Charity

Sector leaders have welcomed the appointment of David Holdsworth as the next chief executive of the Charity Commission, describing him as a “damned good regulator” who “really knows the guts of the commission”.  The Charity Commission announced yesterday that David Holdsworth, who was previously the regulator’s deputy chief executive and most recently held the top

The Hamish Ogston Foundation has changed its name to the Vinehill Trust after a series of allegations were made against its founding chair.  The claims, first reported last October in The Sunday Times newspaper, alleged that the multi-millionaire businessman Hamish Ogston trafficked women and used the foundation to bring women into the country. The claims

The National Council for Voluntary Organisations’ pilot scheme to find jobs in the charity sector for experienced professionals has placed six people at major charities, the umbrella body has said.  The Charity Interns project, which was launched last year as a six-month pilot scheme, aims to “highlight the positive impact of transferable skills from the private or public

A period poverty charity that supports girls in the UK and overseas has regained access to its bank account four months after was abruptly closed. Girls With Pride and Dignity is a period poverty charity based in Oldham, Greater Manchester. It was set up as a community scheme to support girls in poverty overseas, but

Charitable activity in the UK is failing to reach the areas of greatest need, a new report warns. Research from the think tank Centre for Cities says fewer and smaller donations are being made in the most deprived areas compared with other regions.  The report draws on data from various sources, including responses to the

Akt, the LGBTQ+ youth homelessness charity, has appointed an interim chief executive to replace its former chief, who resigned in November after nearly 17 years in post. Tim Spoor was chief executive of the charity, formerly the Albert Kennedy Trust, since 2007, having worked in LGBTQ+ charities for 25 years in total. Announcing his resignation

The chief executive of the National Aids Trust has resigned from her position after nearly a decade in the role. Deborah Gold, who became chief executive in 2014, will leave the charity in the summer. A spokesperson for the charity told Third Sector that Gold had decided the time was right for her to leave

Slightly more than half of charities say their fundraising income at least held up over the past year, research has found.  A survey of decision-makers from 202 charities shows 55 per cent of charities maintained or increased their fundraising income over the past year. The 2024 Charity Pulse report, published by the fundraising technology provider

The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into a spiritualist charity because of “disputing trustees” and a failure to file its accounts on time.  The commission said it was investigating the charity behind the London Spiritual Mission, which runs spiritualist services from its venue in Notting Hill, because “disputing trustees have been unwilling or

A Catholic priest who has chaired a sports body for the past 32 years has been appointed its chief executive.  The National Association of Karate and Martial Arts Schools, an independent, not-for-profit organisation based in Kent that governs traditional and modern martial arts, said the Reverend Joe Ellis had become its chief executive on a

A charity committed to ending gender-based violence has gone into liquidation following a “period of operational and financial difficulty”, Third Sector has learned. Against Violence & Abuse, which was registered as a charity in 2010, offers training, resources and consultancy work to improve UK services for survivors of violence against women and girls. The charity

The incoming chief executive of Unlock has withdrawn from the role before taking it up.  The charity, which supports people with criminal convictions, announced on 18 January that Andrew Henley would join it as chief executive on 1 February.  But Unlock said in a statement yesterday that Henley would no longer be taking up the

Unite says it is taking a housing charity to arbitration after it refused to recognise the union in pay negotiations. The union said the Leeds-based housing support charity Gipsil had said it would recognise union members but would not sign an agreement that allows collective bargaining over pay. The union said it would take the

Jo Elvin is to step down as chief executive of Children with Cancer UK after almost two years in the role.  The former editor of Glamour magazine, who joined the charity in April 2022, said she would leave at the end of February “to pursue fresh challenges”.  The charity said Elvin would “remain on hand

Oxfam GB will stop using financial services provided by Barclays because of the bank’s “continued financing of fossil fuels”, the charity has said.  Oxfam, which has used services provided by the bank for about 15 years, said it wrote to Barclays in December to say it would stop using its foreign exchange services with immediate

A Norfolk-based charity that supports unpaid carers has announced plans to close due to funding challenges after a loss of council funding. West Norfolk Carers, which had an income of slightly more than £200,000 in 2021/22, will close at the end of March, making all of its nine staff redundant. The charity also has about

Voluntary sector organisations that support people who are struggling with their energy costs are being invited to apply for a share of £20m in grant funding. The money is being offered by the Energy Saving Trust and comes from the Energy Redress Scheme, which is funded through voluntary payments from companies that have breached rules

The Actors’ Benevolent Fund has reported “serious concerns” about online voting in its council election to the police and the Charity Commission, after 166 proxy votes were found to be invalid.  The results of the election were due to be announced at its annual general meeting on 17 January, but this was delayed after concerns

People who give higher amounts to charity are more likely to be in favour of the use of artificial intelligence by voluntary organisations, new figures indicate.  Researchers asked more than 6,100 people in 10 countries about whether they thought the opportunities presented by AI for charities outweighed the risks, or vice versa.  The figures show

The disability charity Designability has appointed Jim Bowes as its chief executive. Bowes succeeds Catharine Brown, who stepped down in September after four years in the role. The charity, which supports disabled people to live more independently and creates products and services with and for disabled people, said Bowes has more than 20 years of

Christian Aid’s income rose by more than £12m last year, mainly because of funds donated to support people affected by the war in Ukraine, figures show.  The charity’s accounts for the year to the end of March, filed this week with Companies House, show total income reached £90.6m, up from £78.m in the previous year.

The amount of “shock tactic” imagery in charities’ news media adverts has decreased in the past decade, new research has found. Only 11 per cent of images from a sample of charity, NGO and INGO adverts found in UK national newspapers were classed as “pitiful” or used “shock tactics”, the study found. This is a

This year’s election could mark a “once in a generation” opportunity for charities to push for radical change, chief executives have said. Speaking yesterday at the Change Conversations webinar, hosted by the Good Agency, a group of charity leaders discussed the importance of seizing opportunities as the UK heads towards an election. Enver Solomon, chief

The UK needs a “collective attitude shift” towards philanthropy in order to create a positive giving environment, the culture secretary has said.  Lucy Frazer was speaking today at the launch of a report into major giving, which was published by the think tank Onward.  The report, called Giving Back Better, finds that giving by the

Entries for the Third Sector Awards, which celebrate the work of charities and the difference they make to society, have opened for 2024. There are 32 categories rewarding sector partnerships, individual talent and organisational excellence, including Communications Campaign of the Year, which in 2023 was won by the maternity discrimination charity Pregnant Then Screwed. Nominations

The chief executive of the LGBT+ anti-abuse charity Galop has announced she will stand down after nearly four years in post. Leni Morris, who became chief executive of the charity in 2020, will leave at the end of January. Galop provides advice and support to members of the LGBT+ community across the UK who have

Four out of five people believe volunteering improves their wellbeing, a major new survey has found.  Research conducted among almost 29,000 people who volunteer for 10 large charities including the National Trust, RSPCA, British Red Cross and Trussell Trust, found that 80 per cent agreed that their lives were enriched by giving up their time

The psychiatric research charity the British False Memory Society has closed due to funding challenges after 30 years, Third Sector has learned. The charity, which produced research on the issue of false memory, made three redundancies – one full-time employee and two part-time employees – in October as a result of the closure.  A statement

Voluntary sector leaders have welcomed the Labour Party’s promise to include the sector as a key partner if it formed the next government.  Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, told an audience of charity leaders in London yesterday that the sector was “essential” to his party’s plans for a decade of renewal

The Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is this morning due to set out his party’s vision for the UK voluntary sector. Starmer is expected to speak in front of an audience of 150 charity leaders and 17 shadow ministers at an event in London organised by the think tank Pro Bono Economics. PBE said it