NCT Rebrands in Bid to Make Its Mission Clearer
Britain’s National Childbirth Trust has launched a new brand identity to clarify its mission and broaden its appeal. After an 18‑month consultation with more than 2,000 parents, the charity introduced a simplified logo and the strapline "For pregnancy, parents and progress." The rebrand, costing about £106,000 (~$115,000), emphasizes authentic imagery and inclusive design. Officials say the refreshed look will help lower barriers and position NCT as a lifelong partner for families.
Former Footballer to Chair Major Mental Health Charity
Former Premier League defender Clarke Carlisle has been appointed chair of the UK mental‑health charity Mind. Carlisle, who spent 17 years playing for clubs including Sunderland and Preston, has long spoken publicly about his own battles with depression and anxiety....
Professional Body Welcomes New Chief After Sacking of Former Boss
Emma Causer has been appointed chief executive of the UK’s leading professional body for charities, replacing Anna Daroy who was dismissed after breaching Covid‑19 loan rules at her consultancy. Causer brings more than 15 years of nonprofit leadership experience and...
Charities Must Avoid Damaging Public Trust when Using Soft Opt-In, Regulator Warns
Britain’s Fundraising Regulator has released updated data‑privacy guidance to reflect the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, which introduces a soft‑opt‑in provision allowing charities to send direct marketing without explicit consent. The regulator cautions that misuse of this power could...
Theatre Charity Cuts Jobs as Part of Restructure
Perth Theatre and Concert Hall, operated by the charity Horsecross Arts, announced seven redundancies, cutting its staff from 165 as it confronts a tighter financial climate. The charity reported £5.7 m (≈$7.2 m) of income against £5.9 m (≈$7.5 m) in expenses for the...
Improvements Made to Child Sponsorship Marketing Following Guidance, Regulator Says
Charities that run child or orphan sponsorship programmes have revamped their websites and marketing after the UK Fundraising Regulator issued new guidance. A monitoring exercise of 53 charities showed clearer explanations of sponsorship mechanics, explicit use‑of‑fund details, and more accurate...
Charity Workers End Nine Months of Strike Action
After nine months of industrial action, more than 40 Unison members at the National Coal Mining Museum have voted to accept a new pay agreement. The charity will raise guide wages by 10.5%, lifting the hourly rate from £12.86 to...
Medical Research Charity Chief to Retire
Angela Hind, the founding chief executive of the Medical Research Foundation (MRF), will retire in November after 20 years at the helm. She joined the nascent organization in 2006, led its formal launch as an independent charity in 2011, and...
Forces Charity Appoints Former Brigadier as Next Chief
Former British Army brigadier Matt Bazeley has been named chief executive of the Forces Employment Charity, succeeding Alistair Halliday after a seven‑year tenure. The 140‑year‑old charity, which provides career guidance and job placement for veterans, reservists and families, assisted more...
Bereaved Parents Charity Seeks £90,000 in Funding to Prevent Closure
Love, Jasmine, a Liverpool charity supporting bereaved parents, faces closure after its National Lottery grant of £90,000 (≈$114,000) ends, representing 35‑40% of its annual budget. The charity reported £215,437 (≈$274,000) in income and £214,772 (≈$273,000) in spending for the year...
Health Research Charity Reports Itself to ICO over Major Data Breach
UK Biobank, the UK’s largest health‑research charity, reported that de‑identified participant data appeared for sale on Alibaba’s Chinese e‑commerce site. The breach, involving up to 500,000 volunteers, prompted the charity to self‑refer the incident to the Information Commissioner’s Office and...
Committee of MPs Launch Inquiry After Row Between Charity Commission and Ombudsman
A parliamentary committee has opened an inquiry into a dispute between the Charity Commission and the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) over two safeguarding complaints. The PHSO found the regulator guilty of maladministration in handling a sexual‑exploitation claim and...
Royal Albert Hall Warns of 'Serious Consequences' For Charity as Bill in Danger of Falling
Legislation to amend the Royal Albert Hall’s charitable constitution, introduced in November 2022, is at risk of falling after a carry‑over motion was repeatedly blocked in the Commons before Parliament was prorogued. The private bill seeks to change rules on...
Almost Six in 10 Charity Leaders Have Seen ‘Challenging Behaviours’ on Their Board
A new nfpResearch survey of 224 charity CEOs and chairs reveals that 59% have encountered challenging behaviours on their boards, such as disproportionate influence. CEOs report these issues more frequently than chairs, with one‑in‑five CEOs seeing them often versus 7%...
Backbench MP Proposes Group that Would Push to End Automatic Charitable Status for Religious Groups
Backbench Labour MP Sam Carling is set to launch an All‑Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) focused on spiritual and ritual abuse, with a core aim of ending the automatic charitable status granted to religious organisations. The proposal follows Carling’s recent references...
Mobile Giving Accounted for Most One-Off and Monthly Donations Last Year, Report Finds
A GoDonate report analyzing $38 million of gifts in 2025 shows mobile giving became the default donation channel. Mobile devices accounted for 58% of one‑off and 67% of monthly contributions, while desktop donations, though fewer, generated higher average values ($53 per...
Charity Partner for Next Year's London Marathon Revealed
The London Marathon has announced the National Autistic Society (NAS) as its official charity partner for the 2025 race. Organisers aim to raise roughly £1 million (about $1.25 million) to support autism services across the UK. The partnership will feature dedicated runner...
Grantmaker Makes £10m Fund ‘Always Open’
The Robertson Trust has rebranded its Programme Awards as the Big Change That Lasts Fund, allocating roughly £10 million (about $12.8 million) for Scottish charities next year and scaling to the same amount annually by 2026/27. The fund, part of a £30 million...
‘Significant Gap’ Between Charities’ AI Use and Board Oversight, Report Suggests
Charity Excellence’s 2026 report finds that while 76% of UK charities are already using AI—mostly in informal, ad‑hoc ways—board awareness remains minimal, with only 3% of trustees acknowledging any AI use. More than 60% of charities are still in the...
Third-Party Marketing Lists Are Never Soft Opt-In Compliant, New Guidance Warns
A new regulatory guidance released for UK charities clarifies that third‑party marketing lists can never meet the soft‑opt‑in criteria under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations. The guidance explains how charities may lawfully use newly granted direct‑marketing powers to contact...
Legacy Income at Major Food Distribution Charity up by More than 5,000 per Cent in Five Years
Legacy income at food‑bank charity Trussell surged from £30,000 (≈$38,000) to £1.76 million (≈$2.23 million) in five years, a 5,767% jump after launching a dedicated legacy‑marketing programme in 2020. Across the sector, total legacy income rose 38% to almost £2 billion (≈$2.54 billion), with...
Theatre Charities Merge to Provide ‘One-Stop Shop’ for Young People Entering the Industry
Two UK theatre charities, Get Into Theatre and the Theatre Royal Haymarket Masterclass Trust, have merged under the Get Into Theatre brand to create a single, clear pathway for young people entering the industry. The new organisation combines the charities'...
Suicide Prevention Charity Rebrands
Papyrus, the UK suicide‑prevention charity behind the 24‑hour HopeLine helpline, has unveiled a new visual identity aimed at children and young people. The refreshed logo keeps the speech‑bubble motif but adds a brighter purple‑green palette and a modern font. Alongside...
Former Pride in London Boss Admits Contempt of Court
Former Pride in London chief executive Christopher Joell-Deshields admitted contempt of court after refusing to return passwords, SIM cards and other assets tied to the charity’s social media and bank accounts. The court order details his withholding of login credentials...
Charity Set up in Late Queen’s Memory Reveals First Chief
The Queen Elizabeth Trust, created to mark the centenary of Queen Elizabeth II’s birth, has appointed Claire Whitaker as its interim chief executive. The UK government has granted a one‑off £40 million endowment—roughly $51 million—to fund the charity’s launch. Whitaker, who previously led...
Former Chief Operating Officer to Permanently Lead Royal College of Paediatrics
Ian Parrett, formerly chief operating officer at the London Institute of Banking and Finance, has been appointed the permanent leader of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH). He had been serving in an interim capacity since January...
Foundation Donates £10m to Support a New Unrestricted Fund for Youth Charities
The Pears Foundation has pledged £10 million (approximately $12.7 million) to UK Youth, creating a new fund that offers multi‑year, unrestricted grants to small youth and outdoor‑learning charities. The total support from the foundation now stands at £19 million ($24 million), making it the...
National Trust to ‘Repurpose’ More than 130 Holiday Cottages
The National Trust announced it will repurpose 137 of its 500‑plus holiday cottages, converting most into long‑term rental homes to address local housing shortages. The charity’s holiday accommodation generated £22.5 m ($28.8 m) in the year to February 2025, a modest rise from...
London-Based Hospitals Charity Becomes Independent From Its NHS Trust
The King George and Queen’s Hospitals Charity has separated from the Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, becoming an independent charitable entity. The split grants the charity greater autonomy over fundraising, governance and investment decisions, and it has...
Major Children’s Charity Accused of Attempting to ‘Derecognise’ Union
Children First, a Scottish children’s charity with 257 staff, announced a review of its employee‑voice framework, prompting Union Unite to allege a plan to derecognise the union. The charity refuted the claim, saying the review aims to modernise staff participation...
Regulator Redistributes £1.4m in Funds From Charities Linked to Sanctioned Russian Oligarch
UK Charity Commission has redistributed roughly £1.4 million (about $1.8 million) recovered from two charities tied to sanctioned Russian oligarch Viatscheslav Kantor. After statutory inquiries concluded the Kantor Foundation and Kantor Charitable Foundation were no longer viable, interim managers settled liabilities, allocated...
Female Charity Leaders Need to Avoid ‘Pulling up the Ladder’ Behind Them, Former Shelter Chief Warns
Former Shelter chief Polly Neate warned that women in charity leadership must resist the temptation to pull up the ladder behind them. Speaking at a sector event, she urged female executives to cultivate support networks, ask candid questions, and embrace...
Arts Council England Hopes to Discuss Gift Aid Proposals with Treasury, Chair Tells MPs
Arts Council England (ACE) is preparing to discuss a proposal to double Gift Aid for events outside London and the South‑East, raising the rate from 25p to 50p per pound. The suggestion stems from Baroness Hodge’s independent review, which also...
Spana Changes Its Name to Better Reflect Mission
The Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad has rebranded as Working Animals International to more clearly reflect its focus on working animals such as donkeys, horses, mules and camels. Founded in 1923, the charity provides veterinary care, owner training...
Charity Chair Quits Due to ‘Hazardous Legal Environment’
Nigel MacLennan, chair of the classical‑music charity Playground Proms, resigned after concluding that the UK’s legal framework makes the trustee role unsafe. His departure follows a tribunal decision that rejected his claim for whistleblower protection, ruling that charity trustees are...
Community Centres Worth Almost £3m Transferred to 800-Year-Old Charity
Elmbridge Borough Council transferred two community centres—valued at roughly $3.84 million—to the 800‑year‑old Walton‑On‑Thames Charity for a nominal peppercorn fee. The charity will invest about $256,000 in building upgrades and allocate $230,000 toward services over the next three years. Both sites...
Leading Charities Generated Legacy Income of Almost £2bn in the Space of a Year
UK charities have generated almost £2 billion in legacy income over the past year, roughly $2.5 billion. The figure represents an 8% increase from the previous period, driven by a surge in bequests from an aging donor demographic and the adoption of...
Historic Charitable Fund Worth £5.3m Transfers to Fellow Foundation
The historic Bishop Fox’s Educational Foundation, a charitable fund dating back to the early 1500s, has been closed and its £5.3 million (£6.7 million USD) of assets transferred to Somerset Community Foundation (SCF). The SCF will now steward the assets as the...
Board Racial Diversity UK Appoints Former Student Union Leader as Chief
Board Racial Diversity UK announced the appointment of a former student‑union leader as its new chief executive. The hire brings activist experience and a proven record of campaigning for inclusive governance. The organization, which monitors and promotes racial diversity on...
Charities Share More than £100,000 Seized From Criminals
Greater Manchester Police’s Economic and Cyber Crime Unit recovered a record £18 million (about $23 million) in the last financial year and allocated more than £100,000 (approximately $128,000) to eight local charities through its Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme. Recipients include StreetDoctors, One...
End-of-Life Charity Launches £20m Appeal
Children’s Hospices Across Scotland has launched a £20 m (≈ $25.6 m) “More Than A Hospice” appeal to fund essential upgrades at its Rachel House and Robin House facilities and to broaden service options. The charity reported £26.2 m (≈ $33.5 m) income and £25.4 m (≈ $32.5 m)...
Donors More Likely to Trust UK Charities over International Causes, Research Finds
A new Third Sector study finds that 88% of UK adults gave to charity in the past year, but they show a marked preference for domestic organisations over international causes. Respondents rated UK‑based charities as more trustworthy, citing clearer impact...
Foundation Set to Make £13m Available Across Five Funding Pots
The Foundation announced it will make approximately £13 million (about $16.5 million) available across five dedicated funding pots. The pots target climate action, digital inclusion, youth development, health and wellbeing, and arts and culture. Applications are set to open in the third...
Charities Risk Losing Credibility Amid Changing Political Environment, Event Told
At the Good Agency’s inaugural summit, senior charity CEOs warned that the sector’s credibility is at risk if it fails to ground community engagement in lived experience amid rising political polarization. Enver Solomon of Nacro highlighted how debates over trans...
National Memorial Arboretum to Change Name After Merger
The National Memorial Arbortum will be renamed the Royal British Legion National Remembrance Gardens in September following its merger with the Royal British Legion. The integration creates a single board of trustees, eliminating duplicated administration and cutting costs. The Legion...
City and Guilds Members Back Inquiry Into Sale of Charity’s Commercial Arm
City and Guilds of London Institute members voted to launch an independent inquiry into the October sale of its training and awards business to Greek firm PeopleCert. The deal transferred the commercial arm to a new entity called City &...
New Charity Commission Powers Could Suppress Advocacy and Campaigning, Culture Secretary Warned
The UK government’s Protecting What Matters strategy proposes expanding the Charity Commission’s authority to suspend trustees and shut down charities deemed to be linked to extremist abuse. A coalition of 18 charities and voluntary‑sector bodies wrote to Culture Secretary Lisa...
Hospice Staff to Call for £112m Funding Boost in Westminster Protest
Hospice staff across England are delivering a letter to the Prime Minister demanding a £112.5 million (≈$140 million) boost in recurring funding. Nearly 60% of hospices have already cut or plan to cut frontline services, leaving 380 beds idle and community visits...
Charity Probed Amid Claims the Orphanage It Supports Does Not Exist
The Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) has opened an inquiry into The Orphan Shop, a Fraserburgh charity shop accused of supporting a non‑existent orphanage in Zimbabwe. The charity’s accounts show it transferred nearly £60,918 (about $78,000) to the alleged Winfire Orphanage...
Autism Charity Unveils Next Chief
Autistica, the UK autism research and support charity, has named Elizabeth Archer as its next chief executive, succeeding James Cusack who left for the PSP Association. Archer currently leads the PDA Society and brings experience from Ambitious About Autism, SENDirect,...