We have recently launched a new round of funding for The Our Space Award, a fund that supports local communities to green their local spaces and increase access to nature. See below further information, would really appreciate if you could pass this information on to your members or organisations.
You can also visit our website – https://www.groundwork.org.uk/apply-for-a-grant/london-grants/our-space-award/
Like many of you, and the residents you support we’re all more worried than ever at increasing costs. I had a smart meter installed at the beginning of November, and it was quite a surprise to see exactly how much energy some of our day to day electrical items were using. Turning on the kettle for example, made my energy cost jump from 16p to a whopping £1.05 per minute! I’ve been guilty in the past of switching on the kettle, then forgetting to make the drink immediately, and without a thought would just flick the switch and boil the kettle again 10 minutes later. Not any more! My daughter and I spent time over the weekend testing all of our gadgets and electronics to find out which were the worst offenders in terms of the amount of power they use.
Fridge freezer
This isn’t something we can turn off (obviously), but it did account for the biggest draw of power. To minimise its energy consumption, try not to live the fridge door open as this increases the amount of work the motor has to do to keep it cool. It will be a challenge for my daughter to break her habit of automatically opening the fridge door and staring at the contents for several minutes whilst she mulls over what she wants to snack on!
Washing machine
I knew this would be a high user of power, but it was a bit eye watering to see exactly how much the electricity cost shot up when it was switched on. To make it more economical, I now use it at night when energy costs are cheaper, and use a short cycle with a cooler temperature for most loads.
TV
This was quite a surprising one. I’m not a huge TV watcher, but it’s important to get into the habit of switching televisions off at the mains, rather than leaving it on standby, as this continues to draw power. Apparently, televisions with LED technology use 25% less energy than LCD televisions and up to 40% less than plasma screen TVs.
Oven:
The oven used quite a lot of electricity – so I’ve switched to an airfryer, as this is cheaper to run as a smaller area needs to be heated. When using an oven, avoid opening the door too often, as each time you do the oven needs to use more energy to come back up to heat.
Computer
Like many of you, I’m working from home regularly. I have a laptop that I work from at home, but they do use a fair amount of power – mainly to help them cool internally. Tips from the industry include reducing the screen brightness, removing the screensaver (even if it is pretty) and switching off additional devices (i.e. the printer, the scanner, speakers…) And of course, switching it off when it is not being used.
Heating
This is probably going to be one of the biggest costs as the weather grows colder. At home, I’ve already turned down the thermostat slightly, and changed my central heating timer so that it’s on for a shorter amount time. Keeping doors closed helps retain heat in different rooms and dressing in warmer clothes will certainly be the norm going forward. My daughter grumbled the other day that she was chilly, but I pointed out that if swapped her usual shorts and t-shirts for something more seasonally appropriate, she’d be warmer! Cosy fleeces, onesies and jumpers as well as slippers that she’s had stuffed in the bottom of a drawer are now being made good use of. I make sure our home isn’t cold – but it shouldn’t be tropical either!
Lights
I found two particular lights in my house used far more power than others. It transpired that I didn’t have low energy lightbulbs in those fittings, so swapped them immediately. We need to make more of an effort to switch off lights when we leave the room – my daughter in particular is a big fan of turning on every light in the house – a habit she’s trying hard to break now.
Kettle
The aforementioned kettle uses a horrible amount of power – albeit only for short bursts at a time. However, I’ve decided to make use of a hot water flask when at home and at work. I boil a full kettle, then fill up the hot water flask to use for the next few hours – which saves me boiling the kettle another 5 or 6 times! Every little helps!
Overall, for me the smart meter is a really good way of seeing exactly what I’m using (and spending), and will make my daughter and I much more aware of our energy consumption on a daily basis.
If you have any tips on how to save energy prices at home – let us know.
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
We all seek to run an organisation that is sustainable. One that can be maintained at a certain rate or level, often one that needs to grow at a reasonable but sustainable level. So, what does that mean for an organisation?
Certainly, it is about continuity in terms of funding and continuity in terms of meeting the communities’ needs. But what does an organisation have to do “managerially” to get there? If we look at capacity building what would be the final stage in that building programme for development? The organisation would be managing resources effectively and efficiently and would be adapting to change through continuous development of itself. It is the second part of being able and having the flexibility to adapt to change and being able to find the time and resource to develop that makes it so difficult in achieving real sustainability.
At Sobus, we have designed a 5 Stage approach to Capacity building: Organisational Development – Sobus
Having met the 4 stages earlier you would be progressing as an organisation through stage 5. These would be the indicators to meet, remembering that many structures would have been put in place during Stages 1 –4.
Stage 5
5.1 The organisation is adapting to the environment in which it operates and uses its resources in such a
way that the organisation continues to develop further.
5.2 Strategic planning beyond 12 months is carried out whereby there is vision, clear organisational
values and clarity about how the organisation will progress and develop.
5.3 Effective measures are in place to evaluate the organisation’s performance
5.4 The Board is clearly aware of its skill set and how it should improve for the benefit of driving the
organisation forward
5.5 The organisation uses volunteers to enable it to add clear value
5.6 The organisation has policies, structures and processes in place for effective people management
5.7 The people of the organisation can provide flexibility to enable the organisation to meet varying
priorities
5.8 The organisation develops its people in such a way that they contribute to the organisation’s own
plans and development
5.9 The organisation evaluates its position and is taking steps to continuously improve
Are you at Stage 5? If so get in touch with Nigel at Sobus for a discussion about how it was achieved and what others can learn from that achievement. Email: nigel.jacques@sobus.org.uk
We all know that as Christmas approaches, there are always last minute meetings, Christmas events and get-togethers to be hastily booked and paid for, so that everything gets done in time for you to actually relax and enjoy the holidays!
Here’s where Sobus can help
Have you ever thought of combining your meetings and Christmas events in one venue? Think of the time and money saved!
For example, if you book a full day in one of our large rooms, part of this could be for your meeting and part spent enjoying a Christmas lunch, mince pies, mulled wine, networking and socialising – We can even set up a bar for you!
Or perhaps you just want a Christmassy feel to your meeting?
Either way, please do get in touch and let us know how we can facilitate your requirements; Carita.magnani@sobus.org.uk / 07885910584
How to make sure your proposal stands out
‘Are you proposal ready? If not, what do you need to do to get there? As fundraisers, we are all faced with two main constraints: our budget and time. This can lead to feeling overwhelmed and the need to rush and churn out proposals.’ Read more here.
Top tips for grant fundraising
‘Ever since I started fundraising, it’s been “a competitive time” out there. Funding requests have always outnumbered the available grants given out, as charitable need has always exceeded philanthropic supply. Lately, though, things seem to be beyond challenging.’ Read more here.
This document was put together by the internal DSC wellbeing team to provide some guidance and advice to our staff about the cost of living crisis. It includes some background information alongside a number of practical tips and general guidance. Take a look here.
The hub details our own EEDI journey at DSC, as well as listing a host of helpful resources for you, including books, articles and training. There are podcasts, organisational culture articles, mindfulness videos and much more! View it here.
‘ The Charity Commission has published short summaries of the changes to the Charities Act coming into force this autumn. They include changes to how trustees can be paid for providing goods to the charity, what charities need to do when appeals raise too much or too little, and how they can amend Royal Charters.’ Read more here.
Do you have lived experience of the criminal justice system? Do you have the potential to be a leader for change?
We are delighted to announce that the Criminal Justice Alliance (CJA)’s lived experience leadership programme, ELEVATE CJS, has opened applications to attend the ELEVATE CJS Taster Day 2022. Attendance is not essential to apply to be part of the ELEVATE CJS 2023 cohort, however it is an invaluable opportunity for potential emerging leaders to learn more about the programme.
About ELEVATE CJS
The Criminal Justice Alliance is piloting ELEVATE CJS, a comprehensive twelve-month leadership programme that promotes the redistribution of power to people with lived experience of the criminal justice system.
The programme aims to dismantle the barriers of stigma and tokenism, which prevent emerging leaders who are working in the sector from progressing to positions of power and influence.
Through personal and professional development training, the programme will equip individuals with the skills, knowledge, and networks to advance systemic change, challenging the criminal justice sector to reimagine who can be a leader.
ELEVATE CJS runs from January to December. The first cohort will begin the programme in January 2023.
Read more about ELEVATE CJS, and sign up to be first to hear when applications open for the 2023 cohort, here.
About the ELEVATE CJS Taster Day
The ELEVATE CJS Taster Day is an opportunity for people who may apply to be part of the 2023 cohort to find out more about the ELEVATE CJS Leadership Programme. Attending the ELEVATE CJS Taster Day 2022 is not essential for applications to be part of the ELEVATE CJS 2023 cohort.
The Taster Day is taking place in Central London. Successful applicants will receive an invitation by email in the coming weeks, with details about the venue.
