health England will work to protect and improve the public’s health and reduce health inequalities over the next 5 years.
The Charity Commission have updated guidance on Independent examination of charity accounts: guidance for trustees.
This guidance gives trustees the information they need to:
Sexual harassment is any unwanted conduct of a sexual nature that makes you feel intimidated, degraded, humiliated or offended.
The Equality Act 2010 says that employers are legally responsible if an employee is sexually harassed at work by another employee, and the employer had not taken all steps they could to prevent it from happening.
Why is the consultation happening?
The Gathering will bring together a huge range of people with a shared interest in social impact, social accounting or social enterprise. It will take place at the aptly named Impact Hub Birmingham, 58 Oxford Street, Digbeth, Birmingham B5 5NR. The venue is a short walk from Birmingham New Street and Moor Street Stations.
Today, a record number of people are in work. More people are experiencing the benefits that good work can bring. But far too many disabled people and people with health conditions are falling out of work, missing out on the opportunity to showcase their talents.
This briefing from Charity Finance Group provides a summary of the main announcements of the Spending Round 2019, including those of particular interest to the charity sector.
Many of the world’s problems are getting bigger, not smaller. It is becoming clear that in order for us to find long term solutions to these problems we need to put ego aside, think big and invest in the new generation of brilliant and ambitious leaders who care as much about creating change as they do about inspiring others to do the same.
Civil society organisations provide support, advice and services. However, another vital role for the social sector is to amplify the voices of the communities and causes we serve. People and issues that are too often ignored or unheard by those in positions of power. A thriving civil society is an indicator of a healthy democracy.
It reveals turnover, membership and employee figures for thousands of co‑op businesses across the UK. The 2019 report reveals:
The CSJ Awards is an annual, high profile award ceremony that honours the best grassroot, poverty-fighting charities and social enterprises across Britain. Six winners will receive a £10,000 grant and be profiled in front of hundreds of leading figures from across the country.
The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) exists to prevent and tackle poverty across Britain.
Over half the voluntary sector workforce (51%) is educated to degree level, researchers found, while over 70% of voluntary organisations put ‘critical’ or ‘significant’ value on applicants having relevant work experience.
Please respond today and tell them about your experiences and opinions. Early responses are appreciated.
About the survey
The guide has been an amazing success since its launch in 2016, proving popular with voluntary organisations, social enterprises, funders, commissioners and policymakers.
People say it is:
Social prescribing – where a person is referred to a link worker who then works with them to identify and link them to activities to improve health and wellbeing- can connect communities and healthcare. It is a way to support people’s wellbeing and quality of life while reducing pressure on the NHS. It links patients to community based activities, rather than simply prescribing them medicine.
"Devastating, cumulative cuts”: UK poverty and destitution levels a choice that could be unmade.
The Work and Pensions Committee publish its report on Welfare safety net.
Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales is searching for a passionate, dynamic and experienced small charity leader to help transform and strengthen small charities and the future of the sector through a 12-month secondment role.
From 1st October 2019 all UK charities will be required to submit their taxes through HMRC compliant software, as part of the “Making Tax Digital” initiative.
Tax reliefs offered to UK charities urgently need an overhaul, according to a new report from a group led by the former chairman of the Inland Revenue (later HMRC).
They come in all shapes and sizes and share the following features:
Has your voluntary, community or social enterprise group done some amazing patient, service user or carer involvement work that has improved healthcare services?
If so, we want you to tell us about it. In fact, we want to support you to tell everyone about it!
The Social Metrics Commission was founded in 2016 to develop a new approach to poverty measurement. In response to the fact that the UK no longer had an official measure of poverty for children, adults or pensioners, its ambition was to develop metrics that both better reflected the nature and experiences of poverty that different families in the UK have, and which could be used to build a consensus around poverty measurement and action in the UK.
Government’s vision for building a stronger sense of belonging and shared prosperity within local communities.
Communities Secretary Rt Hon. James Brokenshire today (20 July 2019) laid out the government’s vision for building a stronger sense of belonging and shared prosperity within local communities.
With 3.5 Billion people on social media, it’s easy for charities to feel like they’re making a small splash in a big pond. No matter the size, scope or mission of your charity, your online community is out there waiting to become advocates for your organisation.
The National Lottery Community Fund has launched a new £100 million Climate Action Fund that will enable people and communities to take the lead in tackling the climate emergency.
The new fund, from the largest funder of community activity in the UK, will build a network of people and communities, well-placed to drive change within, between and beyond their community.
Tech can be alienating or divisive for those that are isolated, so we want to help civil society translate their knowledge into good ideas for new ways to connect people.
Held every September at Manchester Central, it attracts around 5,000 people from the NHS, social care, local government, the third sector and the commercial sector.
Expo 2019, on 4-5 September, is focused on bringing the NHS Long Term Plan to life.
The Catalyst sets out to revolutionise how we tackle social and environmental issues in the UK: reshaping organisations to be more responsive to the communities they serve; more resilient; and more collaborative in the creation and scaling of solutions.
They are a coalition of major foundations, digital design agencies, civil society bodies and the UK government, seeking to massively accelerate the use of digital in the UK's voluntary and charity sector.
Research undertaken for the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as part of their year-long “Declare Your Care” campaign has revealed those from a black and minority ethnic (BME) background are less likely than those from a non-BME background to raise concerns about the standard of care they receive, particularly in relation to mental health.
Following the publication of the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England and NHS Improvement committed to publishing an implementation framework, setting out further detail on how it would be delivered.
Local systems are working hard to develop their five-year strategic plans. These plans will clearly describe the population needs and case for change in each area, then propose practical actions that the system will take to deliver the commitments set out in the NHS Long Term Plan.
The £5 million Carers Innovation Fund will invest in innovative ways of supporting unpaid carers, outside of mainstream health and care services.
The GSK IMPACT Awards provide funding, training and development for charities doing excellent work to improve people's health and wellbeing.
They are funded by GSK and managed in partnership with The King's Fund. The awards are open to registered charities that are at least three years old, working in a health-related field in the UK, with a total annual income of between £80,000 and £2.5 million.
In September 2019, for the first time since 1982, the world’s best cyclists will come to Yorkshire for the UCI Road World Championships. This major international event will include a range of men’s and women’s races, across age groups and will include for the first-time, para-cycling. Yorkshire is aiming to deliver the most inclusive, innovative and inspiring Road World Championships in the history of the UCI.
The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award given to volunteer groups across the UK.
This year the Queen’s Award results were announced on the 2nd June - the anniversary of Her Majesty’s Coronation. Greater Manchester enjoyed another successful year with 35 organisations being awarded (full list here). Congratulations to all awardees.
In March 2018, the Carnegie UK Trust brought together a Kindness Innovation Network of people and professionals from across Scotland who had an interest in encouraging kindness in their organisations and communities. At the same time, the Trust began working in partnership with North Ayrshire Council to embed kindness as a value throughout the local authority and region.
The Community and Education Awards award the unsung heroes, who despite adversity, go above and beyond in their community or within education to positively shape those around them.
Is there someone at your primary school or secondary school that always goes to infinity and beyond for your community?
Is there someone you would like to thank for giving you a helping hand when you needed it most?
Since 1996, the UK Civil Society Almanac is the definitive resource on the state of the voluntary sector.
Drawing on a range of sources, the Almanac produces insights on what voluntary organisations do, their income and spending, workforce, volunteers and the sector's impact.
Superhighways was awarded funding from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to offer training, advice and resources that small charity leaders can use to get important conversations started, make strategic decisions and build digital capability.
The Superhighways Digital Leadership 101 initiative partnership includes NAVCA, the FSI and London Plus, who have contributed to a comprehensive series of blogs offering tips and advice across a range of digital topics.
Following the success of the inaugural William Sutton Prize, Clarion Housing Group has today announced that applications are open for the second year of the scheme.
Clarion is seeking applications from individuals or organisations presenting an innovative concept, product or service that will have a positive social impact on a community.
Homeless Link and Homeless Justice are working in partnership to reach out and hear directly from small charities (under £1m income), community groups and/or faith-based groups working on homelessness.
They want to hear about your experiences locally, your views on the Government’s Rough Sleeping Strategy and the challenges and opportunities you are facing.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) leads across government on data-related policy issues, both within Government and the wider economy. This is a broad, wide-reaching remit and we will be in a continual process of engagement throughout the Strategy development to ensure that views across society, economy and government are taken into account.
The Office for Civil Society, with support from the Cabinet Office has written a guide for voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations considering selling to central and local government or becoming part of the supply chain for delivering public services.
National Association of Link Workers Code of Practice for employers of social prescribing link workers and social prescribing link workers sets the core standards expected of high quality social prescribing practice.
Greater Manchester’s ambitious Local Industrial Strategy is designed to deliver an economy fit for the future, with prosperous communities across the city-region and radically increased productivity and earning power.
Now in its third year, the report provides an annual barometer of the state of digital skills within the charity sector.
A review has been conducted of how the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) for accounting and reporting is developed and governed.
The Charities SORP sets out financial reporting requirements that apply to most charities preparing accounts. This review assesses how the future development of the Charities SORP is governed.
They asked for views on a new draft of the code, including:
The funds have been granted by the government’s Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) in partnership with Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership to the WEA (Workers' Educational Association), an adult education charity which provides training and learning opportunities for people at risk of exclusion.
Up to £1 million is available to diversify coaches and volunteers in the sport and physical activity sector.
The Workforce Diversity Great Ideas Fund will be open for a month (from 3rd June) and we want to hear from anyone wanting to engage women and/or black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) communities in volunteering or coaching opportunities.
‘Rebalancing the relationship’ is a new project exploring how large and small voluntary organisations, bidding to deliver services, can work better with and alongside one another.
In 2017, the independent Commission on Dormant Assets reported on the feasibility of including a wider range of assets in the dormant assets scheme.
Under the Dormant Bank and Building Societies Accounts Act 2008, only assets from the banking sector can currently be transferred into the scheme.
A new brand for NCVO’s quality mark for excellence in governance and operations will help charities demonstrate their high standards, NCVO said today.
NCVO Trusted Charity, the new name for PQASSO, was launched today at an event in parliament.
The experiences of people who give their time through employer-organised or employer-supported activities, known as employer-supporter volunteering (ESV), are positive but lag behind those who arrange their own volunteering, a new report from NCVO finds.
Brevio believes that current grant-making processes are wasteful and inefficient. Charities must fill in many slightly different grant-application forms taking hours/ days to complete, often with low success rates.
They are unable to provide for themselves and their families and often left to live in poverty. Join the campaign to #LiftTheBan!
Right now, right here in the UK, people seeking refugee status are banned from working whilst they wait months, and often years, for a decision on their asylum claim.
From 1 June 2019, NHS trusts in England can bid for funding to install Changing Places facilities in NHS hospitals.
The prospectus sets out:
The Google.org Impact Challenge on Safety is a €10m fund to support organisations across Europe that are working on challenges related to hate, extremism, and child safety, both online and offline. By funding new and existing community projects across Europe, Google hope to support initiatives to counter hate and extremism and help young people to become confident digital citizens.
It’s been over a year since GDPR came into force, but what impact have the new regulations had in reality?
With 2018 seeing the biggest ever fines issued by the ICO, Charities are under increasing pressure to protect both their finances and theirreputation from a GDPR breach.
Based on in-depth research across local government, the report paints a mixed picture – one in which real progress is being made by forward-thinking local authorities but where the transformative potential of social value is not being fully realised.
This two-day collaborative conference will provide an exciting opportunity to hear the latest research and thinking on the implementation and practice of social prescribing around the world. We will be hearing how social prescribing is being implemented in Canada, the Netherlands, Singapore, and Finland as well as understanding progress in the home countries of the UK.
Their aim is to explore how digital can enable them to provide small grants to small VCSE organisations in an easy way.
Before groups register for the grants pilot they need to complete a short questionnaire. This will help Doit.Foundation to plan the pilot and their wider small grants programme.
The questionnaire will run until 30th June 2019.
Social enterprises are organisations that are not principally motivated by profit or commercial return. Instead, they have a social purpose to achieve community benefit through the organisation – a social return. Most profits will be reinvested in the enterprise to help it fulfil its social purpose.
About the Webinar:
An improved understanding of your audience and your content goals can help your charity be more effective on social media and engage the right people at the right time.
On Thursday 16th May at 1 pm join non-profit social media experts Lightful as they share tips on how to include effective personalisation in your social media posting habits.
These tips focus on how services are delivered, rather than what they deliver. The aim is to help you plan and implement projects so that they work more effectively to reduce loneliness.
The findings are based on monthly interviews and includes a yearly total of more than 12,000 individual interviews. The report will help you understand who gives to charity, what causes they support and how they like to support them.
The England Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT) has funds available to enable local organisations to access grants that actively reduce crime and disorder and raise awareness of loan sharks.
The Fund is formed of money seized from illegal money lenders under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) and is awarded to groups who wish to invest in local community projects.
Skills Platform are delighted to announce that the Charity Digital Skills Report research is now underway!
This online seminar is designed for voluntary sector organisations interested in health and wellbeing, to bring them up to speed with the latest developments in the NHS.
Ecclesiastical have now launched their Movement for Good Charity Grant event in which they are offering 500 grants of £1000 along with 10 grants of £50,000
The Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) is an independent statutory body, funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). It is the UK Government’s advisory body on social security matters. In addition to providing advice and assistance to the Secretary of State, it performs mandatory scrutiny of most secondary legislation laid before Parliament that underpin the welfare system.
Last month, successful applicants from the first round of funding saw £200,000 awarded to LGBT voluntary and community organisations across England.
This new toolkit is aimed at those organisations wishing to equip themselves with tools to prepare for Brexit and engage with the decision-makers in the process. This could either be through lobbying around specific pieces of Brexit legislation or making sure members and activists are equipped to engage with key areas in the Brexit process.
Doctors’ leaders have warned that thousands of cancer patients were left waiting weeks for treatment this winter according to the NHS’s own data. New BMA analysis1 also revealed that other key parts of hospital care in England missed critical targets by the largest margin on record.
An NHS programme has seen GP practices free up more than half a million hours of time for patients in the last year.
Anne Longfield, the Children’s Commissioner for England, had published a report looking at the amount spent on “low-level” mental health support for children in England.
Nfp Synergy's new report with the People's Post Code Lottery highlights how fundraising limits affect charity lotteries- and ultimately hurt smaller charities.
It explores the fundraising environment for small charities, examines charity lottery regulation and its impacts, as well as analysing attitudes toward charity lottery limits among MPs and the general public.
Tom Watson, Business and Communications Lead at NAVCA (National Association for Voluntary and Community Action) talks about their work with the National Centre for Cyber Security and their simple tips for keeping your small charity safe online:
The ways in which charities and voluntary sector groups are using digital to support their work is growing everyday; from using online HR Systems, to online finance apps, social media to cloud data storage, the list is pretty much endless.
Sam Boyle, Policy and Information Officer at the IoF, talks through what has changed and why they felt the need to update it:
Inspiring Impact is on a mission to make good impact practice the norm by creating a culture of continuous improvement among voluntary organisations.
The Civil Society Strategy committed the government to use its buying power to drive social change. Central government will, in future, take better account of social benefits in the award of its contracts.
Applications are currently being accepted for the Transform Foundation’s 2019 Charity Website Grant Programme, which offers £18,000 grants to fund the design and build of a new website for charities in the UK and Ireland.
The programme has so far helped charities raise more than £14m in donations.
But it has a diversity problem.
By 2027 they want to fix this.
The new, 12-month salaried programme takes brilliant frontline workers from working-class communities, and prepares them for decision-making roles in grant-making organisations.
Each year CAF survey charity leaders to understand the challenges they face, and to assess the impact these challenges have on the sector’s ability to meet the needs of its beneficiaries.
Formerly known as the Social Landscape report, this year's survey reveals a complex mixture of hope, fear and resilience; against an ongoing backdrop of uncertainty and change.
So they are giving away hundreds of thousands of trees to schools and communities.
They are currently taking applications for trees to be delivered in November 2019. Please note that responses to applications may take a few weeks due to current high demand.
It enables:
People will now be able to get support from the charity as they submit their Universal Credit application to get their first full payment.
Your charity’s distinctive status is important. It allows certain freedoms and benefits, including tax reliefs. But its status also places important limits on your charity. To protect it, you and your co-trustees must be able to show that everything your charity does helps to achieve the purposes for which it is set up, for the public benefit.
Public Health England (PHE) has today, Tuesday 5 March 2019, launched the major new national campaign ‘Cervical Screening Saves Lives’, to increase the number of women attending their cervical screening across England.
Commissioned by Janssen, this report by The King's Fund examines the pursuit of outcomes by mental health services.
Previous research found people with mental health problems are more likely to struggle with essential services, and support offered by providers is inadequate.
The Peer Support Hub is an online bank of high quality, curated resources for people looking to measure, evaluate, sustain and grow different types of peer support programmes.
Resources can be in a wide range of formats including reports, toolkits, videos, presentations and journal articles.
How much you pay to abide by the National Minimum and Living wage, how you issue payslips, and how much you contribute to pensions will all change in April, so it’s really important to act now for your charity to be prepared.
Collaborative work between NCVO, ACEVO and Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales, will explore how voluntary organisations of different sizes can work better together in bidding for and delivering public services.
The Minister said it is vital that all charity employees and volunteers are able to spot warning signs of unacceptable behaviour, bullying and harassment and know how to handle and report concerns.
Following reports that primary schools in Manchester have been contacted by parents unhappy over sex and relationships lessons that teach children about LGBT rights, LGBT Foundation’s Chief Executive Paul Martin OBE has today written a public letter to schools in Greater Manchester setting out why LGBT inclusive education is so important.
The Digital 5 A Day provides a simple framework that reflects the concerns of parents/ carers as well as children’s behaviours and needs. It can also act as a base for family agreements about internet and digital device use throughout both the holidays and term time.
The Coalfields Regeneration Trust has spent the past 2 years meeting and consulting with their member organisations across the English Coalfield regions to better understand the needs in coalfield communities.
The Ticket Bank is for charities and community organisations that want to improve access to the arts for their service users; or as a reward for their service users/beneficiaries.
They are keen to work with anyone that supports individuals facing barriers to attending events and who are less likely to have engaged in arts and cultural activities.
The equivalent of 1.3m new volunteers stepped forward for the first time in the past year, with social issues such as community cuts, concern for older people and disconnection from communities being significant motivators.
The United Kingdom (UK) will leave the European Union (EU) on 29 March 2019.
Leaving the EU means a number of changes that will affect businesses and individual citizens.
Use the information below to find out how to prepare and the steps you may need to take:
Giving World have launched a brand new website to make it even easier for charities and other not-for-profit organisations to receive free resources, courtesy of businesses donating their surplus stocks.
Giving World receives goods from businesses all over the country, and advertises the items on the website for charities to request to help pass on to their beneficiaries.
This year, for the first time, the MS Society are also running a MS family & friends survey, alongside My MS My Needs.
The guide is intended for people and organisations leading local implementation of social prescribing.
The Mental Capacity Act is designed to protect and empower people who may currently lack the mental capacity to make their own decisions about their care and treatment. It also facilitates people who have capacity to make preparations for a time when they may lack capacity in the future.
Applications are open now, closing on Friday 8 March.
If you’re an EU citizen, you and your family will be able to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living in the UK after 30 June 2021. If your application is successful, you’ll get either settled or pre-settled status.
The Charity Commission requires charities to report serious incidents. If a serious incident takes place within your charity, it is important that there is prompt, full and frank disclosure to the Commission. You need to report what happened and, importantly, let the Commission know how you are dealing with it, even if you have also reported it to the police, donors or another regulator.
Internal financial controls are essential checks and procedures that help charity trustees:
This set of recommended standards and accompanying guidance will help non-statutory organisations in England that work with children and young people up to the age of 25, to put clear safeguarding arrangements in place.
Principles should be viewed as a benchmark of good practice, and are complementary to existing sector codes
Endorsement of the principles is voluntary, but NCVO encourages all charities to reflect them in their work and decision making
The Community Led Homes Programme – managed by 4 leading housing charities – will provide local people with funding to kickstart community-led housing developments that will benefit their neighbourhood.
The Public Health Outcomes Framework (PHOF) was established in 2012 and its indicators are reviewed every 3 years. Public Health England (PHE) is planning to update the PHOF in the summer 2019, to ensure that it continues to be relevant and meets the needs of users.
The LGBT+ Consortium is pleased to announce the launch of LGBT+ Futures Fund small grants programme to support LGBT+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans+) voluntary and community organisations across England.
Applications are now open, with the deadline for receiving applications Wednesday 6th March at 5pm.
This year, they are holding two special voting rounds of the Bags of Help community project funding scheme across England, Scotland and Wales, called Bags of Help Centenary Grants.
Victims of domestic abuse, homelessness or substance abuse, will be supported to return to work by a new government fund, launched today (7 Feb) by the Minister for Women and Equalities Penny Mordaunt.
People’s Postcode Lottery is urging charities and community groups across Southern England, Scotland & Wales to apply for funding, through People’s Postcode Trust’s Small Grants programme.
The current funding round is open to charities and organisations in Southern England (excluding London & Greater London), Scotland & Wales until 1 May.
In the first of two discussion papers, NPC focus on charities’ role in influencing change in the prison system. They share our early findings from conversations across the sector with policymakers, parliamentarians charities and funders. And propose a framework for thinking about how charities bring about change.
Data protection has always been historically important, from Caesar’s cipher device to our modern data protection laws. Data protection is a core area of a charity’s operations and the implementation of the GDPR by the European Union in May 2018 means that charities need to understand and implement regulation effectively and efficiently. Effective and efficient data management is so much more than simply knowing what data is coming in and what your charity is doing with it.
Time to Talk Day 2019 is taking place on Thursday 7 February.
This year’s Time to Talk Day is all about bringing together the right ingredients, to have a conversation about mental health. Whether that’s tea, biscuits and close friends or a room full of people challenging mental health stigma, we want you to get talking.
The Big Lunch is about millions of people getting together to share food, have fun and get to know each other better. It's a simple idea - that for a few glorious hours, cars stop, shyness stops and neighbours come together in the street to meet, greet, share, swap, sing, plan and laugh.
A new report suggests that volunteering could be a powerful way for young people to overcome feelings of isolation.
Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Comic Relief have renewed their commitment to supporting not for profit organisations who are using technology to deliver new ideas and make their services more effective, with funding totalling £2.4 million. After co-funding two rounds of Tech for Good in 2017 and 2018, we have once again joined forces to continue running the programme for another three years to 2021.
Five per cent of UK adults don’t believe the Holocaust – the intentional murder of six million Jews by the Nazis and their collaborators – really happened and one in 12 (8%) say the scale of the Holocaust has been exaggerated, according to research released on Holocaust Memorial Day (Sunday 27 January 2019).
Mobile technology is now an essential part of modern business, with more of our data being stored on tablets and smartphones. What's more, these devices are now as powerful as traditional computers, and because they often leave the safety of the office (and home), they need even more protection than 'desktop' equipment.
A lot has changed since it was created in 1948, and today the NHS is responding to changes in society that were never expected, let alone planned for.
The Government has announced additional funding for the NHS and this means they can plan to make the NHS fit for the future for patients, their families and our staff.
The draft Environment Bill published today by the Government does not go far enough to tackle the serious environmental challenges we face or provide legal certainty for the future of our natural world, say The Wildlife Trusts. And nor does the accompanying policy note.
The Bill and policy note fall short in a number of ways:
Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) takes place each year on 27 January.
Green-fingered communities across England can now bid for a share of £1 million fund to help develop their own ‘pocket parks’.
Pocket parks are small plots of land, often about the size of a tennis court, and mostly seen in urban spaces. They provide a green oasis which can help improve the physical and mental health of the communities using them.
There are so many organisations, tools and websites, it can be difficult to know where to look.
We’ve all been there. Chatting at a family dinner or social gathering, and the ‘so what do you do?’ question comes up. ‘I work for a charity’ you reply, to be met with umpteen opinions and factoids about how to do your job, fundraising, or charities generally.
Against a backdrop of growing need and a shrinking state, the social sector needs effective answers and solutions. NPC has launched a commitment by charities, funders and infrastructure bodies to work in a way that emphasises place as a positive way to achieve the changes we are all working towards.
The DigitalAgenda Impact Awards celebrate digital innovations that improve people’s lives and the world around us. They are open to any business, government or non-profit using digital products or services for positive social or environmental benefit.
The Impact Awards, now in their third year, are open to any UK-operating businesses, government or non-profit using digital products or services for positive social or environmental benefit.
Small charities are optimistic about their prospects in 2019 despite increasing uncertainty. The majority (84%) of its leaders expect to maintain or increase organisational income in 2019 and over three quarters say they plan to help more people. However, this optimism does not appear to be borne out of stability for the sector, as two-thirds report more uncertainty in their operating environments than in previous years.
Social Enterprise UK, with the support of Power to Change, The Cordant Group, Engie and Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales are undertaking a research project on how social value is being used within central and local government.
The project will develop unique insight into the impact of the Social Value Act to date, and propose recommendations for the future.
Less than a quarter of larger charities accurately reported the level of financial reserves they hold in their trustees’ annual report, according to a review by the Charity Commission.
Established to celebrate and support ambitious charities working in the fields of Youth, Welfare and Community, we are looking for charities who would like mentoring and coaching support to get their organisation to the next stage in its development. This year the Awards are will support 20 charities across the North, the Midlands and Wales.
Expressions of interest are now open for year 2 of ‘Thrive – Access to Employment’, an accelerator programme which provides intensive support to social ventures wanting to scale up quickly.
Government launches new fund to help communities celebrate the contribution of the Windrush Generation
Councils and community groups have a chance to bid for a share of up to £500,000 to fund celebrations
NCVO have published the text of two letters sent by NCVO to the prime minister and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, seeking clarification around the use of 'adverse publicity' clauses in government contracts.
Loneliness is one of the greatest public health challenges of our time, Theresa May said today as she launched the first cross-Government strategy to tackle it.
The Prime Minister confirmed all GPs in England will be able to refer patients experiencing loneliness to community activities and voluntary services by 2023.
CSI works for all third sector organisations involved in European funding programmes to facilitate a healthy exchange of knowledge and make sure that their voice is heard at national level.
On the 12 November 2018 the service you use to update your charity details is changing.
Trustees of all charities have a legal obligation to keep the details on the charity register accurate and up to date.
This helps maintain public trust and confidence in the charity sector, and enables the Commission, as the regulator, to contact you with important regulatory information.
Responding to today’s Budget, IPPR North Director Sarah Longlands said:
Karl Wilding's presentation outlining NCVO’s thinking on how Brexit will shape the landscape for the voluntary sector, what we can do to prepare for all eventualities and what it might mean in the longer term. Presented at the VONNE Conference, 18 October 2018
The accompanying slides for this presentation are available here.
Like any other sector, charities are not immune to criminal abuse from fraudsters. Fraud poses a serious risk to valuable funds and sensitive data, and can damage the good reputation of charities, affecting public trust and confidence in the sector as a whole.
Fraud is a serious problem that you can’t afford to ignore. Charities can, and should do more, to be fraud-aware.
NCVO, CharityComms, Small Charities Coalition, FSI, the Institute of Fundraising and Acevo are asking charities to thank their supporters and show the difference they have helped to make using #YouMadeItHappen on 19th November.
Once more SEUK is running the #WhoKnew campaign and they want you to get involved!
In an open letter to Downing Street, the organisations have demanded that the Government recognise compelling evidence that the services and support that children and young people rely on are at breaking point.
We all know that effective governance makes a difference. And by sharing examples of inspirational trustees and brilliant boards we want to show how great governance and doing good go hand-in-hand.
The move is a key step in delivering the Fund’s digital ambitions outlined in its ‘Supporting Charities and Community Organisations Strategy’[1]. It follows recognition that more could be done to enable charities and groups to make the most of digital opportunities.
Comic Relief are excited to launch this funding opportunity focussed on strengthening women’s and girls’ movements.
They believe that the material and practical considerations of women and girls’ daily lives will only be significantly improved when we have full and equal power in decision making at all levels.
A home is a fundamental human need and a basic moral right, as vital as education or healthcare.
But in Britain today, that right is being denied to millions of people whose lives are blighted by homelessness, bad conditions, soaring rents, discrimination and the threat of eviction.
In an online survey, charities were asked to comment on the resourcing of their core functions such as finance, human resources, IT, safeguarding and legal support, and 233 responded.
Your answers will help them to better understand the needs of the sector.
The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment is an international human rights treaty adopted by the United Nations that entered into force in 1987. Its purpose is to prevent the use of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (ill-treatment).
The Health and Social Care Committee will be holding an evidence session in October on the impact of a no-deal Brexit on health and social care.
Ahead of the session, the Committee is inviting written submissions from all interested parties, setting out:
Three quarters of UK households (74%) have used a charity in the last 12 months, though three out of every 10 people did not realise they were using one, according to new research from the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF).
While there has been some reassurance from Government, the overall picture suggests that, as it currently stands, Brexit will have a negative impact for charities.
The Code of Fundraising Practice outlines the standards expected of charitable fundraisers across the UK. It is a key part of maintaining public trust and confidence in the sector, providing reassurance for the public that charitable organisations hold themselves accountable and that they will handle complaints appropriately.
The programme aims to amplify the voices of individuals and groups who are calling for an end to sexual harassment and abuse, in their workplaces and in their communities.
The directors of the CIC will need to produce a conversion resolution which confirms that the members of the CIC wish to convert the CIC into a CIO under the Charitable Incorporated Organisations (Conversion) Regulations which came into force on 1 September 2018.
It is funded by the Growth Fund, which was set up by the Big Lottery Fund and Big Society Capital, to support social investors committed to meeting the funding needs of charities and social enterprises.
The Enterprise Development Programme is a five year programme, providing a broad range of support for charities and social enterprises in England, helping them make a transition to new enterprise models, or grow existing ones.
Two year-long pilots of the Programme have launched in September 2018 for charities and social enterprises working in the Youth and Homelessness sectors.
The Information Commissioner is reminding organisations to be transparent with people’s personal information, after a survey revealed trust and confidence in how organisations handle personal data is still low, despite an improvement across sectors.
While there has been some reassurance from Government, the overall picture suggests that, as it currently stands, Brexit will have a negative impact for charities.
£1 million Digital Skills Innovation Fund will help people from underrepresented groups gain the skills they need to work in digital roles.
An additional £400,000 will help older and disabled people get life-changing digital skills.
Primary care and mental health services are seeing an increase in clients with practical problems that take up significant clinical time.
If so NHS England want you to tell them about it. In fact, they want to support you to tell everyone about it.
NHS England will be awarding grants of up to £2,500 to a number of projects that showcase good practice around patient and citizen involvement in healthcare.
The NHS has just celebrated its 70th birthday.
A lot has changed since it was created in 1948, and as a result the NHS is responding to changes in society that were never expected, let alone planned for, when it was set up 70 years ago.
UK charities hold funds, personal, financial and commercial data (and other information) that is of interest or monetary value to a range of cyber criminals and other groups.
Click here to see the full list of shortlisted applicants.
The four charity regulators in the UK and Republic of Ireland have decided to hold a governance review of the constitution and composition of the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) committee and the SORP making process.
Eligible charities and community organisations from across England can apply for up to £80,000 from the Building Connections Fund Youth strand, to expand or enhance their work tackling youth loneliness.
The government’s new civil society strategy has delivered a range of positive announcements, but implementation will be key, said the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, which represents charities and volunteering.
Commenting, Sir Stuart Etherington, chief executive of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, said:
Last year the Charity Commission consulted with the charity sector about the annual return for 2018.
The service is available to adults across North West England, who have sight loss, and who may benefit from a regular chat with somebody.
Agreement has been reached between the National Employers and the NJC Trade Union Side on rates of pay applicable from 1 April 2018 and 1 April 2019.
UNISON and GMB both voted to accept whilst Unite voted to reject. However, in line with the Constitution of the NJC, Unite accepts the collective majority decision of the other unions that the pay award should now be implemented.
Practical examples of how organisations have secured senior buy-in for their programme and overcome risk and strategic challenges. Interactive discussion about the approach to measurement of impact and building the Strategic Case and information about the tools and resources available to support this. Intention is for this to be interactive, real life examples and practical solutions to take away.
This Call for Evidence is to improve understanding of:
What are employers doing, if anything, to create fair opportunities for ex-offenders to compete for jobs within their organisations in the UK?
What information or support would help employers to make the decision to remove the criminal conviction declaration tick-box from their job application forms?
National Citizen Service Trust (NCST)* are inviting organisations to join one of their six discovery events which they are hosting during August 2018. At these events NCST will be communicating their shared vision for the future and providing information about our forthcoming procurement for the 2020 Programme.
The Charity Digital Code of Practice aims to help charities increase impact, develop skills and improve sustainability, based around 7 principles. Its steering group are looking for input on the draft Code, and have launched an online consultation.
Last year The Charity Commission consulted with the charity sector about the annual return for 2018.
Now’s the Time is the second programme from the Justice and Equality Fund managed by Rosa. The programme aims to amplify the voices of individuals and groups who are calling for an end to sexual harassment and abuse, in their workplaces and in their communities.
Funding applications will only be accepted between 1st and 15th August.
Community groups will be able to apply for grants from £500 to £20,000 from the funding pot.
People can choose from three options – ‘Starting a New Claim’, ‘Managing your Claim’, and ‘Solving Problems’ to find out more about their rights, including information on job search, the claimant commitment, in-work conditionality, sanctions, and more.
Civil society really matters – it is a valuable and essential part of our daily lives, bringing people together, building their confidence and capability, offering a helping hand to those in crisis, delivering services, challenging injustice.
In a fragile and turbulent world, volunteers are active in every major shock and stress situation experienced by communities – from earthquakes and flooding to climate change and local conflicts.
End Hunger UK have launched a national petition, designed to send a powerful message to the Prime Minister – it's time to fix Universal Credit.
1 - 2 November 2018, Liverpool
#duenorth5
The Fifth Annual North of England Inequalities Conference will be held in Liverpool on Thursday 1 and Friday 2 November 2018.
This House of Commons Library paper describes the principles behind Housing First and outlines some of the evidence behind it. The paper also sets out how Housing First has developed in the UK, and what support that it has been offered by the governments of the UK, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Government recently announced extra funding for the NHS in England and committed to developing a long term plan for the service. ‘Priorities for the plan’ is designed to support officials preparing the long term plan and other policies to improve health and care.
The rules about automatic disqualification for trustees are changing, more reasons are being added and the rules will also apply to some charity senior manager positions (chief executives and finance directors - and those in equivalent roles).
The Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) has today launched a public consultation on proposals for moving all existing claimants of a working age income-related benefit to Universal Credit.
All charities must keep their details up-to-date by law. The commission will be improving the current service so you can keep a regular check on your details, and update them when they change.
The £11.5 million Building Connections Fund is a partnership between Government, Big Lottery Fund and the Co-op Foundation which was set up in response to the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness to support projects that prevent or reduce loneliness.
The fund aims to:
In partnership with Sport England, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is calling for applications to the new Integrated Communities Innovation Fund. The first stage invites short expressions of interest by 11.45pm on 20 August 2018.
Reporting of serious safeguarding incidents by charities continues to increase, according to the Charity Commission. The regulator has published an update on the work of its interim safeguarding taskforce, and has confirmed that it received 620 safeguarding related reports in April and May 2018, compared to 196 during the same period in 2017.
New laws and high profile investigations have helped put data protection and privacy at the centre of the UK public’s consciousness like never before, the Information Commissioner has said.
The Ministry of Defence has launched its first strategy to tackle domestic abuse within the Armed Forces and defence civilian communities.
The strategy builds on existing work by the military in this area, such as providing specialist training to welfare staff, and will include the launch of a campaign to raise awareness across the Armed Forces and enhancing support for civilian staff.
2019 GSK IMPACT Awards - Core funding and free training for health charities
In a fragile and turbulent world, volunteers are active in every major shock and stress situation experienced by communities – from earthquakes and flooding to climate change and local conflicts.
The Cabinet Office have published a Call for Evidence on offender employment. They would like to get responses from as many public, private and voluntary sector employers, organisations and professionals who:
Pilotlight are looking for ambitious charities and social enterprises based in England and Wales who need support to get to the next step in their development.
By working with Pilotlight, organisations have:
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has launched the second round of funding from its grants programme to promote and support independent, innovative research and solutions focused on privacy and data protection issues.
For the last 18 months, The Social Change Project has sought to answer one critical question: what can we learn about how social change is happening today that can strengthen civil society’s future efforts?
What we have learnt is being launched today in a new report which urges civil society to unleash its “Social Power” by being much bolder and braver.
The Behavioural Insights Team believe that to some extent, funders’ behavioural biases – the facets of human psychology that lead us to make decisions that are not always economically rational – are driving their aversion to core costs.
With smaller charities struggling to attract new volunteers, supporters and donations the initiative aims to help overcome this by specifying the prize money must be used to fund an element of marketing.
Everything you say will help shape the Code, so that it enables your charity and the rest of the sector to use digital effectively.
The consultation is open from 9am on Tuesday 3 July and runs until 9am on Tuesday 25 September 2018.
Chairs and Vice Chairs of charities and non-profit organisations in England with an annual income of under £1 million.
You will:
The Charity Tax Commission has launched a consultation seeking views on whether and how the tax treatment of charities – estimated to be worth around £3.7bn a year – needs to be reformed.
To mark the 10th anniversary of their Social Investment Fund, Esmée Fairburn have written a report reflecting on the achievements, insights and lessons learned to date.
Small Charity Week celebrates and raises awareness of the essential work of the UK’s small charity sector who make an invaluable contribution to the lives of millions of individuals, communities and causes across the UK and the rest of the world.
Charities and community groups can now benefit from receiving free resources, courtesy of businesses donating their surplus stocks.
The only requirement is that the charities and community groups register at www.givingworldonline.com, there is even an option to request certain products that would truly help the local community, completely free of charge.
Since the project was commissioned by NHS England in 2016, the RSA has been working with the New Economics Foundation (NEF) to build momentum for change by supporting six NHS ‘New Care Model’ sites across England. The Health as a social movement programme has contributed to a growing inventiveness of the health system to be open to new influences to meet the daunting challenges it faces, regardless of significant extra resource.
The UK Civil Society Almanac provides a comprehensive overview of the UK voluntary sector with a lot of information on finance, workforce and volunteering.
Ahead of the Almanac 2018 launch in May, NCVO are giving a sneak preview of the latest data on motivations and barriers to volunteering.
Ms Dove, who succeeds Michael O’Toole, will work alongside government departments and the Crown Commercial Service to strengthen the sector, support the upcoming Civil Society Strategy, and encourage VSCE organisations to operate more commercially.
Claire Dove VCSE Crown Representative said:
In March 2017, there were 869,000 people working in the voluntary sector. As seen in the chart below, most were from the UK (814,000) while 33,000 were from the EU and 22,000 from the rest of the world.
We all have mental health. Good mental health is an asset that helps us to thrive. This is not just the absence of a mental health problem, but having the ability to think, feel and act in a way that allows us to enjoy life and deal with the challenges it presents. Yet it can be easy to assume that ongoing stress is the price we have to pay to keep our lives on track. It is time to challenge that assumption.
contact us
sign up
Join us
Salford CVS & Volunteer Centre
Registered address
The Old Town Hall
5 Irwell Place
Salford, M30 0FN
Tel: 0161 787 7795
Email: office@salfordcvs.co.uk
Salford CVS is the city-wide infrastructure organisation for the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector; providing specialist information, advice, development support and opportunities for influence and collaboration.
4th to 8th November 2019
