A finance officer who stole more than £750,000 from a Notting Hill Carnival charity has been jailed for six years.
Nadia Ali, 34, paid a total of £784,262 into her own bank accounts over two years while working for the Carnival Village Trust in west London.
She disguised the transfers as legitimate payments to suppliers and government organisations, before sending the money to her family in Trinidad.
Ali also covered up the fraud by stealing invoices and statements sent to the charity to cover up the fraud.
She gave no explanation when arrested in March 2017.
Ali admitted fraud by abuse of position and removing criminal property on the second day of her trial at Isleworth Crown Court.
She denied theft of financial documents from the Tabernacle in Notting Hill but was convicted by the jury after trial.
Ali, of Hammersmith, was sentenced to six years imprisonment.
Andrew Caird, from the CPS, said: ‘Nadia Chase Ali acted dishonestly and in her own interests when she siphoned off nearly £800,000 from the charity with close links to the Notting Hill Carnival.
‘Our prosecution was able to show that she had sent large amounts of money to her homeland of Trinidad and that she sought to cover her tracks by stealing financial documents that showed her illegal activity.
‘Her offending took place over a period of almost three years and showed not only how calculated Chase Ali’s actions were, but also demonstrated her complete disregard towards making a gain from taxpayers’ money as well as the effect her dishonesty could have had on such an important community event.’
Nadia Ali stole £784,262 while working for Carnival Village Trust in west London
The 34-year-old worked for Notting Hill Carnival charity for two years in finance
Ali was jailed for six years after admitting fraud and being found guilty of theft
Care workers who had to stay overnight as part of their job will not be entitled to back pay at the minimum wage after a Court of Appeal ruling.
The charity Mencap, who won the appeal, argued that a previous tribunal decision which compelled care providers to fund six years’ back pay for overnight carers was unaffordable.
And it said smaller employers could be forced out of business by the decision.
But a union said workers should be paid what they were legally entitled to.
Care workers who provide care for people with serious learning disabilities overnight used to be paid a flat fee of around £30, reflecting the fact that they might be sleeping during some of their shifts.
But after employment tribunal rulings involving a Mencap support worker in the East Riding of Yorkshire, HM Revenue and Customs said they should be paid at least the minimum wage for every hour overnight, amounting to about £60.
Employers were told to fund £400 million of back pay but care providers, including Mencap, argued that this was unaffordable.
The Court of Appeal ruled today that care providers had no liability for back pay.
‘Mistake’
But the union Unison is considering an appeal to the Supreme Court.
Dave Prentis, Unison general secretary, said the ruling was a “mistake” and that the blame should be “laid at the government’s door”.
“Ministers are so consumed by Brexit that they’re ignoring huge problems around them.
“Sleep-in shifts involve significant caring responsibilities, often for very vulnerable people.”
But Lord Justice Underhill, sitting with two other senior judges in the Court of Appeal, said: “For the reasons which I have given I believe that sleepers-in… are to be characterised for the purpose of the regulations as available for work… rather than actually working… and so fall within the terms of the sleep-in exception.
“The result is that the only time that counts for national minimum wage purposes is time when the worker is required to be awake for the purposes of working.”
‘False expectations’
However, most employers have now started paying the minimum wage to care workers who sleep overnight while working.
Mencap said it intended to continue to do so despite the court’s decision.
Derek Lewis, chair of the Royal Mencap Society, said: “The prospect of having to make large unfunded back payments had threatened to bankrupt many providers, jeopardising the care of vulnerable people and the employment of their carers.
“Many hardworking care workers were given false expectations of an entitlement to back pay and they must be feeling very disappointed.
We are delighted to announce that, in the past 12 months, ECF has awarded grants totalling £3 million to support the work of local charities, voluntary organisations and individuals in Essex.
Caroline Taylor, chief executive, said: “To have channelled this amount of funding into local communities over the last year is a significant achievement. The grants have made a difference in so many ways, including helping people in need, supporting those who are vulnerable and increasing skills and educational opportunities. They have also helped to reduce social isolation, enhanced community spaces and improved facilities for the benefit of local people.
“As one of the largest grant funders of the voluntary sector in Essex, we are committed to working with people who want to channel their charitable giving into the county and to making our application process for funding as straightforward as possible.”
“We are always interested to discuss potential applications and how ECF can help people and companies with their charitable giving. Please call me or Jo Macaulay on 01245 355947 or look at our website for more information.”
The code, now open for consultation aims to help charities, big and small, by providing them with a framework, best practice guidelines and principles of digital to work towards.
Originally sent in an email from Media Trust: mediatrust.org
On Thursday 21 June we launched our new UK-wide programme of digital skills training, with support from Google Digital Garage, which will be delivered through local masterclasses, mentoring and online learning.
The free half-day masterclasses will run from September 2018 to June 2019 and visit over a dozen locations across the UK. Sessions will cover topics ranging from Social Media Strategy to Building a Digital Marketing Plan. During each event, you’ll have the opportunity to receive advice from a range of media partners and communications experts as well as learning from other charities.
Read about the launch here and look out for regional dates which will be released shortly.
A local hospice is urging the public to be vigilant after reports of men posing as fundraisers for the charity.
The two men are claiming to work for Havens Hospices which incorporates Little Havens Hospice in Thundersley, Fair Havens Hospice in Westcliff, and The J’s Hospice in Witham.
They have targeted two supporters, in Rayleigh and then in Chelmsford – where they have unsuccessfully tried to pick up and replace collection tins for the charity that cares for children, young people and adults with life-limiting illnesses.
Carmel Hudson, community fundraising manager, said: “In May, we were informed by a supporter in Rayleigh that they had been targeted by two fraudsters.
“It appears that two men have sourced old collection tins to try and trick supporters into swapping their full tins for empty ones.
“Thankfully our supporter noticed that the men didn’t have formal identification and that the seal was broken on the tin; so contacted Havens Hospices and the police.
“We’ve now been informed by a supporter in Chelmsford that they’ve also been targeted by one man claiming to be there to swap the collection tins.
“We believe that he is one of the men from the original incident in Rayleigh.
“We have raised this matter with the Police and urge our supporters to be vigilant, our fundraisers always wear formal identification and the tins will always be sealed; so if you are approached by someone claiming to be a fundraiser for Havens who does not have ID or the tin they try to give you has a broken seal please report it to us or the Police as soon as possible.”
Bruce Burgess, Essex Police said: “Essex Police are investigating unauthorised attempts to take charity boxes from shops and other premises.
“We urge anyone being told to handover their donation boxes to ask to see identification. If you are still suspicious please call the charity or the police.
“We will not tolerate the generosity of the community being abused by the selfishness and greed of a few.”
If you have any information regarding this story or see anything suspicious please contact Essex Police on 101 referencing: 42/68891/18
Originally published by charitytimes: www.charitytimes.com
Written by Lauren Weymouth
05/07/18
Leaders from national fundraising associations around the world have agreed on a code of ethics for the sector.
The fundraising leaders gathered at the International Fundraising Summit, hosted by the Institute of Fundraising in London today following three days of the IoF’s annual fundraising convention.
Delegates approved a revised version of the International Statement of Ethical Principles, which outlines an ethical approach for fundraisers and is centred on shared principles for fundraising, which are aimed to be rooted in honesty, respect, integrity, transparency and responsibility.
The Summit was designed for leaders from around the world to reflect and discuss common opportunities, challenges and solutions for developing fundraising as well as sharing general insight from across the globe.
“I’m delighted to welcome the international fundraising community to London to sign the International Statement of Ethical Principles,” IoF chief executive Peter Lewis said.
“It’s an important symbol of international cooperation across the fundraising community and recognises that wherever supporters are asked for money, it should always happen to a high standard and according to ethical principles.
“I’m proud that the IoF is supporting this work which contributes to the delivery of excellent standards of fundraising across the world.”
Originally published by charitytimes: www.charitytimes.com
Written by Lauren Weymouth
02/07/18
Charity auditors’ initial responses to new reporting rules have been ‘disappointing’ and have raised ‘serious concerns’, Charity Commission CEO Helen Stephenson has said.
Speaking at the ICAEW Charity Conference last week, Stephenson said the updated guidance for auditors, published by the Commission following the collapse of Kids Co, which encourage charity auditors’ to flag matters of material significance in their audit reports, have been “just not good enough”.
Following the collapse of Kids Company, the Charity Commission updated its guidance to auditors, extending the list of reportable matters and encouraging charity auditors to alert the Commission to matters of material significance to prevent instances like this reoccurring.
However, Stephenson said: “We were disappointed when we tested compliance with the new rules. We found fewer than one in four auditors alerted us to matters of material significance identified in their audit reports.
“Of 114 auditors who gave us audit opinions, containing information they were required to report to us in the six months to October 2017, only 28 did so. To be frank, this is just not good enough.
“In fact, it’s a serious concern to us and we’ve been working in partnership with the ICAEW and others to raise awareness of this new compliance,” she added.
The Charity Commission CEO, who has been in post for a year, explained that rebuilding public trust “does not begin and end with explaining ourselves to the public, as important as that is”.
She explained it also requires charities to adhere to “high standards of conduct and behaviour in the first place”, which means being “true to the purpose and mission, ethos and values” of each charity.
“Finance professionals play a crucial role in that respect, both in their role of driving strategies within charities, ensuring a tight focus on mission and rigorous management as auditors and examiners of charities.”
Originally published by charitytimes: www.charitytimes.com
Written by Dr Nicola Davies
June/July 2017
Psychology and health research are increasingly showing the positive impact of volunteering on the well-being of volunteers. Indeed, evidence suggests the benefits of volunteering are vast and can touch all areas of our life – from the sense of purpose that comes with being involved in a meaningful activity, improved cognitive function, and increased social interaction.1 Benefits can even be attributed to volunteering in an outdoor setting specifically.
Contact with nature
Much research is being conducted into the effects of environmental volunteering. Benefits such as increased time in natural surroundings and more physical exercise are unique to those volunteering outside, and these in turn can have a positive impact on the mental health of volunteers.
Research indicates that contact with nature in outdoor volunteering has positive benefits for both mental and physical health. This has been attributed to increased physical activity and reduced stress levels.2 Furthermore, it has been found that hands-on interaction with nature through volunteering can help individuals suffering from mental illness to reintegrate into society.3
A study into the mood effects of exercise found that those who exercised in an outdoor setting experienced greater improvements in mood, attributed by participants to the restorative and calming effect of greenspace.4
Sense of purpose
Meaningful occupation and contribution to society are both necessary for a person’s well-being. The research shows that many volunteers attribute a sense of achievement and meaning to the work they undertake. Indeed, studies have repeatedly shown that volunteers, no matter their age, gain a sense of purpose and improved quality of life through their volunteering activities.2,3 Volunteering has also been associated with increased confidence and sense of achievement.5
In a study on individuals with mild or moderate dementia, Dr Daniel George of Penn State University in the US found that volunteers reported a renewed sense of purpose and improved quality of life in comparison with those who didn’t undertake volunteering.9
Creative freedom
It has been argued that volunteering can only be considered leisure if the sense of obligation is balanced with creative freedom, which is an intrinsic component of well-being.5,6 Volunteering has also been shown to have a significant positive impact on an individual’s satisfaction with both the amount and use of their leisure time, and many volunteers, especially young people, consider volunteering a time to have fun and make new friends.2,5,7
While volunteering in nature has been strongly correlated with reduced stress levels due to the restorative nature of the environment, Dr George’s research shows outdoor volunteering is not alone in its stress-relieving properties. He shares that the most important finding from his own research with dementia patients volunteering in schools was the significant decrease in stress levels of those who undertook regular volunteering compared to those who did not.
Improved cognitive function
Dr Yannick Griep, assistant professor at University of Calgary in Canada, and his colleagues looked at the role of volunteering in reducing the likelihood of a dementia diagnosis. “Previous studies found evidence for the protective role of physical activity, cognitive activity, or social interactions in lowering the likelihood of being diagnosed with dementia,” Dr Griep says. “We decided to focus on volunteering because voluntary work is a prototypical activity that combines physical and cognitive activity and social interactions in such a way that it resembles a paid job.”
Dr Griep and his colleagues found that those who volunteered regularly reported improved cognitive function and decreased use of anti-dementia medication. They were also more active both physically and cognitively. “Our results clearly indicate that constant volunteering, for at least one hour per week every week, significantly reduces the likelihood of being diagnosed with dementia 2 years and 4 years after being retired,” he says. Participants also reported significantly fewer problems remembering things, fewer problems concentrating, less difficulty making decisions, and less difficulty thinking clearly. “Based on our results,” says Dr Griep, “we would advise everybody who retires to volunteer at least one hour per week and to keep up this voluntary work on a steady basis, every week ideally. By engaging in voluntary work, older people are able to access what is called the ‘latent benefits of work’ (social interaction, daily time structure, social status, meaningful contributions to society) that would otherwise be lost when you retire from a paid job.”
It isn’t just older people who notice cognitive and physical improvements due to volunteering. Students have also reported that volunteering improves their physical health, skillset, and career opportunities.2,5,8 According to Dr Griep, research demonstrates the neurological underpinnings of being physically, cognitively, and socially active – and volunteering is one way to achieve all three of these regardless of age.
“Engaging in activities that require cognitive capacities has been found to increase the use of cognitive skills and functional reorganisation, and induced neurogenesis [the birth of new neurons in the brain], synaptogenesis [the formation of synapses between neurons], and cortical plasticity. It, thus, seems that there is a neurological underlying explanation for the findings we reported in our study,” explains Dr Griep.
Social connection
There is a significant body of research into the positive effects of volunteering on social connection. Volunteering is fundamentally a social activity. Not only do volunteers form relationships with each other and the volunteering organisation, but they also interact with other members of the community. It is important to note, however, that these relationships are not always positive, with exclusion and frustration often being experienced alongside improved social skills, community relationships, and social cohesion.3,6,11
Overall, however, evidence suggests a positive link between volunteering and social well-being. One large study found that 51 per cent of young volunteers began to socialise with people from different backgrounds due to volunteering.3 Another study showed that social interaction and integration into campus society was the most important benefit for student volunteers.5
Altruistic contribution
Volunteering balances community contribution and personal attainment in a form of ‘reciprocal altruism.’ Volunteers provide assistance and support to members of the community and the organisations or charities they work for, while the volunteers themselves receive positive benefits for their personal health and well-being.
Research has found the values of altruism and humanitarianism to be important motivations for voluntary work, alongside gaining a practical understanding of skills and improving career prospects.5,8 Volunteering is not only a group accomplishment, but also reflects personal effort, so altruism is realised by both the individual and the community. Dr George advocates ‘intergenerational volunteering,’ which can be seen as a form of reciprocal altruism. In his own research, retired people entered schools to help children, with participants not only experiencing positive improvements to their own well-being, but also providing much-needed assistance to children. According to Dr George, “Volunteering in a school is generative – it creates value and adds to our community fabric. I think it would be interesting to examine the benefits of intergenerational interactions on children over time since there is reciprocity in that relationship.”
Holistic benefits
A wealth of research suggests that volunteering is no longer an activity that needs to be seen as entirely altruistic. By giving our time and energy to others, we can benefit too – psychologically, cognitively, socially, and physically. Volunteering is good for everyone involved, regardless of age. The question is how charities can communicate these benefits and help people help them and help themselves.
Dr Nicola Davies is a freelance journalist
1. Molsher, R. & Townsend, M. (2016). Improving wellbeing and environmental stewardship through volunteering in nature. EcoHealth, (13): 151.
2. O’Brien, L., Townsend, M. & Ebden, M. (2010). Doing something positive: Volunteers’ experiences of the well-being benefits derived from practical conservation activities in nature. Voluntas, (21): 525-545.
3. O’Brien, L., Burls, A., Townsend, M. & Ebden, M. (2011). Volunteering in nature as a way of enabling people to reintegrate into society. Perspectives in Public Health, March 131(2): 71-81. Retrieved from http://journals.sagepub.com.ezproxy.library.uq.edu.au/doi/pdf/10.1177/1757913910384048
4. Peacock, J., Hine, R. & Pretty, J. (2007). Got the blues, then find some greenspace: The mental health benefits of green exercise activities and green care. MIND Week Report, Centre for Environment and Society, University of Essex, February, 2007.
5. Qian, X.L. & Yarnal, C. (2010). Benefits of volunteering as campus tour guides: The rewards of serious leisure revisited. Leisure/Loisir, 34(2): 127-144.
6. Gallant, K., Arai, S. & Smale, B. (2013). Serious leisure as an avenue for nurturing community. Leisure Sciences, 35(4): 320-336.
7. Binder, M. (2015). Volunteering and life satisfaction: A closer look at the hypothesis that volunteering more strongly benefits the unhappy. Applied Economics Letters, 22(11): 874-885.
8. Fletcher, T.D. & Major, D.A. (2004). Medical students’ motivations to volunteer: An examination of the nature of gender differences. Sex Roles, (51): 109.
9. George, D.R. (2011). Intergenerational volunteering and quality of life: Mixed methods evaluation of a randomized control trial involving persons with mild to moderate dementia. Qual Life Res 20: 987.
10. Griep, Y., Hanson, L.M., Vantilborgh, T., Janssens, L., Jones. S.K. & Hyde M. (2017). Can volunteering in later life reduce the risk of dementia? A 5-year longitudinal study among volunteering and non-volunteering retired seniors. PLoS ONE 12(3): e0173885.
11. Smith, M., Timbrell, H., Woolvin, M., Muirhead, S. & Fyfe, N. (2010). Enlivened geographies of volunteering: Situated, embodied and emotional practices of voluntary action. Scottish Geographical Journal, 126(4): 258–274.
The Government is recommending raising the maximum amount society lotteries can raise for good causes from £10 million to £100 million per year.
A consultation into society lotteries opened on 29 June into on changes to the amount of money they can raise for good causes.
The Government recommends increasing the maximum draw prize from its current limit of £400,000 to £500,000. The consultation also asks for views on recommendations to increase the number of tickets society lotteries can sell to a value of £100 million per year and the amount they can raise per draw to £5 million.
Society lotteries raised over £255 million for good causes in 2016/17 but the individual draw limit for large society lotteries was last raised in 2009. The Gambling Act sets the current limits for society lotteries as £4 million sales per draw, £10 million sales per year and a maximum draw prize of £400,000.
The consultation follows the sector’s calls for limits to be increased. It will run for ten weeks and is open to members of the public.
Tracey Crouch, Minister for Sport and Civil Society said:
“Society lotteries make a vital difference to communities up and down the country. They raise hundreds of millions of pounds every year, supporting our veterans, lifeboats, hospices, air ambulances and many other great causes. They are an important fundraising tool for charities and we want to ensure that both society lotteries and the National Lottery are able to thrive now and in the future.”
The Institute of Fundraising, Lotteries Council and Hospice Lottery Association wrote to Crouch in March this year, calling for the consultation to be brought forward following House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee recommendation in 2015.
In response to the news of the consultation, Daniel Fluskey, IoF Head of Policy and External Affairs, said:
“We are pleased that DCMS have published this consultation to review society lotteries. We know that the current system restricts how much charities can raise through the limits set and welcome this opportunity to review how the system can work better so we can raise more money for good causes and beneficiaries. We look forward to discussing the proposals with our members and engaging with DCMS through this process.”
“Essex & Herts Air Ambulance will soon reach the £10 million annual sales turnover limit set by the current lottery regulations. Unless the regulations are changed, we will be forced to take out a new licence and restructure our existing lottery, at an estimated total cost of £100,000.
“As a charity which receives no central Government funding we believe our supporters across Essex & Hertfordshire would prefer us to spend this money delivering our life-saving service.
“Each year our Critical Care Teams are called to over 1,000 life-threatening incidents, at a total cost of £6.5 million. £100,000 could pay for us to attend an extra 40 missions or equip 65 premises, such as our charity shops, with defibrillators.”