Voluntary sector ‘absolutely critical’ to the country’s success, PM says
At a meeting of the Civil Society Council in Manchester last week, Andy Burnham said he recognised the vital contribution made by civil society organisations, according to a statement published by 10 Downing Street.
The statement says the PM “reflected on the power of partnership with civil society and the importance of coming together to deliver better outcomes”.
He also reiterated the need “to face the same way and pull in the same direction”, it says.
The statement says he spoke about the cross-sector Live Well partnership in Greater Manchester, where a joined-up approach “with civil society as an equal partner” meant people could access the support they needed.
“Civil society in all its many iterations is absolutely critical to the success of our country,” he said.
For the full story, click here.
Major domestic abuse charity to absorb educational organisation
The domestic abuse charity Refuge has absorbed the relationship education charity Let Me Know in a bid to accelerate the charities’ strategic ambitions.
The charities said the merger represented a significant opportunity to scale LMK’s relationship education programme, which supports young people to build healthy relationships, while also expanding Refuge’s range of specialist services.
Both charities have retained their organisational identities and their existing relationships with external stakeholders and partners, they said.
A spokesperson said the funding environment for LMK was a factor in the merger plans: “LMK had not been able to grow income, and therefore its reach to young people, in the way it had envisaged when it first launched its 2024 to 2027 strategy.”
LMK’s 14 employees have transferred to the larger charity under the proposed terms of the merger, joining its workforce of about 460 staff. Refuge said no job losses were anticipated.
For the full story, click here.
Foundation handed official warning over mismanagement of £5.7m legacy
The Charity Commission has issued an official warning to The Schwarzschild Foundation over trustees’ mismanagement of its founder’s £5.7m legacy.
The official warning was issued at the close of a three-year inquiry into the charitable trust, which was established for the education and the relief of poverty for women and girls in the orthodox Jewish faith.
The inquiry, which was opened following a National Crime Agency investigation into one of the foundation’s trustees, found serious governance failings, including in the financial management of the legacy, conflicts of interest and related-party transactions.
In August 2020, after the death of its founder Helga Schwarzschild, the foundation became entitled to her estate, which included her residential property portfolio.
The estate totalled approximately £5.7m, including £1.7m from the sale of her property.
The Schwarzschild Foundation’s trustees subsequently approved four grants of £250,000 made in 2022, including one to the Israel-based organisation Yad L’Achim.
But this grant was paid into an account that was actually controlled by one of The Schwarzschild Foundation’s former trustees, the commission found.
For the full story, click here.