Charity Update - 13 April 2021
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Welcome to the latest issue of Fieldfisher's Charity Update.
Covid-19 dominates the news again, but this time in a more positive way. Charity fundraising will be allowed from 12 April and more guidance is available following the easing of lockdown. Balanced against this is the sad news of the large number of redundancies within charities which have resulted from the pandemic, showing that there is still a long way to go before we can get back to normal.
Neil Palmer
9 April 2021
Government announces easing of restrictions for charity fundraising
From 12 April, public fundraising will be permitted to return. This is part of the next phase of the Government's Roadmap out of lockdown. This change will provide an important income stream for many charities.
Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
8 March 2021
Civil Society News finds over 2,000 made redundant at largest 20 charities
The largest 20 charities have made over 2,200 redundancies over the course of the pandemic despite a high uptake of the furlough scheme. Read more about Civil Society News's findings here.
Civil Society News
8 April 2021
Charity Commission consults on draft guidance for responsible investments
The Charity Commission has asked for views on its updated draft guidance on adopting a responsible (ethical) approach to investing. They are keen to understand whether the changes are clear, and whether the guidance is easier to use. Find more information and view the guidance here.
Charity Commission
30 March 2021
Thirteen disability charities to benefit from £2.4 million fund
Thirteen charities which help autistic people, disabled people and those with a learning disability will benefit from £2.4 million of additional government funding. The money will fund services to provide practical support for disabled children, set up and expand helplines and provide mental health and wellbeing support.
Department of Health and Social Care
29 March 2021
Guidance updated for safe and effective volunteering
Volunteering guidance has been updated to reflect the Government's Roadmap changes. The guidance aims to help organisations and groups understand how to volunteer safely during the pandemic.
Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
25 March 2021
Charity commission publishes report on its investigation of Afghan Heroes
A charity set up to support serving and former members of the armed forces has been removed from the register of charities. This follows the Commission finding that its former trustees were responsible for misconduct and mismanagement. Read more here.
Charity Commission
24 March 2021
A quarter of charities report having cyber security breaches in the past 12 months
A DCMS report finds that the cyber risk to organisations is heightened because of the pandemic. It has been harder to secure digital environments as resources have been diverted to facilitating home working for staff. The Government is encouraging charities to follow the free guidance available from the National Cyber Security Centre. For details of the advice see here.
Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
23 March 2021
Charity Commission to launch a Revitalising Trusts Programme in Wales
The Charity Commission aims to encourage the release of £25 million from dormant accounts of charities in Wales. The programme is to be run in partnership with Community Foundation Wales, with funding from the Welsh Government.
Charity Commission