I have long been interested in history, from the distant past and prehistory to the more modern age. In my safe first world chair I used to wonder at what it would be to live like in unsettled times. Yes, I was born during the cold war and we had Continue Reading
Musings
There are the collected musings that I feel moved to put on paper, even though it be virtual paper.
Good News, Everyone
I read the interesting report1 by NCVO, ‘Time Well Spent’, recently on volunteering. It looked at the impact of the epidemic and how changes will linger. It echoed the thoughts I have had having talked to many an organization about volunteers. Always a problem for organizations it seems that it Continue Reading
Peer to Peer Mental Health Support
Normal, or whatever passes for it, is returning. A couple of weeks ago I went to an ‘in-person’ event: real rather than virtual. A networking event for mental health service across the Walsall area. I must admit that it felt a little strange to be back in a room full Continue Reading
Glorious Green Space
A project in Walsall has created a video which truly evokes what our green spaces mean to us. With the collaboration of over 100 local residents (aged 5 to 83) ‘Bostin’ Creative Arts & Theatre’ have created a hymn to Walsall’s Arboretum, known to locals as ‘The Arbo’. Follow the Continue Reading
It’s Our Job
Once again the not-for-profit sector is in the cross-hairs of the government in general and the Charity Commission in particular. Oliver Dowden is the Culture Secretary and wrote an opinion piece (see 1) in the Sunday Telegraph on 12 September on the appointment of the New Charity Commission chair. The Continue Reading
Why Volunteer?
From my own experience working with the not-for-profit sector and backed up by much research the two greatest problems for organizations is income (not enough of it) and volunteering (not enough of it). This is especially true of some rôles, for example committee work is hard to recruit to get Continue Reading
Report On CICs Now Published
The Office of the Regulator of Community Interest Companies has recently published its report for the last accounts year (ending 31 March 2021) and it has some interesting statistics. These are some 23,887 CICs in the UK and in the last twelve months the number increased by a huge 21%, Continue Reading
A Truly Great Website
Websites are part and parcel of who we are and can project an image to the world at large and potential clients. They can also, at their best, inform, educate and inspire. I came across one recently and was all of the previous. The Asians Woman Festival https://www.asianwomanfestival.com/ Now it Continue Reading
Definitely Professional
The myth is that organizations in the not-for-profit sector are not ‘professional’. In the sense that many, many people involved in the sector are not paid for their efforts and are volunteers rather that paid workers is certainly true. It is also true that we are not as ‘slick’ as Continue Reading
Trust in Charities is Rising
The Charity Commission has published a report which looks at the public’s views on the charity sector and it shows that the trust in charities is rising. A few years ago scandal hit the sector with abuse being found in Oxfam in Haiti and poor behaviour in Kids Company and Continue Reading