Nearly all charities have experienced some negative impact from Covid-19, whether on their service delivery, finances, staff, or staff morale, according to research commissioned by the Charity Commission.
Yonder surveyed 1,966 charities online between 19 July and 2 August for the Charity Commission. The result, the Charity Commission Covid-19 Survey 2021, reveals that of the 91% affected by the pandemic, 60% saw a loss of income, and a third (32%) experienced a shortage of volunteers.
Nearly half (45%) said they took some action to adapt their services to restrictions caused by the pandemic. Some changed the way they delivered services, moving them online, refocusing on core projects, cutting staffing or spend on things like research. Around 40% say they dipped into their reserves. Smaller charities were especially likely to have taken drastic measures to remain afloat or in response to restrictions with one in four charities with incomes of less than £10k pausing their activities completely during the first lockdown.
Looking to the future, over half (62%) of those surveyed anticipate some level of threat to their charity’s financial viability in the next 12 months, although only 1% foresee that threat as being critical to their charity’s survival. From its own data the Commission however also warns that other threats may be on the horizon relating to governance and culture with it seeing an increase in disputes in charities and between trustees.
Covid impact
Covid-19 has predominantly impacted charities’ services and delivery (85%), alongside their financial position (72%) and staffing and governance (66%)
Work or events have been postponed and cancelled (57%) and many charities have lost income from fundraising (49%) or trading and other sources (35%)
Operationally, there is frustration caused by the uncertainty around when charities will be able to return to ‘normality’
60% have lost income from charitable activities
Access to volunteers has decreased for a third of charities
Few have encountered or suffered any significant impact from cyber harms
Adapting services
The most common action taken by charities is adapting their services in light of restrictions (45%), followed by using financial reserves (40%) and pausing operations temporarily (32%). A fifth have furloughed staff (18%)
Restrictions have resulted in less emphasis on in-person events and cash donations
Half of charities have made better use of digital technology
Future viability
A third (34%) expect to generate less revenue from fundraising and donations in 2022
Over half (62%) anticipate a threat to their charity’s financial viability in the next 12 months
However, a majority expect their charity to be in the same or better position overall
Accessing financial support
20% have accessed Local Authority funding, and 14% have used UK Government funding
Half (50%) would find more information on financial support helpful, and often suggest the Charity Commission could do more to help charities find/access it
With the colder weather setting in for the foreseeable future, the evenings getting dark before you finish work, and the constant threat of torrential rain and high winds; you should set a plan in place to prepare and protect your premises from the harshest weather.
The last thing you want in the midst of winter is to have to battle with the elements triaging an incident that could have been avoided! In this Ansvar blog we will be sharing our recommendations to get you started preparing your premises for the winter.
If there’s a storm coming
We highly recommend creating a ‘to-do’ list for when a storm is forecast. This way you can ensure nothing is forgotten and you can complete the tasks quickly and efficiently. You’ll know your premises best and will be able to identify any key danger zones, but some key elements to consider are:
You should secure loose objects in your grounds – such as ladders, furniture or anything else that could be blown into windows and other glazing. Keep a running list of the items and location of all objects of this nature so you can refer back whenever you need it.
Each day, you should make sure all doors and windows are closed and securely fastened, particularly those on the windward or more exposed side of the building and especially large doors such as those on garages.
If you have a garage, you should park vehicles inside them whenever possible; and if you this is not available, be mindful of not parking in the way of buildings, trees, walls and fences if at all avoidable.
If your building is fitted with storm shutters over the windows then make sure these are closed and fastened whenever there is the threat of a storm, and close and secure loft trapdoors with bolts, especially if your roof pitch is less than 30°.
For more information on how to prepare, what to do during, and following a storm, please view Ansvar’s storm safety advice.
Preparing for flash flooding
The annual cost of flood damage in the UK is estimated to be in excess of £1bn. Taking some simple steps to protect your premises is so important to minimise any potential damage.
First, you should complete a flood assessment of your site to determine the risk of flash flooding to your premises, and at the same time work out the risk of fluvial flooding (when water overflows watercourses such as rivers or streams), leading to the development of an overall Flood Plan.
You can input your postcode on the Environment Agency website to see which level of flash flooding risk they have identified for your area. We also recommend visiting the gov website for more guidance to support the completion of flood assessments and Flood Plans, including templates for capturing the relevant risk information.
As part of your regular safety checks, you should inspect your drains and drainage channels to make sure they are clear. You should do this every three months, especially at the end of autumn after the leaves have finished falling. Your guttering should be inspected at least once a year.
Depending on your risk, you may wish to hold flood resistance measures in your premises to prevent flood water entering your property, which may include: flood barriers, sand bags, airbrick covers, and non-return valves.
Flood defence products purchased for use as part of your Flood Plan must be regularly inspected and checked to ensure they remain fit for purpose and available when required.
We strongly recommend you seek professional advice about your specific premises to ensure you are adequately protected, but hopefully this article has given you food for thought, and an idea of where to start.
If you plan on making structural changes to your buildings to create additional protection against the elements, make sure you consult an architect, a suitably qualified consulting engineer and/or chartered surveyor before undertaking any work. Remember to view our risk guides linked in this article for further advice and information.
Sarah Cox is the Managing Director of charity and faith insurance specialist, Ansvar, the sponsors of this piece.
Advice Caseworker – 15 hrs Colchester, Tendring & North East Essex
As an Advice Caseworker you will join us to advise and support people across North East Essex. Utilising your experience of delivering advice across a range of settings you will also be adept at building successful relationships with internal and external partners and empower clients to maintain choice and independence over the decisions which matter to them through a mixture of face to face home visiting, telephone advice and digital assistance.
Actively contributing towards the development of the service your solution focused approach will help clients to overcome potential barriers to remain independent, connecting them to support and services within the community designed to promote choice.
What will you do as an Advice Caseworker
Welfare Advice
Assess welfare benefits and advice needs upon referral receipt.
Identification and implementation of solutions to support continued choice and independence including supported applications and advice for welfare benefits, housing and care.
Deliver advice through a mix of telephone, face to face and home visiting appointments.
Support navigation to and connection with appropriate community-based services to ensure services and resources are in place to sustain independent living at home or where appropriate to identify suitable solutions towards supported living arrangements.
Identify and develop positive referral pathways with providers of housing options across the community.
Develop and maintain effective reporting of casework and case studies to ensure impact and value of service is captured.
People / Team
Provide a person-centred approach to advice and support for people in later years.
Develop effective relationships with key stakeholders across the community to support positive partnership working and knowledge and skill sharing.
Establish a network of positive relationships with internal and external colleagues effective for improving outcomes for clients.
Be a trusted team member who is reliable and looked up to by colleagues
Be a positive ambassador for Age Concern with all stakeholders
Cover others as needed in periods of absence or holidays
Key Relationships
Advice & Welfare Operations Manager
Colleagues working within Age Concern Colchester & North East Essex
Colleagues working across the community.
Colleagues in the NHS and Local Government
What are your qualities?
You will need to be friendly, outgoing, confident and able to juggle a range of priorities well
Able to understand the confidential nature of our work and put in place relevant safeguarding procedure
You will need an understanding of the issues and challenges people in later years can experience
Be welcoming and empathetic to people living in later years, empowering individuals to live an independent life
Be encouraging and energetic, positive and patient and willing to work as part of a team and support other team members
What do you need to consider before applying?
Must be comfortable working across community settings
All our staff and volunteers go through the DBS process and thorough vetting (no costs)
You will need to have access to a vehicle, full driving licence and before joining business class insurance
Previous experience in a similar role would be an advantage
Previous knowledge of, health and safety procedures and risk assessments desirable
We aim to be an equal opportunities employer and we are determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of gender, age, disability, religion, belief, sexual orientation, marital status, or race, or is disadvantaged by conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be justifiable.
To join a high-performing team in a charity with a great current and future growth plan apply today.
What do we offer?
Age Concern is a friendly and enjoyable place to work. We work hard but also enjoy some downtime together. Due to the nature of our work, this is essential because we all have tougher days and need to be there to work through these days when they happen.
The organisation is growing our reach and activity because of the high demand for support. It is an exciting time to be a part of what we are doing, and this opportunity is about genuinely making a big difference to people. We take great pride in what we do, who we help and how we transform lives.
To apply for this position please download and complete the three-part application form at the bottom of this page and send it to [email protected] by the closing date of Tuesday 16th November 2021.
The COVID-19 pandemic has put health and social care professionals under increasing pressure. This population is already acknowledged to be at risk of burnout. The Here For You team will be hosting an online webinar for staff members to discuss the concept of Burnout, how to recognise the symptoms, a space for reflection on what Burnout means to you. We will consider some coping strategies and also explore ways in which to identify when more help is needed and where to access this support.
The webinar will include a presentation on Burnout and some space for reflection This interactive webinar is suitable for all staff members who either have an interest in this topic or may be wondering how to support others who may be experiencing these difficulties.
Date: Tuesday 9th November 2021
Time: 10 – 11:30am
Active Essex and Essex Local Delivery Pilot would like to invite you to join a live webinar on Asset Based Community Development: Supporting Essex communities to be resilient, connected, happy and healthy.
About the event: This webinar will explain what ABCD is, and how Active Essex and the LDP are using ABCD to bring local communities together through physical activity. Nurture Development are one of the leading ABCD organisations in the world, and their CEO Cormac Russell will speak about the enormous impact community building can have on places. Active Essex and Nurture Development have already trained over 350 people in ABCD, from local volunteers through to Chief Executives and key politicians. The webinar will also be joined by Community and Local Authority guest speakers who will talk on their experience of the ABCD training and how they are using this training within teams and the communities they support.
In this episode, we hear from two Young Trustee movement ambassadors Amelia Ireland, Trustee at the Holocaust Educational Trust and West Midlands Ambassador for the Young Trustee Movement. We also hear from Kate Roberts, Policy & Campaigns Officer at The Brain Tumour charity.
In this episode we explore why charities should consider working with trustees, barriers young people face when exploring trusteeship, and how charities can work with young people to excel in their position as charity trustees. Both Amelia and Kate share their experience as a trustee and why diverse trustee boards are key to embedding lived experience into charities’ board of trustees.
1)What is the Young Trustee Movement and why is it important that we have young trustees
The Young Trustee Movement aims to double the number of trustees under the age of 30 by 2024. Although the movement focuses on age, it is part of a wider movement calling for diversity on trustee boards. They hope to challenge the norm of what a trustee board looks like.
Although many charities support young people, they are missing potential insights from a lack of young trustees. There is a clear need to diversify charity trustee boards, with 75% of current UK trustees earning above-average household income and the majority of trustees are above the age of 65.
2) Barriers to trusteeship for young people
The first barrier young people do not necessarily understand is that a trustee role is something they can do. Charities can tackle this by editing the job description and reflecting on whether you need 20+ years for the role. Additionally, the way trustee roles are advertised, often it’s word-of-mouth and community networks, which is why it’s important to advertise trustee roles on a wide variety of platforms so you can reach different audiences. Once you have a young trustee on the board, the charity should empower them to take up space on the role.
3) How can charities recruit and work with young trustees?
Additional training is a great way to support young trustees; Amelia shared that financial training has helped her in her trustee role. The charity has also supported her with a mentor, this has enabled her to talk through any questions she may have about charity governance.
Job Title Corporate Communications Manager – Marketing
Directorate Communications, Marketing & Brand
Reporting to Assistant Director
Grade Grade 10
Salary c.£42,821 – c.£47,747 per annum
Working Hours 37 per week
Contract Fixed-term contract (maternity cover, anticipated to be for up to nine months)
We’re looking for a Marketing and Communications Manager to join Essex County Fire and Rescue Service on a nine-month fixed term contract.
Our mission is to make Essex a safe place to live, work and travel, and when they’re done right the safety campaigns we run help to change people’s behaviour and make a real difference to our communities.
We need a brilliant communicator who can manage a small team, producing engaging communications across a wide-range of print and digital media for all our audiences.
No two days are the same; we need a fast-paced thinker and confident individual who works to high standards and challenging deadlines. Flexibility, a can-do attitude and the ability to develop excellent collaborative relationships with partners will all be second nature.
As part of a rota system that provides a 24/7 media service, you’ll also help report Service incidents to the press and the public via our website and social media.
Our people are our service, and we all play a role in making Essex a safe place to live, work and travel. We know that for many of our support colleagues, there are various ways and places to work that can then lead to better delivery outcomes. That’s because, for some, work is something you do, not somewhere you go. So, we trust them to decide how, where and when they work, combining remote and collaborative working with a flexible approach.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible to apply for the role, you will have
• Chartered Institute of Marketing Diploma or Certificate and / or a degree or professional qualification in public relations, or equivalent.
• Proven track record in managing successful marketing campaigns which have delivered against objectives.
• Experience of producing advertising copy, media releases and PR materials, often to tight deadlines
• Experience of managing a diverse group of staff to ensure effective service delivery
How to apply
You are required to submit a supporting statement of no more than 1000 words detailing how you meet the essential criteria from the person specification and would be an ideal candidate for the role. Please ensure you have uploaded the supporting statement before clicking Apply.
Assessment and selection
The assessment activity will involve a combination of values and leadership, and job specific assessments:
Stage 1
• Shortlisting
Stage 2
• Values & leadership presentation; job specific interview;
Should you wish to have an informal discussion with regards to the role, please contact Emily Cheyne, Assistant Director on 07736198279 or via [email protected]
Closing date to be considered for this vacancy is 12pm, Thursday 4th November 2021
We anticipate the interviews will be held virtually in the week commencing 8 November 2021
Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Fire and Rescue Authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.
It is our policy to require all applicants for employment to disclose if you are currently being investigated by any regulatory body or have any decisions or sanctions pending or in progress in respect of your suitability to work for the Service.
You agree to inform the Service within 24 hours if you are subsequently investigated by any agency or organisation in relation to concerns about your behaviour towards children, young people or vulnerable adults.
The information you provide will be treated as strictly confidential and will be considered only in relation to the appointment for which you are applying.
We are an equal opportunities employer who welcomes applications from everyone and values diversity in our workplace. A commitment to promoting diversity and developing a workplace environment where all staff are treated with dignity and respect is central to our recruitment process. All applications will be considered solely on merit.
The full agenda for the event is out now! To see what sessions will be running, head over to the sessions tab.
If you’re already signed up, head over to the Event Hub, once you’re logged in, to see full agenda details including all timing and speaker information.
About Charities Against Hate Live
Charities Against Hate is a broad coalition of charities and campaigners who are working together to bring positive change to social platforms.
Join Charities Against Hate at their first event to learn more about what they do, hear from some great speakers, and help shape the work going forward. There will also be an opportunity for you to find out the different ways you can get involved.
Sign up above to join us at November’s event!
To access this event you are required to sign up to Charity Digital, so we can monitor those who wish to attend.
Make the best out of your corporate relationships by following our easy tips
Having a great partner to work with makes a real difference. For charities, corporate social responsibility (CSR) means building a relationship with the right business partner increases fundraising potential.
CSR can also give charities an increasing pool of volunteers and a partner willing to support marketing and comms. There are myriad benefits to CSR programmes. In the present article, though, we show charities how to successfully plan and raise funds through CSR programmes.
Understand your partner’s needs
Before thinking about ways to increase fundraising efforts, consider the aims of your corporate partner. Put yourself in their shoes. Forbes Magazine says that businesses pursue CSR because they are expected to. Firms are “obligated to pursue achievable and good long-term goals for its people and the world at large”.
For charities, it’s important to understand what that perspective looks like. Oonagh Turnbull, who runs Boots UK’s CSR programme says she gets cold calls from potential charity partners. “Lots are very professional,” Turnbull says. “But many could do much more research about us and our CSR – and would get a better reception if their approaches were properly targeted.”
The Giving Machine puts things more bluntly: “The focus of CSR is to boost shareholder trust and increase long-term profits in a sustainable and ethical way by taking ownership of corporate decisions and improving them.”
Do your homework and think about what the business wants from a CSR relationship. Once the strategy is established, consider how fundraising events align with the company’s ambitions and brand.
Fundraise from company employees
One of the best ways that charities can fundraise through their corporate partner is payroll giving. Payroll giving is a tax advantageous way of giving directly from wages.
The programme is set up from the side of the business partner. Donations are made through the PAYE system. From a tax perspective, donations are made from wages before National Insurance payments are deducted. Employees get tax relief from being generous.
Charities are using digital to take advantage of the huge fundraising potential that comes with payroll giving. Barnardo’s, Crisis, The Royal British Legion, RNIB, and WaterAid have come together to launch Good Giving. The joint venture will use digital software to increase donation opportunities. The aim is to raise £150 million from payroll givers.
Summarising the advantage of payroll giving, Richard Packman from Good Giving says: “Giving through payroll is the most tax-efficient way for employees of any company to donate to any charity of their choice.”