Proposed shared services VAT exemption "falls short" of charities' requirements

10 January 2011

Greetings!

The new year brings a warning that the government's proposals to remove the financial barriers to charities sharing back-office services may not be the panacea the sector had hoped for. Meanwhile the Pensions Trust has a new investment strategy and the NCVO has admitted the ChangeUp programme was a missed opportunity to move the sector's support infrastructure to a more secure and sustainable footing.

The structure to exempt charities from paying VAT on shared back-office services that is being considered by the Treasury is "limited" and "will fall short of that needed by many organisations in the sector", PricewaterhouseCoopers has warned.

Pensions Trust announces new investment strategy

The Pensions Trust has unveiled a new investment strategy for all its schemes.

NCVO admits ChangeUp was a missed opportunity

The NCVO has admitted that the £200m ChangeUp capacity-building programme, for which the NCVO received the lion's share of funding, missed the opportunity to make the sector's infrastructure provision sustainable.

New sector code aims to improve partnerships between charities

Beatbullying chief executive Emma-Jane Cross is setting up a cross-sector working party to devise a code of conduct that will govern how charities should treat each other when embarking on formal or informal collaborations.

Guide Dogs creates degree qualification for staff

Guide Dogs for the Blind has launched a three-year foundation degree course for its employees.

Community-led village development secures £2m loan from Triodos

High Bickington Community Property Trust has secured a £2m loan from Triodos Bank to begin the first phase of a flagship Community Land Trust development of affordable housing, workspaces and a renewable energy plant.

Trade union signs up for responsible investment

The National Union of Mineworkers has chosen the Co-operative Asset Management to manage its investments.

In other news...

Charities suffering due to costly employment tribunals, says HR director

Charity funds are being wasted because the UK's employment tribunal system is expensive and encourages false claims, according to the HR director of homelessness charity Broadway.

Select committee savages government's quango cull

The Public Administration Committee has slated the government's quango cull, saying many of the functions should have been transferred to charities and mutuals rather than simply scrapped.

Sue Ryder launches campaign to tackle £1m VAT loss

Sue Ryder has launched its own campaign to battle red tape on VAT announcing that it will lose £1m in irrecoverable VAT following the increase to 20 per cent.

National Trust appoints Northern Trust as sole custodian of finances

The National Trust has selected Northern Trust as the sole custodian of its £881m of financial assets.

Co-operative Bank sees 50 per cent jump in charity business

The Co-operative Bank has reported a large surge in charity business which it attributes to the sector's disillusionment with mainstream banks following the recession.

NCVO in desktop publishing and postal deal with UK Mail

The NCVO has unveiled a new partnership with UK Mail to offer civil society organisations discounted rates on its print, production and mailing application, imail.

Booktrust in talks with DfE to mitigate funding cuts

Booktrust, a charity providing free books to children, which had its funding slashed by the Department for Education in December, is to enter talks with the Department to mitigate its losses.

Small voluntary organisations to play "crucial" role in Work Programme

Prime contractors for the government's Work Programme will have to prove that they are developing partnerships with small, specialist voluntary sector providers in order to win contracts.

Events

Charity Investment Forum 2011
7-8 March 2011

The Charity Awards
9 June 2011
Now open for entries

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They said it...

"It was a fantastic opportunity to help build the Big Society and save money at the same time, but it has been botched."

(Public Administration Committee chair Bernard Jenkins MP slams recent quango review)

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