Charities and social enterprises in England which are struggling with rising energy costs can apply for unsecured loans of between £20,000 and £150,000 to install energy efficiency and renewable energy measures. The lending programme will enable organisations to save money on energy by installing a variety of measures such as more efficient lights, insulation or heat pumps, replacing old boilers systems with new efficient ones, double glazing improvements, and systematic draught improvements to help keep costs down. The funding is being made available by Big Issue Invest through their Big Energy Saving Loans. Organisations should register their interest in the first instance. Loan Programme to Help Charities with Rising Energy Costs (England
Charities and other not-for-profit organisations can ally for grants of up to £2,000 as part of a City of London Corporation campaign to offer ‘warm space’ events for vulnerable people throughout the winter. The Corporatiom will support organisations to hold events anywhere in the City of London and on the housing estates it runs across the capital, that enable the elderly, those living on their own, and vulnerable people to come together and stay warm in friendly and non-judgemental spaces where everyone is welcome. Individuals can apply for funding through a City of London-based constituted group or organisation, resident association, or a charity. Applications for ‘Warm Spaces Small Grants’ can be made at any time. Grants to Provide Warm Spaces for Vulnerable People (London)
Many believe so. Just this month a statutory inquiry opened amid a trustee dispute that’s “having a detrimental impact on the charity’s governance and administration”. These are not just cat-fights – internal disputes can have a seriously damaging impact on charities and the people they serve and work with.
Our expert panel will take a look into:
- the rise in disputes and, importantly, what can be done to minimise and manage them
- how can your charity prevent disputes from escalating?
- how can a serious dispute be resolved? and
- how do you safeguard your charity’s reputation in the face of ever-increasing media scrutiny?
Our experienced panel will be sharing their perspectives, knowledge and experience to help you navigate an increasingly contentious environment.
We hope that you can join us for what we hope will be an informative (and conflict free) evening.
This event is free of charge; however, places are limited. Please register your interest via the RSVP link below.
If your project is aligned with Aviva’s ‘Financial Wellbeing’ funding area you can apply to the Aviva Community Fund for a ‘boost’. They’ll match every individual donation you receive up to £250, to help with cost-of-living pressures. Find out more here.
We’re all busy but please take a few minutes to complete the State of the Social Sector survey today! This will gather vital data about the current environment for charities and support coordinated sector influencing of government policy. It’s open until Monday 21 November but don’t delay – fill out the survey here.
Please forward this news to your charity’s trustees, who are sometimes known as directors, board members, governors or committee members.
Charity Commission News contains essential information that you and your charity’s trustees need to be aware of. The information will help you manage your charity effectively.
This week is trustees week
Get ready for this year’s Trustees’ Week from 7-11 November! This is the week when we say a big ‘thank you’ to the nearly one million trustees like you across the UK who give so much time to ensure charities thrive and make society better.
This year’s theme is ‘Making a difference in changing times’ recognising how hard trustees work to overcome challenges and embrace new opportunities to keep their charity’s on-track.
Take a look at https://trusteesweek.org/ which details a range of events, training and support to help you to network, learn and refresh your knowledge. You can also follow us on Twitter @TrusteesWeek.
Changes in the Charities Act
The first set of changes being introduced by the Charities Act 2022 have come into force. Amongst other new powers, trustees can now be paid for providing goods to a charity in certain circumstances, and there are simpler rules when fundraising appeals do not raise enough – or raise too much.
Since the charities act gained Royal Assent earlier this year, the Commission has been making the necessary changes to support the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s implementation plan, which is gradually introducing the provisions of the act during this year and next.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/charities-act-2022-guidance-for-charities
My Charity Commision account
We are introducing a new, improved sign-in process for charities and their trustees to access our online services. This new way of signing in will be through individual Charity Commission Accounts.
Later this month, we will start inviting contacts at charities to set up their new accounts. From Spring 2023, they will be able to use this account to access services such as making changes to their governing documents or filing their annual returns.
To prepare for this, please check your charity details are up to date, including who your charity contact is so we contact the right person.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/online-services-for-charities
New 5-minute guide on campaigning
We have produced a new 5-minute guide to help trustees follow the rules on political activity and campaigning.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/political-activity-and-campaigning-by-charities
Is your charity or social enterprise looking to raise finance? – Let’s talk about social investment. Click here
Makerble is an organisational tool and case management system that looks like Facebook. With it you can create external referral forms, manage waiting lists, organise sessions, track attendance and report outcomes. Charities and Groups that use Makerble find that their ability to attract funding increases because it is now so easy for them to prove their impact, whether that’s case studies, statistics or survey results. It only takes an hour to set Makerble up for your organisation and once it’s live, the interface is user-friendly, intuitive and familiar. Customer Service is free.
We understand that your first spending priority will always be your beneficiaries. As a small organisation you might be eligible to use Makerble for free. Book a free demo at https://app.hubspot.com/meetings/mk11
Find out more by going to our website www.makerble.com or watching our intro video on https://www.loom.com/share/d71d20271f77424f85f73546144b8aa9
Reach out to us via email hello@makerble.com
Or phone us on 02081236253
How can digital technologies help to provide community dementia support and reduce loneliness?
The COVID-19 pandemic was particularly hard on people living with dementia as lockdown stripped away the routines and family and community support they rely on. Community dementia support groups had to adapt quickly to use digital technologies to re-engage and support people in their homes in creative ways tailored to the specific needs of people living with dementia and their carers.
To develop new hybrid approaches for supporting people living with dementia in the community and helping them live safely in their own homes, the London Office Technology and Innovation and the Helix Centre (part of the UK Dementia Research Institute Care Research & Technology Centre at Imperial College London) undertook a London-wide project to co-design and pilot new ways to provide community dementia support. Although this project focused on the needs of people living with dementia, it has the potential to inform and impact community support for other groups in a post-COVID society.
To enable other organisations to undertake similar initiatives, the Helix Centre has developed an easy-to-use toolkit capturing the learning and resources for each of the project phases.
Take part in Maths on Toast‘s Autumn Join-In: Snowflakes. Create a maths-inspired piece of artwork and send us a picture for our online gallery! Our Join-In runs for the whole of the Autumn Term, so it’s not too late to get started; and it is for the whole community: community groups, uniformed groups, schools, libraries and families.
All the information and resources you will need are on our website: https://www.mathsontoast.org.uk/join-in-projects-and-galleries/join-in-autumn-2022/
sobus
20 Dawes Road, London, SW6 7EN
Telephone 020 7952 1230
Email info@sobus.org.uk
Registered Charity No.1071089
and Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered in England No.03471416
Sobus is a new Community Development Agency for Hammersmith & Fulham. It has been created through the merger of the Community and Voluntary Sector Association Hammersmith & Fulham (CaVSA) and the Fulham Community Partnership Trust (FCPT). Building on the strengths of both organisations, sobus aims to provide a wider range of support services for local charities, community groups, social enterprises and start up businesses.