Welcome to our community update. For NHS North West London’s newsletter for local community and voluntary groups, please click here
More than 7,000 charities have signed a letter urging chancellor Rachel Reeves to ease the burden of an estimated extra £1.4bn per year that the sector will have to pay in employer national insurance contributions (NICs). Read more here.
Russell-Cooke, one of the legal advisors to the victims of the Grenfell Fire disaster, has welcomed the findings and recommendations set out in the final Phase 2 Report by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, and joins calls for additional measures to urgently address delays in the removal of dangerous cladding.
The report, published today, comes more than four years after the Inquiry’s Phase 1 Report, and more than seven years on from the fire at Grenfell Tower in June 2017. It presents the Inquiry’s findings following approximately 400 days of public hearings between 2020 and 2022, in which evidence was heard from expert witnesses, local authority leaders, corporate executives from the construction and property industries, as well as the bereaved, survivors, and residents (BSR) of the Grenfell Tower.
The findings cover a number of critical issues including causation, responsibility, decision making, and the dangers associated with various combinations of cladding and insulation. Read on
The online Charity Christmas Market is open for business! From cat and dog to parrot and penguin presents, t shirts, bags, beauty products, candles, cards, original designs, original art, African crafts and lots more and from a whole range of causes. With prices starting under £2, that’s your Secret Santa sorted too. You’ll feel good about doing good because every £1 you spend will help a charity and every £1 makes a difference. https://www.charityexcellence.co.uk/online-charity-christmas-presents/
New research reveals many charity trustee boards remain ‘incomplete’, but 8 in 10 trustees would recommend the role to others.
“A new report published this week by Pro Bono Economics (PBE) has revealed that many charity boards remain “incomplete“. Less than four in 10 charities (37%) responding to the survey reported having a full board of trustees, leaving almost two-thirds (63%) reporting vacancies in some form.” Read more here.
“At a time when 4 in 5 charities in England and Wales have at least one trustee vacancy, new research from the Charity Commission and Pro Bono Economics shows that current trustees would highly recommend the role to others.” Read more here.
Organisers of the London Marathon have launched a scheme to enable 800 new charities to become part of the fundraising event from 2026 onwards. Read more here.
“As part of our operational response to COVID-19, our board of trustees agreed that full-time DSC staff would change to working their hours over four days, rather than five, giving everybody a three-day weekend every week…” Find out more about our move to a 3-day weekend.
“Former charities minister Stuart Andrew has been appointed shadow culture secretary, a move that has been welcomed by the charity sector. Andrew was the minister for civil society as part of the previous Conservative government for two years before the general election in July…” Read more here.
The chancellor’s autumn budget statement announced changes that will potentially have a devastating impact on the charity and voluntary sector. It is estimated that the sector’s total increased cost of employer National Insurance Contributions will be £1.4bn per year.
Charities are already in a dire situation, struggling to juggle the soaring demand for their services, while their own costs escalate and funding declines. The decision to increase employer NICs across the charity sector- and not to create an exemption – will be another major strain on their limited resources.
NCVO and ACEVO have issued a joint letter to the chancellor to outline their concerns for the sector. You can make your voice heard too.
Co-sign the open letter to the chancellor and join NCVO and ACEVO in calling for a commitment to safeguard charities from increased employer NICs.
Celebrate Trustees’ Week by empowering your Board with our best-selling governance book, It’s a Battle on the Board. Authored by Debra Allcock Tyler, this essential guide blends leadership theory with practical insights and real-life examples.
Key topics include:
- Understanding your role as a trustee
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- Managing risk and handling crises
This book is a must-read for all charity trustees. Order all of your Board a copy here and equip them with the tools they need to succeed!
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.