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THE WEEKLY REVIEW – THURSDAY 14 FEBRUARY 2013
THE WEEKLY REVIEW by
UK Trustee Weekly Review Sections
1. The Week That Was...
2. Governance & Management News
3. Finance & Fundraising News
4. Welfare, Equalities & Partnerships News
5. Third Sector News - UK Regions
6. Volunteering and the Third Sector
7. Technology and the Third Sector
8. Education & Training for the Third Sector
THE WEEKLY REVIEW – THURSDAY 14 FEBRUARY 2013
Trial Edition – Friday 8th Feb 2013 – Thursday 14th Feb 2013 2
The Week That Was
Welcome to the first edition of the UK Trustee Review. Our mission, at UK Trustee, is to provide quality,
insightful and bias-free information to Third Sector trustees, managers and coordinators. We believe
that quality information can change outcomes and ignite positive thinking. This is why we created
the UK Trustee Weekly Review in the first place, to become a catalyst for the awareness of wider
debates and ideas within the sector. We think that it's important for charity trustees and managers
to keep up-to-date with the latest research from think tanks, trade unions, trade associations,
Government departments and agencies along with the latest news reportage in order to maintain
a competitive 'edge' within a fast-changing sector. Therefore we hope you find our service a useful
and important tool within your organisation. Why not forward it to all your trustees, departmental
managers, executive directors or front-line staff?
This week has seen Cait Reilly back in the headlines over the Work programme, two major surveys
published – by the ONS and Cabinet Office - indicate that volunteerism is on the increase in the UK,
questions have been asked about the Third Sector having one public voice with policy-makers?
And finally a lot more on technology, training seminars and the UK Third Sector as a whole.
From the UK Trustee Team
Thursday 14th February 2013
THE WEEKLY REVIEW – THURSDAY 14 FEBRUARY 2013
Governance & Management News
LABOUR MARKET DATA SHOWS
VOLUNARTY SECTOR CHANGES
The Office of National Statistics
published January's Labour
Market Statistics, available
here, which highlighted the
make-up of the UK third sector
in employment terms.
The Third Sector Research
Centre claim the statistics
"reveal [that] the voluntary
sector's paid workforce are
increasingly made up of
temporary employees; [with]
growing numbers of people
unable to work the hours they
would like, and fewer staff
benefiting from on-the-job
training." The TSRC claims that
"the number of paid employees
in the voluntary sector [has]
increased by approximately
18,000 over July to September
2012... However, the latest LFS
(Labour Force Survey) findings
also reveal more insecure
forms of employment [exist] in
the sector, with higher levels of
part-time work and lower levels
of permanent employment
than in other sectors."
Third Sector Magazine cites the
LFS data and argues that
"analysis of the Labour Force
Survey by the Office of National
Statistics reveals there were
793,000 employees in the
sector. The number of voluntary
sector workers rose by almost
10 per cent." Third Sector claims
that the sector workforce grew
by 18,000 compared to the
previous quarter. Third Sector
also highlighted the increase in
part time employment by
arguing that "37 per cent of
[the] voluntary sector workforce
was employed on a part-time
basis - a higher proportion than
in either the public or private
sectors... The voluntary sector
[also] relied [on] more
temporary staff than other
sectors: 88 per cent of
voluntary sector employees
were on permanent contracts
compared with 92 per cent in
the public sector and 94 per
cent in the private sector."
Third Sector reported that "staff
development has also suffered
a hit, according to the figures,
because the number of
employees undertaking
training in the four weeks
leading up to the survey fell by
11,000, or 8 per cent,
compared with the previous
quarter." Third Sector quotes Sir
Stuart Etherington, head of the
National Council for Voluntary
Organisations who said that
"investing in staff development
can seem like a luxury when
time and money are tight, but
it's crucial to keep staff
engaged and deliver the best
services, and it needn't be
expensive. Taking online
courses, joining networks,
doing job swaps and allowing
staff time to volunteer can all
help develop skills and bring
new ideas to an organisation."
Charity Times claims the
findings indicated that "the
number of employees working
part-time because they cannot
find a full-time job has also
increased over this period... The
number of these employees
working part-time because
they could not find a full-time
job increased by 15,000 (36 per
cent) over the same period."
WIKIMEDIA UK TRUSTEES PLUG
EXTERNAL INTERESTS ON NOT-
FOR-PROFIT WIKIPEDIA SITE
According to Civil Society "an
independent review into the
governance of Wikimedia UK
has found that trustees have
been too involved in the day-
to-day running of the charity to
effectively govern it." The
article is a response to the
jointly commissioned working
group "Compass Partnership
between Wikimedia UK and the
Wikimedia Foundation to
undertake a review of the UK
chapter after a series of
concerns over conflicts of
interest." Published this week,
the findings outline that "the
charity was not effectively
managing its conflicts of
interest. Despite trustees
'usually' reporting conflicts they
were not always clearly
recorded. The length of time
taken to resolve the QRPedia
property ownership
(Smartphone Barcode Software
intellectual property dispute)
issue, which remains ongoing
with the project inactive,
'created the risk of outsiders
perceiving a potential conflict
of interest... The report stated
that "the charity's governance
requires a 'different' mindset to
that of a Wikimedia UK
volunteer and advised of the
importance to 'stand back from
some of the detail'."
THIRD SECTOR LEADERSHIP: IS
THERE ONE VOICE FOR THE
SECTOR?
The Third Sector Research
Centre again made headlines
this week by publishing a
discussion paper: entitled A
Strategic Lead for the Third
Sector which "takes a serious
look at possible futures for the
third sector." The paper
discusses "continuing tensions
between delivering services for
and advocating on behalf of
vulnerable groups, alongside
both collaboration and growing
competition between third
sector organisations. Given
these tensions, how could or
should a strategic and
coherent voice for the third
sector materialise?" The paper
raises "questions of leadership,
legitimacy and leverage to
debate who can or should
speak for the third sector and
on what basis."
According to Civil Society the
published report argues that
"the voluntary sector is too
diverse to unite behind a single
voice, and so leadership is
THE WEEKLY REVIEW – THURSDAY 14 FEBRUARY 2013
Trial Edition – Friday 8th Feb 2013 – Thursday 14th Feb 2013 4
likely to become increasingly
field-specific." According to
Civil Society "trying to pint point
a singular view or point of
contact in a sector that is so
diverse. 'In reality, 'the sector'
houses a highly diverse
collection of groups,
organisations and individuals."
Civil Society, citing the report,
claims "research among
charitable organisations...
Suggest that field-specific
umbrella groups are sometimes
seen as more relevant than
bodies which try to represent
the whole sector."
Third Sector Magazine cites the
historical hubris and the
uncertainty of the post-2008
financial situation, as potential
causes for sector-wide
uncertainty, in that "the
decades leading up to 2008...
were characterised by a
'secure seat at the policy table'
for the sector, which also drove
an apparent 'strategic unity'
between charities." However,
the loss of this 'unity', Third
Sector Magazine argues, citing
the report, this was due to "a
fragile thing driven by
convenience, and that it might
disappear in the face of
increasing demand for scant
funding."
Charity Times argues that the
importance of the paper, and
the wider debate, surrounds
context and history. Charity
Times claims that "previous
dialogues have highlighted the
difficulty of speaking about, or
for, such diverse set of
organisations as a single entity.
Yet they have also highlighted
the need for voluntary
organisations to assert their
value, and create a strong
narrative for why they are here.
Previous discussion papers
have also raised concerns
about loss of voice in the
sector, and cuts to services that
protect some of the most
disadvantaged and vulnerable
in society. In this context there
may be room for third sector
leadership to promote shared
visions of social justice, voice
and wellbeing."
NAVCA MEMBERS FEEL LESS
OPTIMISTIC ACCORDING TO
LATEST DATA
Third Sector Magazine reports
that "local infrastructure bodies
are feeling increasingly
pessimistic about their
prospects over the coming
quarter." The local infrastructure
body NAVCA "assembled a
representative panel of about
30 members [to] take part in [a]
quarterly surveys designed to
give a snapshot of the mood
among the organisations it
represents."
The results from the latest survey
indicate "that 31 per cent of
respondents view their
organisations' prospects in the
coming quarter - compared
with the previous one - as
'slightly' or 'much worse'. The
same figures were 24 per cent
in the pervious survey and 19
per cent six months ago." The
results also highlight that
"twenty-four per cent of those
polled in the most recent
survey, carried out last month,
say the situation would be
'slightly improved' or 'much
improved', and just under 45
per cent forecast no change at
all."
The top three issues highlighted
were "increased workload,
finding ways to increase
income and competition from
other service providers.
Increased workload was also
the top concern in the previous
quarter."
DWP SAY 'BUSINESS AS USUAL'
FOR WORK SCHEMES
Civil Society reports that the
DWP says "its back-to-work
schemes will continue as
normal." The Cait Reilly affair,
according to the DWP will
mean that "ultimately the
judgment confirms that it is right
we expect people to take
getting into work seriously if
they want to claim benefits."
TURNING POINT UNION
MEMBERS CONSIDER INDUSTRIAL
ACTION
Third Sector reports that plans
by Turning Point "to sack and
re-employ staff would be
robbing them 'to prop up
profits' says Unite regional
officer Jamie Major."
The report claims that
"members of the trade union
Unite at the health and social
care charity Turning Point are
considering industrial action in
a dispute with management
over pay and conditions. The
union described management
at the charity as 'corporate
renegades' and accused them
of bullying staff."
The dispute surrounds Turning
Point's plans to sack and re-hire
its 2,300 staff on new contracts
- with new terms and
conditions.
Turning Point claims "these
proposals are not being made
lightly, but are forced out of
economic necessity."
THE WEEKLY REVIEW – THURSDAY 14 FEBRUARY 2013
Trial Edition – Friday 8th Feb 2013 – Thursday 14th Feb 2013 5
Finance & Fundraising News
HMRC ONLINE GIFT AID SYSTEM
TO GO LIVE ON 22 APRIL 2013
HM Revenue & Customs have
published guidance on a new
online Gift Aid filing system to
be introduced on 22 April.
According to HMRC "charities
and Community Amateur
Sports Clubs (CASCs) can sign
up to make repayment claims
electronically using Charities
Online."
The HMRC claim the new
system will "prevent delays and
save [on] postal costs. [As] the
new service will have built-in
checks that will tell you about
mistakes before you submit
your claim, reducing the need
for claims to be sent back to
your to be corrected."
The new service will give users
easier "acknowledgment[s] of
your claim." Also the new
system "means you won't need
to list every individual donor
who sponsored the person,
which is what happens now for
fewer than ten donors. Only
individual donations from a
donor of £500 or more shown
on individual sponsor sheets will
need to be separated out and
listed individually on the claim
form."
The new service, according to
HMRC, will change "the rules on
aggregating Gift Aid
donations." This will allow
organisations to "add together
more small donations. The
current limit of £500 will be
increased and claimants will
be able to aggregate
individual Gift Aid donations of
£20 or less, up to a total of
£1,000 per entry."
Finally the HMRC argues that
the changes will make "things
easier to understand."
However, Third Sector
Magazine, quotes Charity
Finance Group, who argues
that "it is really important [that]
there is a relatively lengthy
transition period as there might
be costs and it will take a lot of
preparation. It might need to
be extended a bit further in
certain circumstances if a
charity is not quite ready in
time. It is important ]for]
charities to look at this
information now and are aware
of the changes. The transitional
period is going to be relatively
small. If there is going to be a
cost associated with updating
their database, charities need
to start planning for it now.
There could also be cash flow
issues in April if it takes time to
bed in."
Third Sector Magazine states
that "the new system will
require some changes to the
information that must be
submitted to the HMRC.
Charities will need to provide
donors' addresses in addition to
their name, date of donation
and the amount given."
Charity Times quotes Sajid Javid
MP, Economic Secretary to the
Treasury, who says "Charities
Online is a significant step
towards reducing the
administrative burden that can
be a weight on charities.
Claims will be processed more
quickly, as well as saving on
postal costs and delays. The
service will be more accurate,
with built-in checks."
Civil Society claim the new
service will "allow charities to
make gift aid claims
electronically and be paid
within 15 working days." The
report continues by stating that
"Charities Online will be
available from 22 April to
around 110,000 charities." The
new system means "charities
can make claims in one of
three ways, depending on how
many donors they are claiming
for and whether they have
access to the internet - using
an online form, through their
own database or with a paper
form."
IMPACT MEASUREMENT AND
GETTING CORPORATES ON
BOARD
Guardian Professional's
Voluntary Sector Network looks
at why "many corporate donors
are not building in the cost of
impact measurement when
giving to charity." New
Philanthropy Capital, last
October, published a report
entitled: Making an Impact
which claimed that charities
"were measuring their impact
more because donors were
requesting this. Yet only 36% of
the 1,000 organisations
surveyed said those giving
money were building in costs of
impact measurement." Claudia
Cahalane analyses the report's
post-release attitude changes
within the sector.
Director of Coutts Bank
philanthropist services, Lenka
Setkova, claims "that while
impact measurement is
important to many donors,
often, seeing the charity in
action is something that's
particularly valued.
Philanthropists find it incredibly
inspiring and rewarding to see
first hand the work of the
organisations they fund. Site
visits can also play a key role in
helping philanthropists
understand the work and
impact of charities." However
she adds "that in recent years
there has been increased
attention given to measuring
impact among individual major
philanthropists. Many
appreciate that if the charities
they support are able to track
and communicate their results,
it will help them with
fundraising. We encourage
THE WEEKLY REVIEW – THURSDAY 14 FEBRUARY 2013
Trial Edition – Friday 8th Feb 2013 – Thursday 14th Feb 2013 6
philanthropists to consider
supporting core costs or
provide unrestricted funding."
JP Morgan's Head of
Philanthropy, Carol Lake,
argues that "it is responsible to
support charities measure their
impact, not just general
outputs. It helps us better
understand the organisation,
gather learning and target out
investments more effectively."
She explains that "we work with
our partners to determine the
best way to do this, either
through in-house or external
agencies, and we provide
necessary funding to carry this
out where appropriate."
However when questioned
charities like Hidden Britain,
Citizens Advice Bureau and
Action on Hearing Loss all, in
varying ways, argue that a
core requirement to achieve
this is "a substantial amount of
[financial] resources." Meaning
more cash from donors.
The Big Lottery Fund, a funding
organisation, "encourages
charities to build in [impact
measurment facilities] costs."
Sarah Mistry, of Big Lottery,
argues that "this process comes
at a cost, which is why funders
like the Big Lottery Fund
encourage their grantees to
include a budget for
monitoring, evaluation and
learning in their grant bids." She
explains that "Corporate donors
should be encouraged to
consider the cost of data
collection, analysis and
evaluation by being presented
with realistic costs- charities too
often assume they can absorb
this expenditure and this it is not
a legitimate part of the bid."
NEW CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS
WITH THE THIRD SECTOR
According to Civil Society the
"NSPCC revealed that its
annual Christmas campaign
raised a record £1.82 million, a
student volunteering initiative in
Nottingham has raised £1.6m
for charities in a year and
WaterAid has signed a
partnership with JP Morgan."
Other partnerships include
"Sheffield Mutual [who] has
pledged to donate at least
£5,000 each to WRVS, Support
Dogs and Bluebell Wood
Children's Hospice over three
years."
However, according to Civil
Society Fundraising, "the MET
Office picked WaterAid as its
charity of the year." Other news
includes Disney UK who has
"donated to Great Ormond
Street Hopsital Children's
Charity £1 for every download
of the app for its Christmas film
'Disney Fairies: Lost & Found'.
The initiative is part of a
partnership between the
entertainment company and
GOSH, which has raised £10m
since 2008."
Other partnerships include GE
Capital announcing "a
partnership with woman's
charity Platform 51. After 'close
consultation' with the charity,
GE Capital has agreed to make
a donation of £24,000 for back-
office finance and IT
investment, coupled with
professional advice, staff
training and an assessment and
upgrade of Platform 51's IT
infrastructure." Whilst KIVA "has
announced a partnership with
TripAdvisor that will see the
travel review site donate
$250,000. TripAdvisor will email
users who have written reviews
of countries in which Kiva
operates, offering a $25
microloan to a Kiva
entrepreneur in that country on
the users behalf. After
reinvesting the repayments,
TripAdvisr will donate the
repayments to the
microlending platform."
GUARDIAN ASKS WHETHER
FUNDRAISING SURVEYS
METHODOLOGY IS CORRECT
The Guardian claims that the
recent flurry of donor surveys
highlighting the 'yo-yo' statistics
of rising or falling donations in
the UK seems to focus on the
headline data, as oppose to
the details of the methodology.
The paper, citing Karl Wilding,
Director of Policy and Research
at the NCVO, states "that
fundraisers should spend a lot
more time looking into the
research methodology. 'People
should go to the methodology
page first and understand how
the research was done'... 'Some
surveys lean on asking people
impossible things like what you
might give in the future."
Wilding also claims that "all
surveys, including UK Giving,
suffered from some problems...
They include issues such as
social desirability bias, where a
respondent might say things in
response to a survey question
to make themselves appear
more socially attractive."
He continues by saying that
"another thing to look for is how
many times the survey has
been done before, and if it has
had a consistent methodology
over time. 'We've been asking
the same questions since 2004
with UK Giving, using the same
survey... So even if the numbers
are wrong, I'd like to think the
trends are right. There's a lot of
one off surveys out there that
do not have that."
Richard Harrison, head of
research at CAF, argues that
"fundraisers should look
beyond the headline figures of
a piece of research. 'The devil
lies in the detail'... The
charitable sector needs to see
more data by digging into the
detail and not thinking about
just the headlines."
OPINION: THIRD SECTOR'S
THE WEEKLY REVIEW – THURSDAY 14 FEBRUARY 2013
Trial Edition – Friday 8th Feb 2013 – Thursday 14th Feb 2013 7
DEBRA ALLCOCK TYLER ARGUES
WHY THE RICH SHOULD GIVE IT
LIKE BECKHAM
Debra Allcock Tyler, chair of
the Directory of Social Change,
argues in Third Sector Magazine
that she is "puzzled about the
strangely negative reaction to
David Beckham donating his
salary from Paris-Saint-Germain
to a French children's charity."
She continues by stating that
"the amount of flak he's
received from the blogosphere,
Facebookers and the Twitterati
is truly bewildering. And I am at
a loss to understand why?"
Debra Allcock Tyler argues
that: "on average, the poorest
10 per cent give about 3 per
cent of their money to charity,
while the richest 20 per cent
give only 0.7%, which is only
about one-tenth of all giving.
My conclusions from the figures
I've seen is that £10Bn is given
by people you wouldn't
describe as rich and that not
much more than £1Bn is given
by those who have massive
amounts of money."
However Ms Tyler argues that
"why wouldn't you give
generously if you can afford to?
And why wouldn't you shout
about it? Because the more
you shout, the more you
encourage other rich people to
give."
CAMPAIGNERS 'DEMAND' BIG
LOTTERY FUND RETURN OF HALF
A BILLION OLYMPIC FUNDING
Third Sector reports that "a
refund campaign, led by the
Directory for Social Change has
sent a fake invoice to the
government that highlights
what it calls 'moral theft' from
thousands of charities." This is a
response to "the previous
government [who] used £675m
from lottery sources to help pay
for the infrastructure needed for
the London Olympics."
However, a spokesperson for
the Department for Culture,
Media and Sport said "we have
been completely clear how
money will be returned to good
causes. The National Lottery
distributors are entitled to
£675m of receipts from the sale
of the land on the Olympic Park
and more than £69m from the
Olympic village sale, while any
funds remaining in the Olympic
Lottery Distribution Fund will
also go to them."
INSTITUTE OF FUNDRAISING
CLAIMS ARTS ORGANISATIONS
MUST ACT NOW TO DIVERSIFY
INCOMES
The Institute of Fundraising
reports that "it's important to
get the message across to the
general public that the arts are
just as important to
communities as other causes."
The IoF are holding their first-
ever Fundraising for Arts,
Culture and Heritage Causes
Conference next month, more
info click here.
The rationale behind the event
is that "we're getting squashed
out of local authority funding,
completely dropped off the
Government's consultation on
national wellbeing and were
nearly sliced from Michael
Gove's [Education Secretary]
EBacc proposals. If we don't
start getting smarter about
making the case and providing
impact analysis and evidence
for our sector, we will not
survive the current environment
of squeezed funds. This
conference is vital to our
sector's health."
CDFA CLAIMS A £6BILLION GAP
IN FINANCE EXISTS
Ben Hughes, the Chief
Executive of the Community
Development Finance
Association CDFA, claims
"unmet demand for finance
amongst individuals and
organisations that do not
qualify for traditional banking
funding has reached more than
£6Billion." The CDFA claim "this
compares to the £0.7billion of
finance provided by
community finance
organisations in 2012." The
CDFA estimates "that if
Community Development
Finance Institutions (CDFIs),
operating at the heart of the
community finance sector, had
the capital and scale to full just
half this gap 68,292 jobs and
38,935 businesses would be
created."
The CDFA publishes Mind the
Finance Gap: Evidencing
demand for community
finance which "draws on a
range of existing evidence to
establish the current state and
scale of the UK's community
finance sector, both now and in
the immediate future. The
report considers current
demand and supply of finance
for each four audiences
(business, civil society
organisations, individuals and
homeowners)."
Ben Hughes, CDFA Chief
Executive, said "the scale of the
unmet demand is staggering.
This must act as a call to action
to governments, banks, funders
and the broad community
finance sector. The benefits of
filling this gap are obvious:
more business start-ups and
growth, more jobs, more
people saved from the debt
traps of high cost lenders and
more wealthy vibrant
communities."
THE WEEKLY REVIEW – THURSDAY 14 FEBRUARY 2013
Trial Edition – Friday 8th Feb 2013 – Thursday 14th Feb 2013 8
Welfare, Equalities & Partnerships News
THE SUMMIT: RAISING THE EXTRA
BILLIONS CANCELLED OVER
SEXIST LINE UP
According to Third Sector
Magazine "a conference on the
future of fundraising organised
by Giles Pegram and Adrian
Sargeant has been cancelled
after controversy arose over the
gender balance of its line-up of
speakers." The report continues
"the one-day event, The
Summit: Raising the Extra
Billions, was to feature nine
male speakers, including
Sargeant, a Professor or
marketing and fundraising at
Plymouth Business School,
Pegram, a fundraising
consultant and former
fundraising director at the
NSPCC. Jen Shang, a professor
in philanthropic psychology at
the University of Bristol - and
Sargeant's partner - was the
only woman involved."
Third Sector Magazine claim
the backlash to the summit "led
to concerns being raised on
Twitter and the blog Charity
Chicks that the event, which
promised to "change the rules
of fundraising", did not include
more female fundraising
experts and was therefore not
representative of the sector."
Giles Pegram (@gilespegram)
later tweeted that the summit
was "more about wisdom, rock-
solid experience and years of
practice - [before adding]
sorry, but I don't believe in
quotas." Giles Pegram later
apologised for his remarks.
NICK HURD MP's £600m NEW
TAX INCENTIVES ERROR
According to Civil Society, "the
£600m in new tax incentives to
support philanthropy that was
cited by Nick Hurd in an open
letter to Sir Stephen Budd earlier
this year has been exposed as
a cumulative estimate for four
years ahead. The figure was
cited by Hurd, minister for civil
society, in his official response
to Sir Stephen's widely reported
letter, to the Prime Minister in
early January, in which the
ACEVO chief described the Big
Society as 'effectively dead'."
DEADLINE FOR BUSINESS
CHARITY AWARDS THIS FRIDAY
Third Sector reports that the
"awards ceremony in May will
celebrate companies that have
supported charities and other
third sector organisations." The
report continues by saying
"charities are being urged to
encourage their business
partners to enter this year's
Business Charity Awards before
the deadline this Friday, 15
February."
The awards will have 22
categories including Business
Charity Champion and Charity
Partnership. According to Third
Sector Magazine "a team of
expert judges will decide on
the finalists and the winners will
be announced at a black-tie
dinner at the Grosvenor House
Hotel in London on 20 May. The
headline sponsor is the
Charities Aid Foundation." To
find out more please visit here.
COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP
GROWING IN POPULARITY
The Guardian Social Enterprise
claims that "while UK banks
may be playing hardball in
providing vital start-up finance
for new businesses, one sector
of the economy is having no
such difficulties." According to
the Guardian, "community-
owned and run businesses are
currently enjoying a surge in
interest and have been able to
successfully raise launch
capital without having to rely
on all to often tight-fisted
banks. Instead these businesses
are being launched with the
help of their local community
who have stumped up the cash
in the form of community
shares."
The blog claims that "since
2009 around 15,000 people
have invested in more than 100
community share issues raising
more than £15m according to
Simon Borking from the recently
launched Community Shares
Unit."
These schemes are "backed by
the Department for
Communities and Local
Government and run by Co-
operatives UK and Locality, the
unit is now looking to get more
community share schemes off
the ground with a target of
doubling their numbers within
the next three years."
However, this is not about profit
margins. The blog claims that
"the returns that investors can
expect to receive vary but can
be as much as 6% or 7% per
annum. What is important to
remember , however, is that
community shares aren't an
investment proposition. It's all
about promoting and
supporting a community
service or asset."
THE WEEKLY REVIEW – THURSDAY 14 FEBRUARY 2013
Trial Edition – Friday 8th Feb 2013 – Thursday 14th Feb 2013 9
Third Sector Regional News
ST MARGARET'S CHILDREN AND FAMILY CARE SOCIETY TO FACE LOSS OF CHARITY STATUS
According to Third Sector Magazine, the charity, St Margaret's Children and Family Care Society, "faces a loss of charitable status after refusing applications from same-sex couples." Further "the Scottish government has pledged to work with [the] Catholic adoption agency... So that it can continue providing services."
The Scotsman stated that "the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) investigated the practies of St Margaret's Children and Family Care Society in Glasgow, after a complaint from the National Secular Society, and found the charity was operating in breach of the Equalities Act of 2010."
The Scottish Catholic Observer claims "Scotland is rallying in support of St Margaret's Children and Family Care Society after the Catholic charity's future was placed in jeopardy by the OSCR. The Glasgow-based Catholic adoption agency, believed to be the last of its kind in the UK, was threatened with the loss of its charitable status."
MACMILLAN CANCER WALES
CLAIMS CANCER SUFFERES LACK
SUPPORT IN WALES
Macmillan Cancer Support has
published a report entitled:
Facing The Fight Alone which
argues, according to BBC
Wales, that "almost one in five
people in Wales diagnosed with
cancer each year say they lack
the support from family and
friends. Former AM Karen
Sinclair, who has cancer, was
'saddened' by the findings." Ms
Sinclair added that "there are
people out there who are
facing this alone and they
shouldn't have to."
The Western Mail cites that the
study "found 19% of the 18,000
newly-diagnosed cancer
patients in Wales lack support
from loved ones during their
treatment and recovery." The
report also claims that "more
than half (53%) of health
professionals have had patients
opt not to have treatment at all
because of this lack of peer
support."
RETHINK RENTING CAMPAIGN
LAUNCHED IN SCOTLAND BY
SHELTER SCOTLAND
Shelter Scotland has launched
a new campaign called
Rethink Renting. Which calls
upon the Scottish Government
to reevaluate private rental
tenancies. Shelter Scotland
argues that "for many people,
short-term renting from a
private landlord can be the
only best option for finding a
home. But for those who want
to raise a family or set down
roots in a community, the
security of knowing a home is
yours for as long as you want to
stay makes all the difference."
Third Force News Scotland
argues that "Scotland's chronic
shortage of affordable social
housing means more and more
families across the country
have to rely on the Private
Rented Sector (PRS) for their
housing needs. With more
home ownership out of reach
for many and 157,700
households on council waiting
lists, increasing numbers of
families with children are being
forced into the PRS for their
long-term housing needs. But
the charity says that while
private renting offers greater
flexibility and is an attractive
choice for some, it is not suited
to providing families with a safe
and secure environment to put
down stable foundations and
bring up children."
HOMELESSNESS CHARITY TO
SETUP NOT-FOR-PROFIT
MEMBERS CLUB
The House of St Barnabas,
according to Third Sector
Magazine, is "opening a not-for
profit members club in its grade
1 listen building in London." The
plans will see "funds raised by
annual membership fee of £600
and the £150 joining fee will go
towards the charity's work of
getting homeless people into
sustained employment." The
Chief Executive of the House of
St Barnabas, Sandra Schembri,
claims "the membership type
expected to join the club was
[indivduals who valued]...
Social change." Ms Schembri
also stated that "we are looking
for people who are not only
interested and interesting, but
also want to make a difference
in some capacity.
SPORTS PERSONALITY BECOME
A PATRON AT TOP WELSH
CHARITY
Third Sector Magazine has
reported that "cyclist Geraint
Thomas has become a patron
of Tros Gynnal Plant, which
supports vulnerable children
and young people in Wales."
Thomas has said that "it was
important for me to work with a
charity that helps young
people in Wales... I am very
excited to become the first
patron of Tros Gynnal Plant and
I am looking forward to actively
supporting its vital work in any
way I can."
THE WEEKLY REVIEW – THURSDAY 14 FEBRUARY 2013
Trial Edition – Friday 8th Feb 2013 – Thursday 14th Feb 2013 10
Volunteering and the Third
Sector
CAIT REILLY BACK IN THE NEWS - VOLUNTEER WINDS LANDMARK HIGH COURT APPEAL AGAINST THE WORK PROGRAMME
Third Sector reports that "Cait Reilly, a volunteer at Pen Museum in Birmingham, was told in autumn 2011 that she had to stop volunteering and complete unpaid work experience at Poundland as part of back-to-work training or she would lose her Jobseekers' Allowance." Ms Reilly, according to Third Sector Magazine, "contested the order and took her case to the High Court, claiming it was a breach of her human rights. The High Court rejected her case last summer, but Reilly and unemployed HGV driver Jamie Wilson took their case to the Court of Appeal. In a judgment published today, the Court of Appeal upheld the claim and the three judges ruled that some of the regulation that underpin the back-to-work schemes were unlawful and mush be quashed."
The Telegraph reports that Ms Reilly's lawyers claim "today's judgment sends Iain Duncan Smith back to the drawing board to make fresh regulations which are fair and comply with the court's ruling." The Telegraph also state that "all of those who have been stripped of their benefits have a right to claim the money back that has been unlawfully taken away from them."
The Financial Times claims that "Ministers are scrambling to get their back-to-work schemes on track after a university graduate won her Court of Appeal claim." The FT quote the Department of Work and Pensions who said "we have no intention of giving back money to anyone who had their benefits removed because they refused to take getting into
work seriously."
The Independent claim the Government "expressed disappointment and surprise at the decision and said it now intends to push through new regulations to ensure future schemes are lawfully based. Moves to appeal to the Supreme Court against the ruling are also under consideration."
The Mirror reports that "Taxpayers could face a multi-million pound compensation bill after Government 'workfare' schemes which make the jobless graft for their benefits were ruled illegal… [and] up to 150,000 people who have had welfare payments docked for refusing to take part could be in line for a payout according to lawyers who brought the two test cases."
The TUC waded into the debate when TUC General Secretary, Frances O'Grady, said: "this blows a big hole through the government's workfare policies. Of course voluntary work experience can help the jobless, and it is right to expect the unemployed to seek work. But it is pointless to force people to work for no pay in jobs that do nothing to help them while putting others at risk of unemployment."
The BBC reports that "Dame Anne Begg, who chairs the Work and Pensions Select Committee, said the court ruled that the regulations were not clear or specific enough. But she also suggested that the government should look at why Miss Reilly was sent to a retailer to do a work placement when she was already doing voluntary work in a museum - the kind of activity that this scheme was aimed at encouraging."
MINISTERS CLAIM RISE IN
VOLUNTEERING VINDICATES THE
BIG SOCIETY
Civil Society claims the
Government has hailed "the
findings from its new
Community Life Survey as
evidence that the Big Society is
alive and thriving in British
communities." The figures,
published, "Show that the
proportion of people
volunteering at least once a
year rose from 65 per cent in
2010/11 to 71 per cent in 2012,
along with a 9 per cent jump in
the proportion volunteering
regularly."
The Press Association reported,
published in the Guardian, that
"volunteering and giving to
charity increased in 2012 in
England, according to the first
official Community Life Survey."
The survey vindicates "the
Government's 'Big Society'
agenda."
BRISTOL ZOO WANTS
VOLUNTEERS TO SAVE FROGS
Bristol-based Avon Reptile &
Amphibian Group (ARAG) are
organising 'Toad Patrols' around
the Bristol area. This comes as
Bristol Zoo has stated that
"volunteers will be needed over
the coming weeks as toads will
start to migrate." Bristol Zoo
have asked for "volunteers
between 6pm-10pm to 'help
collect up hundreds of toads,
frogs and newts and save them
from being run over."
THE WEEKLY REVIEW – THURSDAY 14 FEBRUARY 2013
Trial Edition – Friday 8th Feb 2013 – Thursday 14th Feb 2013 11
Technology and The
Third Sector
DIGITAL SERVICES AND HOW BEST TO OFFER THEM?
The Guardian's Voluntary Sector Network offers guidance on "how to improve your charity's digital service delivery." The article highlights five tenets of digital success. The article claims that "most charities could operate far more efficiently by adding digital channels to their services alongside, face-to-face fundraising and telephone work." The article continues by arguing that "improving the digital 'back office' can help charities to maximise their outcomes and maintain - and even improve - standards of service delivery."
The article claims research is the first important element by "engaging with your target users." This can be done through focus groups or interviews to find out what service users are looking for. Thus one can save money on unnecessary websites.
The second element is to "be accessible." The article claims that "providing people with different platforms where they can seek and gain help is essential. Most people feel uncomfortable picking up their phone or waling into a centre to talk to a stranger. The most successful charities and social enterprises offer information and support through other avenues, such as their website, social media and web chat to make sure as many people as possible are included."
The third element means allowing for self-help. This means that "once you have a clear idea of what target users expect and you have made your service available and easy to access, set up a site
that allows for them to readily access any information they require. Ease of navigation is crucial. It doesn't matter how flashy your site looks if it isn't simple for users to find potential solutions."
The fourth element is to "maximise your app-eal." To make your self accessible to the masses means being accessible "across all platforms including mobile phones and tablets. This helps to guarantee that assistance is available to users wherever they are online. Given that over half of all web browsing is done on mobile devices, you will be missing out if you don't deliver to such devices."
The final element is to "test and review." The article states that "no system is ever perfect and evolving. Plan to consistently test and review the services you offer, to ensure that your digital services continues to meet the needs and expectations of your users."
TAKING YOUR CHARITY TO THE CLOUD
Cloud-computing, like Microsoft Office 365 or Google Docs, whereby you use online apps via a secure server in cyberspace or the cloud, will thus become the future of computing. The charity LASA has published research on the implementation of cloud-based technology in the third sector. It's findings indicate a lack of awareness within the industry of the power and scalability of cloud-computing. The Guardian argues that "the cloud is a great leveller and could help smaller charities to work in a more effective and efficient way. Many [are] free or low cost and can bring tremendous benefits - from collaborating with partners, to reaching out to new stakeholders, to storing documents safety." However the Guardian states that "recent research has found that
smaller charities are the least likely to outsource any services, mainly because they struggle to access trusted support and advice." The Guardian also states that managers "need to be aware that some small charities are building their infrastructure around the technology choices of staff, rather than thinking about the organisations' requirements." The Guardian hopes that "the new Google initiative Grow Your Charity Online will encourage all those smaller groups who are holding back by giving them the much-needed guidance."
ACTION FOR CHILDREN TO USE CLOUD TECH TO STOP STEPHEN FRY CRASHING THEIR WEBSITE
According to Computer World UK, "one of the UK's largest charities, Action for Children, has selected Rackspace to create a hybrid-cloud environment to help with spikes in demand on its front-end applications and to reduce complexity with future website migrations." The outsourcing move will help protect the site from celebrity donation requests, like that of Stephen Fry recently, which causes websites to crash.
THE WEEKLY REVIEW – THURSDAY 14 FEBRUARY 2013
Education & Training for the Third Sector
Courses and Events for the upcoming week include:
Thje Institute of Fundraising is offering a One Day Management Level Course on Fundraising Skills - Developing a Legacy Strategy.
The event is on Friday 15th
of February 2013 at 9:45am at the Institute of Fundraising in London. The course "will enable you to prepare and fulfill a detailed legacy strategy, enabling you to develop meaningful Key Performance Indicators (KDPs) and provide you with a cultivation and stewardship programme." The course will help fundraising professionals "understanding the research priorities, [help create and] develope focused and inspirational legacy messages and developing clear and challenging objectives for each prospect segment. This course focuses on strategy, KPIs and how to lead and run a successful campaign." For more information please use this link.
Bates, Wells & Braithwaite are offering a One Day Legal Advice Advertising, Trade Marks and Branding Course.
The event is on Tuesday 19 February 2013 with registration at 8am and starting at 8:30am until 9:30am.
The venue is Bates Wells and Braithwaite Offices in London.
The course will cover "the key steps to take when coming up with a new name, slogan and graphics for your campaign. How do you protect these elements and, just as importantly, how do you make sure you are not stepping on anther's toes?" For more information please use this link.
THIS MONTH'S STAR EVENT
NCVO Training: Charity Trustees Refresher Course
When: 26 February 2013
Where: NCVO HQ, London
What's Happening: "If you are new to trusteeship or you wish to provide your trustees with refresher training, then the NCVO's trustee training course is ideal for you. This course drawns on NCVO's experiences gained through our governance work with a range of charities over the years."
What will I learn:? By the end of the day you will learn "understanding on who are the trustees and what they do. Clarity on the responsibilities and personal liabilities of charity trustees. Top tips on what makes a good trustee. An in-depth look at key governance relationships within a charity. Knowledge of the key principles of good governance. Case studies to learn from."
For more infrmation please visit the NCVO booking site.
GOOGLE TRAINING EVENTS - GROW YOUR CHARITY ONLINE
Who: Media Trust UK
When: 10am - 4pm, Feb 28
Where: 10 Upper Bank Stree, London
Cost: from £ 180 (inc VAT) per person
Description "demonstrating the impact of your work has never been so important - and putting forward the human face of the difference you've made is one of the most effective ways to inspire confidence in your organisation and its work." The course will help "make sure you're using your human stories the right way, to encourage funders, audiences and volunteers to invest in your organisation and to trust it to deliver on its promises."