Two weeks ago, government sources announced, in stories in the Sun and the Daily Mail, the expansion of a scheme that forces unemployed people to do compulsory community work or lose their benefits, if the staff at the Jobcentre decide that they’re not pulling their weight. The stories quote an unnamed government source, who says… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Uncategorized
Where are all the interesting volunteering roles?
As the New Year rolled in, I did my usual routine of trying to come up with some resolutions, only this year I was determined to think of some I might actually keep. I discarded the usual ‘eat less cake’ and ‘exercise more’ and looked instead towards ‘volunteer’.
Why I’m shifting my donations this year
Two stories struck me over the Christmas and New Year break: the first was the news that Save the Children had raised more than £7m in its East Africa Appeal – a record for the charity; the second was the new year message from the Archbishop of Canterbury that we should not give up on… Read more »
Charities should be more confident in their deals with corporates
The story in yesterday’s Guardian, which said the charity Variety Club was receiving less than £4.50 per year from each of the shoe recycling banks emblazoned with its name, will have surprised members of the public – many of whom are already wary about the proportion of their charitable donations that make it to the… Read more »
What price training for charity shop volunteers?
The last time I took a donation to a charity shop, it was a great experience. I took an unwanted jewellery box, full of costume jewellery, to a Cancer Research UK shop. The volunteer behind the desk could not have been more excited or grateful for my gift. I left with the warm glow you… Read more »
A big society minister would need a huge amount of power and influence within government
One of the main recommendations in yesterday’s Public Administration Select Committee report on the big society was that the government should appoint a big society minister. The new appointee, the report says, would have “a cross-cutting brief to help other ministers to drive through this agenda”. Judging by the initial reactions, the voluntary sector is… Read more »
If you strike gold, you need the infrastructure to cash in
There was a reminder for everyone of an important lesson in charity fundraising yesterday. When the Big Give Christmas Challenge charity match funding scheme was launched in the morning, so many people tried to access the site to make a donation that it crashed, leaving would-be-donors with a message that told them the appeal had… Read more »
Pre-school charity’s request for payment left me enraged
My son turns three over the Christmas period. It’s a significant milestone for families these days because it’s the age at which all children receive up to 15 hours of government-funded childcare each week. Potentially, it should save my household around £200 a month – or so I thought.
Dunsfold hearing does not bode well for villagers’ school plans
Earlier this week I went to the charity tribunal to watch a day-long hearing on a case brought against the Charity Commission by a group of four local residents from the Surrey village of Dunsfold. It was a textbook example of how charity law can complicate what seem to be the most straightforward of matters…. Read more »
What role do charities have in the Youth Contract?
With the number of young people not in employment, education or training consistently teetering around the one million mark in recent times, it’s encouraging that the coalition government is taking action through its Youth Contract. The plan to spend £1bn to provide work and training placements for up to half a million 18 to 24-year-olds… Read more »