23 January 2012 – 2:20 pm
So the Government have launched another consultation, this time about whether to introduce a register of lobbyists. There is currently no regulation in the UK around lobbying the Government and the proposed register would require an individual or organisation to be registered before their lobby will be considered by Government. Having spent 2 1/2 years on a [...]
18 January 2012 – 10:42 am
CharityComms has launched a campaign this week to exempt charities from paying a fee for sharing online news articles. I am wholeheartedly behind this campaign which seems grossly unfair and an unnecessary burden on charities at a time when many are closing down due to funding cuts. Im also very disappointed to see The Guardian [...]
15 November 2011 – 12:15 pm
I am currently preparing for the North East Networks meeting – 25th Nov at South Shields Town Hall. The five independent empowerment networks have come together monthly as part of the Big Society project which ends in two weeks, so each group will be considering the way forward and whether to self organise and share [...]
2 September 2011 – 2:16 pm
I was pleased to see the widespread news coverage our latest survey results received. Every 6 months for the past 2 years we’ve been tracking the impact of the economic downturn on North East voluntary and community organisations. It’s given us a wealth of evidence to show that the situation has deteriorated considerably over that [...]
Ive seen an awful lot of drivel written this week about how charities that receive state funding to deliver their services can’t possibly be a charity. The arguments are as old as the hills but this week seemed to be a lot more vocal than usual, most likely due to this ‘age of austerity’. They [...]
A geographical divide has opened up in English adult social care spending with huge cuts in the North but budgets continuing to expand in the South, according to a BBC survey out today. While spending in the North and Midlands will fall by 4.7% this financial year, southern councils will boost spending on adult social [...]
I noticed on return from a couple of weeks off that NCVO have decided to ditch the print version of their members magazine ‘Engage’. They are making the switch to a digital only version, available online. The decision was based on what their members had asked for and cost savings. It’s a tricky decision. I’m [...]
It was great to see 2 local charities making national headlines this week. First up I spotted A Way Out, former VONNE award winners, in the Metro newspaper. Their Chief Executive Jessie Joe Jacobs was warning that alcohol abuse may kill a growing number of women unless something is done to stop ‘crazily’ low drinks [...]