Archive for Charity news

National Trust rethinks panicky redundancies

May 22, 2009 at 8:57 am · Filed under Charity news ·Tagged , , , , , ,

The National Trust for Scotland has cowed under pressure from unions after threatening to make one-fifth of its workforce redundant. The little tête-à-tête between the union, the charity and its workers has demonstrated the tough times that charities face, and how charities will have to change in future.

The Trust originally said it would cut 91 of its 487 staff working in charity jobs. Further, it announced plans to shut 11 of its properties as they were temporarily making a loss. Naturally, the sudden and large sweep of potential redundancies alarmed Prospect, the union which represents 400 of the Trust’s employees, and a battle to protect as many jobs for the charity ensued.

Now, the Trust has backed down a little, and is now planning only 65 redundancies and nine building closures, which seems to have sated the union for the meantime. The issue blew open questions over the Trust’s previous handling of finances, however, and about its long-term vision.

Whilst the Trust has repeatedly claimed that the need for redundancies has been the onset of the recession, Prospect begs to differ. The union claims that the black hole in the charity’s finances is actually due to its fundraising campaign for a new Robert Burns National Heritage Park, the building of which is due to be finished by 2010.

Meanwhile, Conservative MSP Jamie McGrigor has implied that the charity was too hasty in its initial decision to simply close down 11 of its properties. In a discussion about Arduaine Gardens, Mr McGrigor told The Times that:

“These gardens are also 100 years old and mean a lot to many people.

“To be scrapped on the whim of the Trust after not making income over a short period of time would be ridiculous.”

The incident highlights the inefficiency in the charity sector that has been bemoaned for some time. Whilst the recession has had many unfortunate casualties, charities might come through the other side of this downturn having become more efficient through necessity, whilst keeping charity workers on. Essentially, a short sharp shock like a recession could have been just what charities needed.

Author
Rachel Charman, a writer for JuicyJobs; Ethical Jobs UK – an environmentally friendly green job search board which offers free job listings to Environmental, NGO’s, NFP’s and ethical companies promoting green, fair trade services and support sustainable living.  For job seekers Juicyjobs can help you find the ideal ethical jobs in London.

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Charity job cuts: just how bad is it?

March 20, 2009 at 10:40 am · Filed under Charity news ·Tagged , , , , , ,

It was inevitable that the big bad credit crunch would eventually strike the third sector as funding streams dry up and donors tighten their belts. Naturally, there is the ensuing panic and Chinese whispers that helps to make it all that little bit worse.

This week, Unite reports that there have been more charity job losses than the latest Charity Commission report reveals. The Charity Commissions last Economic Survey claimed that 52% of charities have been affected by the downturn. Unite claims that, according to reports from their members on the ground, things are actually worse.

Rachael Maskell, Unites National Officer for Community and the Non-Profit Sector, said that job losses are being disguised by reorganisation, restructuring and claims of ‘taking steps to combat the downturn’.

The trouble with all of this is, however, that Unite does not have any concrete and concise figures to back up their claims, so nobody really knows exactly what is going on. Maskell’s call for the Office of the Third Sector to conduct detailed research into the job losses in charities makes good sense though. There is no point in everyone panicking before they have the facts, which has been one major feature of the recession, and has only worsened its effects.

Maskell, however, wasn’t just going to leave it at that. Not content with the £42 million government grant to charities in February, she said that this money did not provide for employment support, and only helped with volunteering schemes and modernisation.

She makes a good point; naturally, as a union representative, she will make the case for protecting charity employees. Her views are open to plenty of criticism though. There have been plenty of calls in the past few months for charities to streamline, partner up and cut bureaucracy, and now could be the perfect time to clean up the charity sector for the better. Pouring money into keeping people in their jobs won’t help that. Improving the sector and making it more efficient, though painful in the short-term, will only mean better charity jobs in the future.

Author
Rachel Charman, a writer for JuicyJobs; Ethical Jobs UK – an environmentally friendly green job search board which offers free job listings to Environmental, NGO’s, NFP’s and ethical companies promoting green, fair trade services and support sustainable living.  For job seekers Juicyjobs can help you find the ideal ethical jobs in London.

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Crunch time for Comic Relief

March 12, 2009 at 11:45 am · Filed under Charity news ·Tagged , , , , , , ,

It’s that time of year again. Perfectly sane adults start wearing their pyjamas to work, decorating their cars with all manner of bizarre red bunting, and generally making fools of themselves. A nine year old girl this morning asked me for some spare change. When asked what for, she gabbled excitedly that if she got enough, she would be allowed to throw a flan at her teacher’s face; a better reason than most to give money to small children, I thought.

Yes, Comic Relief kicks off tomorrow. Over the years, Red Nose Day has become an institution. Even the meanest, most negative people in the UK, who protest that aid sent to Africa “all goes on administration”, feel inclined to get into the swing of things and don the iconic red conk. This year, though, Comic Relief faces some of its toughest challenges, which indicated the difficulties all charities are going through in the current climate.

In 1999, Comic Relief raised a whopping £35 million, and in 2007, this had almost doubled to £67.7 million. It proves just how much money you can raise simply by doing something stupid for a bit of spare change. There are concerns for tomorrow’s fun, however, as charitable donations have slumped dramatically since the credit crunch hit, and charity jobs are beginning to be cut left, right and centre.

Chief executive of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations Steve Etherington told the BBC of the gloom surrounding charities as donors withdraw regular giving and people out and about start watching their spare change. He said that organisations such as Acorns Hospice, YMCA and Clic Sargeant have already experienced job losses and are planning to lose more staff to cope with rising prices and decreasing funds.

Better-known charities such as Oxfam will fare better, due to their established branding, but have also reported a plateau in donations. The issue presents a catch 22 type problem. Now is the time that charities are most needed, as people become homeless, indebted, and unable to afford care, yet the public is less likely to give to charity, making it impossible for charities function at their normal level, let alone perform better.

Nobody seems able to predict what will happen to Comic Relief this year. Although the credit crunch has spelled trouble for the sector, which is haemorrhaging charity jobs, Red Nose Day has everything a charity could dream of; primetime BBC coverage, heaps of celebrity endorsement, and over a decade of familiar, high-profile history for the public to engage with. The outcome of Comic Relief’s efforts tomorrow, in that case, will serve as a benchmark for the whole sector; is it time to tighten belts, pack up organisations entirely, or grit teeth and ride out the storm?

Author
Rachel Charman, a writer for JuicyJobs; Ethical Jobs UK – an environmentally friendly green job search board which offers free job listings to Environmental, NGO’s, NFP’s and ethical companies promoting green, fair trade services and support sustainable living.  For job seekers Juicyjobs can help you find the ideal ethical jobs in London.

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The Slumdog Effect: Why a little Hollywood is good for the charity sector

March 4, 2009 at 4:57 pm · Filed under Charity news ·Tagged , , , , , , , ,

It’s a sad fact bemoaned by many grumpy old naysayers of charity jobs and humanitarian efforts, but your average man-in-the-street will not give away a penny to charity without having causes spelled out to them, preferably through a big budget, fluffy film or a high-profile celebrity drama.

Just look at ActionAid’s comments this week. Since the release of Danny Boyle’s dynamic blockbuster Slumdog Millionaire, there has been an explosion of inquiries by well-wishers wanting to sponsor children in India. Three times as many people per week are calling ActionAid, asking how they can help children just like Slumdog’s main protagonist.

Many people, both from die-hard charity career cliques and moody negative nimbys have whined most irritatingly about this phenomenon, known most recently as the “slumdog effect”. Perhaps the best case of it was the Live 8 effort to Make Poverty History. After the initial excitement over the tactics used in the campaign, through using fashionable wristbands and heaps of celebrity endorsements, criticism was harsh.

From a minority of hardcore charity workers and supporters, there was a distinct whine of “these problems have been around for years and now suddenly everyone’s an expert. You can’t fix everything with a silly concert you know.” The more of these I read at the time, the more it began to sound like, “I was in Africa first you know. Me. Me! I’m the really charitable one!” Poor darlings. Perhaps they didn’t feel special enough, and so attacked what was essentially a fantastic campaign, just because it was popularist, simplified and… well, properly marketed for once.

From the miserable people who see charity, or any effort to recruit donors, as and infringement of their personal rights, downright ungrateful as they always put their change in the blind box at the pub, or, dare I say it “political correctness gone mad”, criticism was much harsher, and wonderfully nonsensical. This particularly odious group moaned that it was all just “yuppies jumping on the bandwagon.” Perhaps it was. This, however, does not negate the fact that millions upon millions of people knew a little bit more, and gave a little bit more, than they would have done.

And so, back to now. I am sure that it won’t be long before the grouches start moaning that people are bandwaggoning the Indian poverty causes, just doing it because it’s fashionable, and that the film was one-sided and overly-simple, and all manner of other rubbish. What’s important is that whether or not these things are true, they remain irrelevant. If more people are even vaguely aware that their lives are actually incredibly happy compared to most of the world’s population, and if they only give to a charity once in their lives, it’s still a good thing, however empty the gesture is. For example, whatever you think of Jade Goody selling her death in all of its gruesome detail, you can’t deny that 20% more women having cervical cancer screenings, and a massive increase in donations to cancer charities, is something that charities just can’t seem to do alone. So, stop with the moaning, and get on the bandwagon.

Author
Rachel Charman, a writer for Juicyjobs;  Ethical Jobs UK – an environmentally friendly green job search board which offers free job listings to Environmental, NGO’s, NFP’s and ethical companies promoting green, fair trade services and support sustainable living.  For job seekers Juicyjobs can help you find the ideal ethical jobs in London.

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IPPR says give charities more influence – but are they ready?

March 2, 2009 at 12:20 pm · Filed under Charity news ·Tagged , , , , , , ,

The Institute for Public Policy Research published a report recently on the role of charities in local government policy at a regional level. The IPPR claims, as a result of this study, that charities should have more say in policy in their areas in order to better deliver services.

80% of charity chief executives said in the survey that regional engagement with the charity sector is important when it comes to decision-making, but, perhaps unsurprisingly, 60% said they did not have much voice in this area.

IPPR North research fellow Katie Schmuecker said:
“Given the backdrop of the recession, it is more important than ever for economic development plans to support deprived areas as well as areas of opportunity.

“The voluntary and community sector has much to contribute in this respect.”

More involvement and engagement with charities, in order to help them deliver services better, makes sense on paper, especially in a time of recession when more people than ever need access to those services. The question remains, however, whether the charity sector is ready for that kind of power.

In the past few weeks, there have been damning insights into the charity sector, claiming that charities need to be merged and streamlined, whilst being subject to the same scrutiny and efficiency standards as successful private sector organisations. Some of what has been said is fair. So, if charities need to buck their ideas up, is it right to hand over more power to them before that transformation has even begun?

The best way to improve the charity sector is with an influx of professional young blood. Competition for charity sector jobs is growing, with graduates shunning the private sector in favour of a job that is more innovative, ethical and fast-developing. If that sounds like the career you want, why not give it a try? You can check out the latest vacancies on JuicyJobs.

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Rachel Charman, a writer for JuicyJobs Ethical Jobs UK – an environmentally friendly green job search board which offers free job listings to Environmental, NGO’s, NFP’s and ethical companies promoting green, fair trade services and support sustainable living.  For job seekers Juicyjobs can help you find the ideal ethical jobs in London.

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