Martyn Drake: Why we must recognise there are other perspectives than our own We will never speak with one voice as long as we’re arguing among ourselves or agreeing to disagree

We will never speak with one voice as long as we’re arguing among ourselves, or worse, “agreeing to disagree”.

So, the next time you find yourself at an impasse, try the question: “From what perspective should we be coming at this?”

@martyndrake.bsky.social

Major children’s charity puts more than 70 jobs at risk after ‘considerable reduction’ in council funding The organisation runs six family hubs in Plymouth, Devon

About 70 staff are at risk of redundancy as the organisation looks to reduce costs following a reduction in council funding

Regulator engages with Sentebale as it files defamation case against Prince Harry The charity alleges a coordinated media campaign was carried out against it; the defendants deny the ‘offensive’ claims

The Charity Commission said it is engaging with Sentebale’s trustees to understand how its legal action against Prince Harry would further its charitable purposes

Third Sector: Partnering with peers to get through tough times Lucinda Rouse and Dami Adewale are joined by Saskia Lightburn-Ritchie, chief executive of the domestic abuse support charity MyCWA.Saskia recounts how a long-standing commitment to partnership and ...

🎧 Partnering with peers to get through tough times

@lrouse.bsky.social and Dami Adewale hear from Saskia Lightburn-Ritchie how MyCWA has instilled partnership as a core mission, helping it to execute a £500k emergency appeal when it lost major council contract

Analysis: Where next for small charity infrastructure? Support networks for the small charity sector have come under increasing strain in recent years. What are the concerns of leaders in the space? Dami Adewale reports

"There is a lot of 'quiet quitting' happening within black and global majority-led charities and social enterprises because of a lack of infrastructure support."

Dami Adewale explores the increasing strain on small charity support networks

Third Sector: Small charity infrastructure, donation decline and an AI fundraising experiment Lucinda Rouse is joined by Third Sector colleagues Emily Burt and Emily Harle to reflect on three significant sector stories from the past month.Emily Burt shares her perspective on concerns raised...

🎧 Listen to an extended discussion about the fundraising opportunities presented by the 'creator economy' on the Third Sector Podcast

Lucinda Rouse: It’s time for charities to lean into the creator economy Through the gloom of declining individual giving comes a ray of hope and opportunity

I’m far from suggesting online creators hold the answers to a decade-long trend of decline in individual giving.

But fundraisers would do well to replicate their highly successful engagement techniques.

@lrouse.bsky.social

Nicola Sturgeon to chair refugee charity The former first minister of Scotland is stepping down as an MSP

Nicola Sturgeon has been appointed as the next chair of Safe Passage International

Government launches £1m scheme to encourage wealthy to donate to disadvantaged areas The DCMS says it will appoint a network of regional philanthropic ambassadors to build stronger links between philanthropists, communities and the government

A new scheme aims to increase philanthropic giving in disadvantaged areas in England by connecting wealthier people with community organisations

Sight loss charity to transfer a third of its services to fellow organisation after failed emergency appeal The appeal raised just £25,000 of the £2m needed to prevent closure

A sight loss charity has announced plans to transfer one-third of its services to a fellow charity after it failed to raise £2m in an emergency appeal

The essential stories from the past week Grantmaker restructures; relief as government exempts charities from new legislation; and the British Heart Foundation receives its largest donation

Our top stories of last week included:

⚪️ Grantmaker restructures
⚪️ Relief as government exempts charities from new legislation
⚪️ British Heart Foundation receives largest donation

Charity drops YMCA branding to reflect broader services The organisation says its new name gives it ‘greater freedom to be creative, flexible and responsive to meeting local need’

The youth charity YMCA Together has changed its name in a move designed to provide greater freedom and remain flexible in the services it provides

Regulator clears charity falsely accused of telling children to send Valentine’s Day cards to asylum seekers The Charity Commission says it was concerned that the charity faced a ‘misinformation campaign’

The Charity Commission has found no evidence of wrongdoing by City of Sanctuary UK after false claims the charity was encouraging school children to send Valentine’s Day cards to adult asylum seekers

Mind charities merge to boost access to support The new organisation will launch a full rebrand later this year

Two local Mind charities have merged to make it easier for service users to access support

YMCA charities merge The organisations say they hope the move will lead to better outcomes for service users

Two YMCA charities have merged in a bid to widen their reach and run their services more effectively

‘Huge relief’ as government exempts charities from new consumer rights rules Heritage charities welcome the decision after previously warning the bill would ‘cripple’ them

Charities have welcomed the government’s decision to exclude some charitable memberships from new consumer rights rules after warnings they could “cripple” heritage organisations

Former worker stole almost £200,000 from payroll giving charity The organisation says it was a ‘big shock’ that ‘promising employee’ Matthew Tillier had begun stealing from it

A payroll giving worker who defrauded his employer out of almost £200,000 has been spared jail

Third Sector: Small charity infrastructure, donation decline and an AI fundraising experiment Lucinda Rouse is joined by Third Sector colleagues Emily Burt and Emily Harle to reflect on three significant sector stories from the past month.Emily Burt shares her perspective on concerns raised...

🎧 Small charity infrastructure, donation decline and an AI fundraising experiment

Join @lrouse.bsky.social @emilyharle.bsky.social and Emily Burt for an editorial team meeting on the Third Sector Podcast

Darren Richards: AI is not a strategy – leadership is If your ethics are vague, your messaging is inconsistent or your data is a mess, AI will scale those problems with the same efficiency

Darren Richards: AI is arriving like a side of fries in every app and piece of software your team already uses.

AI amplifies, multiplies and accelerates everything it touches; good or bad, true or false, helpful or hindering

Luke Hall: The extension of VAT relief is proof of what we can achieve together This government reform is a milestone worth celebrating – now we must build on it

Luke Hall: When charities are treated as true, trusted partners by policymakers, and can work in partnership with professional bodies and government, tangible reform is possible

Major leisure charity goes into administration Fusion Lifestyle says it has been unable to secure long-term financial stability in the face of rising costs

A major leisure charity has gone into administration after failing to overcome rising costs, reduced government funding and post-pandemic recovery challenges

Christian social care charity rebrands and changes name The charity said its updated identity ‘reflects a commitment to personalised support’

The Brothers of Charity Services has changed its name to Best Lives as it looks to move forward as an independent charity with a fresh identity, it has said

Major grantmaker restructures staff to better deliver upcoming strategy The foundation has slightly increased its headcount and merged its local teams

The Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales has restructured its staff team

Pride in London boss sacked after allegations of bullying and financial mismanagement The organisation has appointed an interim chief as High Court case continues

The former chief executive of Pride in London has been sacked after he was suspended over allegations of bullying and of “financial and corporate mismanagement”

Housing charity workers strike over pay dispute Social care and housing support workers at the Scottish charity Blue Triangle Housing Association walked out on 1 April over ‘pitiful’ pay offer

Union members across 36 services and 12 local authorities have said their wages fail to reflect the skill, responsibility and emotional demands of their roles, according to Unison

Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust announces first head of reparations Keon West will lead work to address the colonial origins of the Trust’s endowment

The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust has appointed Keon West as its first head of reparations

Alex Evans: The NCVO backlash reveals a sector faultline that only direct workforce representation can bridge We need deeper, more democratic representation for the sector

We need deeper, more democratic representation for the sector.

A democratic membership organisation of individual workers could better represent the true views of the sector and those in it than the managerial echelons bound by institutional politics.

@barelycivilsociety.bsky.social

Compliance case into alleged political bias at think tank ‘did not go far enough’, campaigning group says The Good Law Project has sent a formal complaint to the Charity Commission alleging ‘persistent breaches of charity law’ by the Institute of Economic Affairs

The Good Law Project has sent a formal complaint to the Charity Commission alleging ‘persistent breaches of charity law’ by the Institute of Economic Affairs

Local Mind changes name and leaves federation as it seeks to expand The charity says its new identity will give it the freedom to develop services across London

A 40-year old mental-health charity has changed its name and left the Mind Federation, as it plans to expand its services across London

Charity founder and social entrepreneur to lead FoodCycle Mark Game will join the community dining charity in mid-April

FoodCycle has appointed the founder of the affordable food clubs charity The Bread and Butter Thing as its chief executive