Charity news

Welfare reforms will penalise the vulnerable, warns Unite
Britain’s largest union, Unite, today urged MPs to oppose the Welfare Reform Bill, warning that it will hit low paid working people, push over 200,000 thousand children into poverty and leave some families with as little as 62p per person per day to live on. The move comes as MPs consider amendments made by the House of Lords to the Bill, including the controversial cap on benefits.

Demos: Mentoring schemes benefit mentors and mentees
An evaluation by the think-tank Demos finds that mentoring programmes can offer direct, positive outcomes – including on aspirations, a sense of agency, and soft skills – for both mentors and mentees. It finds that two-thirds of mentors surveyed believed that their experience had given them extra professional and ‘soft’ skills. When those who felt it was ‘too early to say’ were discounted, this figure grew to 90 per cent.

Public sector news

Government 'upsets' ICT teachers
Michael Gove has 'washed his hands' of ICT, leaving schools to fend for themselves, warn frustrated IT teachers

It's easy for Osborne, just copy Canada ...
It's obvious how the UK could be well on the way to faster growth with lower national debt, says report

Ofcom boosts 4G coverage to rural "not-spots"
Ofcom extends proposals to boost mobile internet coverage to 98 per cent of the UK

Schools suffer 'chronic lack' of ICT specialist teachers
Some teachers in UK schools have a lower understanding of ICT than their students, warns Royal Society

Hospitals adopt 'potentially dangerous' booking system
Patients in two Bristol hospitals wrongly booked onto operations and others have missed their operations, say reports

Government faces cross-border cyber stalking problems
Protecting people from online harassment is a 'challenging international problem', says minister

Charity comms news

IoF launches new website
Redesigned site offers research function and tailored content

Red Cross received most press and broadcast coverage in 2011
Catherine Wright of media analysis firm Metrica says world events have the most impact on press coverage

Variety Club changes name to Variety, the Children's Charity
Former chief barker Malcolm Brenner says the rebrand is intended to raise the charity's profile

Uncertainty over postage costs hampers direct mail campaigns, agency warns
Nick Pride of DMS says fundraisers won't hear new prices until the end of February

Fundraising news

Wealthy take 36 days to decide on major donations, research finds
High net worth individuals take, on average, 36 days to decide whether to make a major charitable donation and when they do, the gift averages around $14,000.

16 projects share £9m from Social Action Fund
Over £9m of an overall £20m has been awarded in the first window of the Social Action Fund to 16 projects in England.

Fundraising self-regulation could expand, says new PFRA chair
Charity sector self-regulation is ripe for expansion, according to the new chairman of the Public Fundraising Regulatory Association.

More charity fundraising news, jobs and blogs

Campaigning news

IoF launches new website
Redesigned site offers research function and tailored content

Red Cross received most press and broadcast coverage in 2011
Catherine Wright of media analysis firm Metrica says world events have the most impact on press coverage

Variety Club changes name to Variety, the Children's Charity
Former chief barker Malcolm Brenner says the rebrand is intended to raise the charity's profile

Uncertainty over postage costs hampers direct mail campaigns, agency warns
Nick Pride of DMS says fundraisers won't hear new prices until the end of February

More charity communications and campaigning news, jobs and blogs

Volunteering news

Social Investment Business announces winners of Social Action Fund grants
Sixteen charities across the UK have received between £200,000 and £2m each

Projects Abroad considers legal action over International Citizen Service expansion
Company claims the government's plans will take business away from organisations in the sector

Eric Pickles to intervene in Nottinghamshire voluntary sector cuts
The communities secretary will write to the county council about its disproportionate cuts to the voluntary sector

Beatbullying project granted £1.3m from Social Action Fund
Civil society minister Nick Hurd is 'impressed' by We're Altogether Better, which aims to support half a million children

Museum volunteer told to work unpaid at Poundland
Cait Reilly was told she otherwise would lose her Jobseeker's Allowance

More charity volunteering news, jobs and blogs