Update on what's happening in the third sector #NeverMoreNeeded
Support offered for jobless fundraisers
A new package of support for fundraisers who have been made redundant due to coronavirus has been offered by the Chartered Institute of Fundraising (IoF). Fundraisers will have access to three months of free membership, and will be able to access a package of further support, learning and development resources. It is estimated that 60,000 jobs are likely to be lost across the charity sector, according to Pro Bono Economics. The IoF has said any individual member who experiences redundancy from their jobs will be offered three months of their membership free of charge. This offer will also be available to members who are not salaried employees but who have lost work due to the pandemic, such as freelancers. Three months of free membership will also be available to any non-member fundraiser who has been made redundant and wants to apply for membership. The new package of support, which employed members will also be able to access, includes “a range of learning and development opportunities, as well as tips on developing CV and preparing for interviews, among many other resources”. Organisational members of the IoF will have the opportunity to buy individual membership for any fundraisers they are making redundant at a discounted rate, “to enable that person to continue their professional development in fundraising and access the support and resources available to help them back into work.”
Bold move to raise cash after crisis
The Charity Finance Group has started its first fundraising campaign in a bid to reduce an income shortfall of “as much as £500,000” resulting from the impact of Covid-19. The membership body employs 21 people and had an income of £1.8m last year, according to the Charity Commission. In a statement, the CFG said it was under the same pandemic-related pressures as its members and, as a result, it had for the first time begun an individual fundraising campaign, which is being hosted on the online giving platform JustGiving. The statement said: “It’s one of a series of measures that we are implementing to help us close our funding gap, which could be as much as £500k, and help ensure that CFG is here for the long term. Of course, we don’t think that this… will be achieved solely through the generosity of our members; however, every donation helps us close the gap and hopefully also brings our need, and our value, to a wider audience.” CFG said infrastructure was a difficult area to fundraise for, while sponsorship, grant applications, new products and services, and membership campaigns would all form part of its income streams. It will also be exploring cost-saving measures.
It’s good to talk
A befriending service run by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has been offering a range of support to people with sight loss in Scotland during the coronavirus pandemic. RNIB’s Talk and Support service invites people with sight loss across the UK to connect with others weekly using a phone or computer. Trained staff and volunteers facilitate the calls and match people together for general conversations. RNIB Confidence Building Co-ordinator for Scotland, Alan Greig said: “Coronavirus has made life more difficult for a lot of people, but measures to prevent the spread of the virus, including social distancing, have had a dramatic impact on the lives of blind and partially sighted people. We know that many have been discouraged from visiting friends and family because of worries about social distancing, and isolation and loneliness has become a real issue. Our Talk and Support service has been able to offer some light relief to people with fun quizzes and wellbeing calls and we have had some really positive feedback. I would encourage anybody in Scotland who is interested in finding out more to get in touch.”
Charities help refugees get back on their bikes
Charities have rallied together to provide bicycles for refugees and asylum seekers living in Glasgow. The Refugees in Glasgow Bike Appeal was launched in the city by housing and human rights charity Positive Action in Housing and Go-Where Scotland after the incident at the Park Inn Hotel in June. The aim of the initiative is to give freedom and independence refugees and asylum seekers who would otherwise struggle financially to access transport. Since its launch in July, organisations and businesses such as SocialBite, Bern UK and BikeLove have generously contributed to the cause - donating money, bike locks and helmets to those in need. Co-partner of Go-Where Scotland, Aneela McKenna, said: “We wanted to provide support for the refugees who were moving out of their hotels and into the outskirts of Glasgow after the tragic incident at the Park Inn Hotel. “We wanted to be able to give them more independence to allow them to travel freely because the fact is, they don’t have the money to travel. They’re only given daily bus passes so there is no money for them to travel around freely. The whole point of this project is to be able to give them one more step to independence.” A total of 25 bikes, locks and helmets have been given to those in need, however 60 names have so far been put forward to receive the donations.
