News & Developments

What challenges are you facing? Is the charity's structure effective? What changes are you considering implementing?

It's especially important to review how your charity operates in changing or uncertain economic climates. Maintaining a charity’s secure financial future is difficult, so it's important that you and the other trustees ask yourselves tough questions from the outset and regularly consider how your plans are going.

One way you can do this is to refer to the Charity Commission checklist of 15 key questions whenever you meet as trustees to make decisions about the way your charity operates.

Part of our 'Big Board Talk' series on trustee decision-making, the checklist covers questions on strategy, financial health and governance. It's designed to help you respond appropriately to change by developing plans and timetables for action.

This authority may be set out in your governing document or you may need to request it from us. Check your governing document; if it doesn't allow you to pay trustees, you may need to get our consent to:

• employ a trustee 
• pay a trustee for serving as a trustee 
• compensate a trustee for loss of earnings while on trustee business 

If your charity is currently employing a trustee, or considering employing one, check whether you have the relevant authority in place. If not, read the Charity Commission guidance and submit this form requesting for permission to pay trustees. Remember that all payments to trustees must be disclosed in the charity's accounts.

No matter what term the charity's governing document uses, you are legally a trustee if you are part of the group of people with overall responsibility for overseeing and leading the charity and directing how it is run.

The Charity Commission are concerned that too many people serving on trustee bodies don't realise they are trustees. As such, they don't realise they must comply with charity law or that our guidance applies to them.

Check what your governing document says is the ultimate decision-making body in your charity. All properly appointed members of that body are charity trustees in law. You can't opt to have the power without the responsibility, so you can't pick and choose who is a trustee. If you discover you are a trustee, take time to read some of the Charity Commission core guidance, and make sure you understand your role.

www.everybodys-talking.org/ecohomes/events

Torrs Hydro (New Mills) - a community-owned hydro-electric plant. Clean, green energy is generated by river water flowing through our reverse Archimedes screw "Archie” and sold to the local Co-op supermarket. The project is owned by 230 shareholders.

Bamford Quaker Community (Hope Valley) -  a housing co-operative which is home to 10 residents and also has space for around 15 guests. Eco renovations include internal solid wall insulation to solid stone walls, a replacement boiler and radiators and a composting toilet.

Thornhill EcoHouse (Hope Valley) - total rebuild on foundations of a 1930’s asbestos clad, timber frame bungalow, using recycled and local timber, Warmcell insulation, recycled slates and a south facing conservatory. Passive Solar design means the house is heated using solar hot water and just one woodstove. It has solar photovoltaic panels for electricity.

Social Media Surgery Dates for your Diary

Tue 19 May  5.30 to 7.30pm 

Tue 16 June  5.30 to 7.30pm

Tue 21 July  5.30 to 7.30pm

All at High Peak CVS, 105 Buxton Road, Whaley Bridge.

Come and find out how to use free internet sites and tools to publicise your group or organisation and stay in touch with members and supporters. Get help from knowledgeable volunteers on how to set up and run blogs, and use video, photos, and social media sites including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other free web tools to get your messages out.

Book your place online at www.socialmediasurgery.com/surgeries/highpeak

For further information about the Social Media Surgeries contact Claire or Esther at High Peak CVS (claire@highpeakcvs.org.uk / esther@highpeakcvs.org.uk )

Charities registered with the Charity Commission or HMRC can apply for grants of £500-£20,000; other community groups for £500-£2,000.  The programme will open on 1 July and the deadline for applications is 31 July.

For further details, guidance notes and an outline of the questions the application will comprise, see www.postcodecommunitytrust.org.uk

This is open Monday-Friday, 9am-12pm via 0300 066 9197. A call-back service has been introduced, should you be unable to get through. This service runs Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm. 

Note that the Charity Commission helpline can’t help you complete a form – but High Peak CVS may be able to!

MCU have developed a convenient and easy way for company employees to save money into a Credit Union by deductions made directly from their salary or wage, called Payroll plus.

If you are interested in talking about Payroll Plus MCU would be happy to visit your offices or convenient location to let you have more information.

Please contact the Manchester Credit Union on 0161 231 5222 and ask for Christine Moore.  Alternatively, you can email on info@manchestercreditunion.co.uk

In the first instance, you may want to find out more on the website www.manchestercreditunion.co.uk

Openness and honesty are two of the founding principles of best practice in fundraising; the Institute of Fundraising's Code of Fundraising Practice.

Alistair McLean, Chief Executive of the FRSB, says:

"Being open with supporters is critical for building public trust. Even the most well-known charity brands and campaigns can be undermined if there is not complete clarity about who will benefit from any funds raised." 

Charities are advised to make sure that any fundraising communications always clearly state which organisations benefit from any fundraising and that campaign messaging will not mislead the public.

To ensure your fundraising campaigns meet UK standards, take a look at the code - www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk/guidance/code-of-fundraising-practice

There's a wide range of events going on so check out the website and follow @SCWeek2015 to see how you can get involved.