Month: June 2024

The proportion of people who plan to give to charity is at its highest in four years, new research has found. The Summer Donor Pulse report, published by the fundraising technology provider Enthuse, found that 78 per cent of more than 2,000 members of the UK public surveyed said they intended to donate to charity

The chief executive of On Call Africa will step down to make way for a Zambia-based leader as part of the charity’s localisation efforts. Ben Margetts, who took up the top job at the Zambia-based healthcare charity in 2019, said he did not have another role lined up but was leaving the charity in March

The philanthropist and entrepreneur Sir Jack Petchey, whose foundation has invested more than £170m in youth projects, has died at the age of 98. In a statement, the Jack Petchey Foundation said its founder died at his home in Wapping, London on 27 June, aged 98. Petchey started the foundation in 1999 to support people

Birmingham Hospice has announced plans to make 14 per cent of its workforce redundant and reduce its number of inpatient beds, as it faces an estimated £2.4m deficit this year. The end-of-life charity plans to cut the equivalent of 45 full-time roles, which it said equated to about 14 per cent of its workforce.  In

St John Ambulance has embarked on a major restructuring programme to tackle “significant” financial issues as its accounts show it recorded a deficit approaching £17m last year.  The first aid charity’s annual accounts for 2023, published yesterday, show it had an income of £107.7m – down £12.2m on the previous year – and spending of

The chief executive of the Barrow Cadbury Trust is to step down after 15 years in the role.  Dame Sara Llewellin, who joined the grantmaker in December 2009, will remain in post until her successor is appointed but is expected to leave by the end of March 2025.  Llewellin, who was made a dame in

The British Red Cross is to run a trial of a four-day working week with 200 of its staff.  The charity said a mix of frontline and supporting teams would be involved in the trial, which will start on 1 July and continue for at least six months.  The trial, which involves 5 per cent

Lewis-Manning Hospice Care has lost access to its Meta Business Manager account, saying the unexpected ban has left it unable to access analytics, fundraising tools and at risk of losing its entire online community. The charity, which offers palliative care for people with life-limiting illnesses and their families across east Dorset, has been left unable

The chief executive of a community support charity has stepped down as the organisation instigates a strategic review aimed at reducing costs. The local infrastructure charity Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council said chief executive Bridie Ashrowan had decided to step down after three years. It said it had appointed David Peace as interim chief executive and

Rethink Mental Illness and the Air Ambulance group of emergency charities are the most trusted major voluntary sector brands, new research shows.  The latest edition of Third Sector’s Charity Brand Index, which is based on research conducted with a representative sample of 4,000 people in April and May, found the two brands topped the list

The Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity has rebranded to make it more relevant and connect with potential donors and supporters more effectively. The charity has updated its logo and introduced blue as its “beacon colour” to provide greater accessibility, recognition and to stand out. Gosh charity’s original logo was designed for its Wishing Well

Two people have been jailed for a combined eight years after stealing more than £300,000 from a children’s charity they set up. Ruksana Khan, 68, and James Donovan, 58, both of Blackpool, Lancashire, defrauded the now defunct Kidz Come First between 2011 and 2016 to fund online gambling addictions. Khan founded Kidz Come First in

The number of UK charitable foundations reporting diversity data has increased but diversity is still the “weakest domain by far” among such organisations, a new report says. The Foundation Practice Report Rating is a yearly report conducted by Giving Evidence, a consultancy that specialises in the production and use of evidence in charitable giving, and

The Charity Commission has closed its regulatory compliance case into the humanitarian aid charity Penny Appeal, months after it issued an official warning about the organisation’s records and financial accounts.  It comes after the Fundraising Regulator found that Penny Appeal committed five breaches of the Code of Fundraising across three of its programmes, including misleading

The Jewish Museum London has appointed a multiple award-winning producer as its next chief executive.  Sally Angel is an Emmy, Bafta, Royal Television Society and Peabody Award-winning TV and film producer. She is the creative director of Angelica Films and has made films and TV shows for Channel 4, BBC and HBO. Before moving into

The charity that runs the Eden Project has appointed Andy Jasper as its next chief executive.  Jasper, who is director of gardens and parklands at the National Trust, returns to the Eden Trust having spent almost 13 years as head of research and evaluation from 2001.  He has since held roles including programme director of

A heritage and conservation charity has rebranded and updated its “visually dull and technically antiquated” website for the first time in 20 years. The Victorian Society, which campaigns for the conservation and re-use of historic Victorian and Edwardian buildings, hopes its new website and branding will help it to connect with younger people.  “With a

Charities and funders have been urged to share their views on Scotland’s public funding processes for charities before the Scottish Government’s next budget. The Scottish Parliament’s Social Justice and Social Security Committee  launched the consultation yesterday as part of an inquiry aimed at improving the efficiency of the public funding process.  The committee is seeking

The financial training charity Money4You has changed its name in a bid to more effectively connect with the communities it serves.  The charity has rebranded to The Avocado Foundation because it said it did more than provide money. It said its acquisition of the ‘Avocado’ trademark in financial education strengthened the connection between its name

Charities should tap into the “progressive upswing” north of the border, researchers have said, after research showed that people in Scotland were more open-minded than in the rest of the UK. A survey of 2,000 UK adults, conducted by the research and strategy agency Eden Stanley between May and June, found that Scots were consistently

Charities have been advised not to rush out statements in the face of controversy involving their celebrity ambassadors. Speaking at the Third Sector Conference in central London, Rachel Walker, deputy head of celebrity and VIP at the end-of-life charity Marie Curie, discussed the potential risks that could arise for charities that work with celebrities.  Walker

Reform UK has pledged to reform inheritance tax so it could be donated to charity and halve the amount the UK spends on international aid. The party’s “contract with you”, published yesterday, promises that a Reform-led government would abolish inheritance tax for all estates worth less than £2m and charge 20 per cent above the

FitzRoy has promoted its operations director to chief executive, as its long-serving chief prepares to retire. The charity, which supports people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health needs, said Angela Murphy had more than 25 years’ experience in health and social care. Murphy, who will take up the reins on 1 July, has been

Funders should explore a systems-based approach to fund youth mental health charities and their work amid increased demand for services, according to a new report. The Youth Mental Health Crisis report, from the think tank NPC, says philanthropic funding is not keeping pace with the rising demand for youth mental health services. It says that

Charity leaders have cautiously welcomed Labour’s election manifesto but want more detail on how the party’s plans would be put in place.  The manifesto sets out Labour’s plans for economic growth and stability and aims to create a period of national renewal.  It makes few direct references to charities but the party promises to work

Autism Together has taken over the management of a recently reopened community farm and cafe. The Wirral-based charity has taken over the operation of Bridge Community Farm in the village of Overpool. Bridge Community Farm opened in 2015 as Bridge Wellness Gardens, forming as a charitable incorporated organisation. The farm was leased from the council

The outgoing chief executive of the Charity Commission has been made a dame in the King’s Birthday Honours.  Helen Stephenson, who will step down at the end of July after seven years in the role, said the honour was a “recognition of the essential role charities have in our society and the fantastic team who

Two digital support charities are merging in a bid to better support digitally isolated people and create a stronger impact. Citizens Online is being merged into AbilityNet on 1 July. Citizens Online has operated since 2000 to help organisations ensure their digital programmes are fully inclusive. AbilityNet, which was formed in 1985, focuses on helping