THE UK TRUSTEE WEEKLY NEWS REVIEW

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

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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

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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."

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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

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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

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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."

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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."