We are regularly updating our advice on fundraising to ensure it accounts for the latest public health advice. Please share this advice with your teams and contact our enquiries team if you have any further questions. You should keep up-to-date with official information provided by the government that may affect your fundraising and prepare to review or stop your activity at short notice. Further advice for charities is also available from: Charity Commission for England and Wales Charity Commission for Northern Ireland Information Commissioner’s Office Institute of Fundraising NCVO OSCR (Scottish Charity Regulator) Small Charities Coalition
Russell-Cooke offer some further guidance on key considerations for charities and links to additional sources of useful information. Read more If you need guidance on any legal issue arising from the crisis, you can call any member of our team for a short conversation, without charge or obligation. You can find contact details for our team here, or call us on +44 (0)20 3826 7510.
This could be a pivotal week in the #EveryDayCounts campaign efforts to get a swift, substantial and simple emergency government funding package for charities and voluntary organisations. We’re still pushing government for a Resilience Fund to get charities through the next few months. There was some excellent media coverage over the weekend, with the Telegraph and the Independent newspapers talking about the importance of charitable services in these difficult times and the need for Treasury support. We may be getting closer to a deal but it’s a difficult process and there’s nothing concrete on the table yet – so please keep writing to your MPs and publicising your story! You can also tell Parliament’s DCMS Select Committee what’s happening to you and the people you serve – they’re asking for evidence about the impact of COVID19 on charities until 16 April.
Since the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic, WLB has been regularly convening a range of experts to address the various issues confronting business in West London. ‘Talk at Ten’ webcasts bring WLB CEO Andrew Dakers and guests together in our virtual studio to tackle the toughest topics of our time. By popular demand, we’re now opening up our archive of the first five episodes ‘Talk at Ten’ for FREE viewing. EPISODE 1: HR & People Hear from HR professionals, as well as businesses in the manufacturing and events sectors, on the challenges of managing significant business change. Play >> EPISODE 2: Public Sector Emergency Response We discuss the Local authority, parliamentary, NHS and Police response to coronavirus in West London. Play >> EPISODE 3: Finance The third West London Business ‘Talk at Ten’ looks at financing your business through Coronavirus. Play >> EPISODE 4: Leading & Coaching Virtual Teams We look at the challenges and opportunities of home-working through the Coronvirus pandemic. Play >> EPISODE 5: The Food Industry Response We explore how food businesses – including those based in and around Park Royal – are adapting to the latest challenges. Play >> Tuesday 7 April, 10am: West London Webcast ‘Talk at Ten’: Coronavirus – How your business can support the West London community In this programme we will be looking at the various actions taken by businesses in West London and beyond – and how you can get involved. Register for the webcast: just £9 for WLB members* and £14 for non-members. BOOK NOW
Earlier this week Directory of Social Change surveyed the thousands of charities it supports to try and understand the real impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on charities across the UK. Thank you so much for taking the time to respond – the shocking results are below. This is such important information to support the #EveryDayCounts campaign, and we’re now sharing it with journalists and politicians. The findings sadly confirm much of what we’ve been saying to government for weeks: Half of charities surveyed said they were already in financial difficulties due to the pandemic, with another 42% expecting to be soon; Over 60% of charities who responded are furloughing staff under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme; Just 7% of charities surveyed said they qualified for CBILS – the Business Interruption Loan Scheme, with just under half saying they did not qualify and over 40% saying they didn’t know; Over half of charity respondents say they will go bust within six months without additional financial help; Over 70% of charities surveyed report that they will go bust before the end of 2020 without additional financial help. Commenting on the findings, DSC’s CEO Debra Allcock Tyler said ‘The Prime Minister, the Chancellor, the Treasury and other decision-makers in government must understand the gravity of these results quickly and take action now to provide swift, substantial and simple emergency financial support for the charity sector – #EveryDayCounts’. Respondents also provided over 200 heart-breaking stories of the immediate and long term impacts on their beneficiaries. Read more here.
The Government has taken further action to support firms affected by COVID-19 by bolstering business interruption loans for small businesses and announcing a new scheme for larger companies. Extended Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) The Government has extended the CBILS so that all viable small businesses affected by COVID-19, and not just those unable to secure regular commercial financing, will now be eligible should they need finance to keep operating during this difficult time. The government is also stopping lenders from requesting personal guarantees for loans under £250,000 and making operational changes to speed up lending approvals. The government will continue to cover the first twelve months of interest and fees. Please find further details here New Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) The new CLBILS will ensure that more firms are able to benefit from government-backed support during this difficult time. It will provide a government guarantee of 80% to enable banks to make loans of up to £25 million to firms with an annual turnover of between £45 million and £500 million. Loans backed by a guarantee under CLBILS will be offered at commercial rates of interest and further details of the scheme will be announced later this month. Please find initial details here
Now that the government’s Covid-19 business support packages are live, we are gathering feedback on how they are being utilised and how best to help businesses to access the support. As such, HMRC are delivering a programme of webinars to support employers, employees and the self-employed through this period of disruption. You can watch the first recorded webinar and register for future webinars using this link: bit.ly/HMRCWebinar Details of the existing business support packages, are summarised in the key links below. Key links Business Support: https://bit.ly/BizSupportSite FAQs for business:https://bit.ly/FAQsStayHome Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: https://bit.ly/2wJrnJ9 Self-employment Income Support Scheme: ly/SelfEmployedSupport FAQs https://bit.ly/SelfEmployedFAQs Support from businesses for Covid-19 response: https://bit.ly/3bzOfcDFAQs: https://bit.ly/3aoIAWV Mental Health support: http://ly/emm-ldnse Public health advice: http://bit.ly/coronavirusnhs