Ismael Velasco 💡♻️🌎

Interested in discussing what could be done within funding in the voluntary sector to improve grantmaking and make processes more accessible?💭Come along to our session at The Gathering. Information and details are in the link below 😊⬇️

21

FareShare UK has launched our pre election Manifesto shaped by business, third sector and academics. The outcome is for a healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable UK but also promises tangible benefits. If implemented, it would significantly reduce food waste, support communities in need, and foster a more sustainable food system.  The manifesto has been shaped by business, third sector and academics. https://lnkd.in/euTJ_eWC

32

3 Comments

If you are involved in Participatory Budgeting please take the time to fill out this very short survey about your experience and the current challenges and where you see potential opportunities for PB.

1

Why should we bother working in Places? Our latest blog on Local Access explains why we care about building social economy and shifting power starting with People and Places https://lnkd.in/eyMhcv9P

75

4 Comments

Our next blog is about how we build strategy around systems thinking and learning. Our grant-making and what we learning will help us to continue to move forward in terms of our funding approaches. It will be interesting to see how it makes sense to you. https://lnkd.in/eT_5hpq6

64

5 Comments

Really proud of this one. Today, UK Youth is publishing a new report with Institute for Government that sets out a clear path for government to unlock the power of preventative services, including youth work. https://lnkd.in/e8vEYwDf Preventative local authority spending on services like youth clubs and children’s centres was cut by more than three-quarters (77.9%) between 2009/10 and 2022/23, while acute spending on looked after children and safeguarding services rose by more than half (58.1%) over the same period. This is bad economics and it is hurting young people. Rather than just point out the problem, this report sets out a clear roadmap for the next government to transform millions of lives and save billions of pounds. The rapidly rising needs of young people – with threats to their mental health, employment, and even physical safety – are not inevitable. We have clear evidence of what works to change this trend. Now we need policymakers to play their part and make the long-term commitment required.

89

2 Comments

‘The Migration Threat Narrative, which is often combined with the Mass Migration Narrative, portrays migrants as potential job thieves, welfare scroungers and criminals, and immigration more generally as an essential threat to employment, wages and welfare provisions including access to affordable housing, education and health care. Such fears are particularly projected on lower skilled migrants and refugees from culturally distinct countries, in narratives where race and class often intersect strongly. The argument that (an increasingly massive and out-of-control) migration is a threat to wages, employment and labour standards has always been popular on the left and right.’ #migration #migrationpolicy #power

21

1 Comment

UKRI launches the next phase of the Community Research Networks - £9m over 5 years funding nine community networks right across the UK. The networks bring together charities, local authorities, universities and research organisations to develop knowledge, skills and tools to address local challenges. The Local Policy Innovation Partnership (LPIP) team is working closely with UKRI colleagues so that we can learn together as we develop these two significant place-based programmes.

9

Charities and Government Excellent Research from Pro Bono Economics who have published a very useful free resource for charities https://lnkd.in/e_a8ybFN . This says "The 2024 General Election brought 335 new MPs into the House of Commons. For the many charities that seek to influence parliamentarians, this creates a significant challenge. That’s 335 new MPs to research and sift through to try and understand if they might be inclined to support a charity’s cause. "Many small charities cannot afford parliamentary monitoring systems or expensive agencies to do that sifting for them. If hundreds of organisations all undertake the same research into those MPs’ backgrounds, it means massive amounts of duplication and wasted time for already time-starved organisations. Also see https://lnkd.in/ebSvCG_Y which explains that "Experience in the charity sector has accelerated the most dramatically of all with this new Cabinet. #Starmer has appointed eight #Cabinet members who have previously worked within the charity sector. That is a quadrupling of charity experience at the top of government." CFG : Charity Finance Group Charity News Association of Charitable Foundations Association of Chairs The Resource Alliance Charity Excellence - a FREE one-stop-shop for everything a non-profit needs.

15

3 Comments

More people spending time in nature ➡️ more climate action, right? 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲. We’ve been working with coalition of partners in Manchester, to help make nature more accessible for everyone in the city and capture the stories and characteristics of community nature projects that make them thrive. Thanks to the support of the Wates Family Enterprise Trust we’ve: 🤝 Been working with communities to connect people & nature 🪴 Supported community-led initiatives to bring nature back to shared spaces 🔎 Conducted research to better understand the links between nature and climate action On that last point: it seems it's not just nature that makes a difference, but there is a mechanism for change there. It works something like this: • Enable 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: that’s what makes people turn up • Create a 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆: that’s what makes people come back • Make people feel 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿: it’s what makes change feel positive and worthwhile Curious? We're doing much more on this over the coming months and years. Sign up to our business bulletin to be in the loop with the latest: hubbub.org.uk/newsletter 📩 And if you'd like to work with us to explore questions like this, you know where to find me. ☎️   ++ P.S. I'm Alex Robinson, CEO of environmental charity Hubbub. We bring business, government and civil society together to create campaigns that make it easier and more possible for all of us to make choices that are good for the environment. 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗲 to find out how, or get in touch for more. #nature #environment #sustainability #greenspaces  

27

2 Comments

Slow progress in 2024 for UK INGOs, says Bond UK's lead on locally-led development: "The more we reflect on locally led development, the more I get the feeling that there is a clear lack of strategic will and institutional inertia in the international development sector towards it." https://lnkd.in/e3GCET5g Make a New Years' resolution. Read my book, 'The INGO Problem' to inspire action. https://lnkd.in/eU6i2fhG #shiftthepower

25

1 Comment

It's been a busy couple of weeks for futures in UK government and I'm immensely proud to be working with so many talented people producing such an outstanding variety of reports and other products. All to help people think more strategically about the future.   I've got to start with my own team. Just a week ago, we published our updated Futures Toolkit (https://lnkd.in/dCzvEfFe), complete with a new case study bank and downloadable supporting resources like facilitator guides and workshop templates. This blog by Poppy, who led the project, explains the changes we've made. And this short video (https://lnkd.in/eRFPERN2) from the GCSA, Dame Angela McLean, outlines why futures is so important to policy making in government and how the toolkit can help. We've introduced some new tools that weren't in the previous version and sections on participatory and experiential futures. But we've kept all the rest, including the seven pathways with suggestions for how to combine tools for a particular purpose. Thanks to all the team, especially Poppy, Niki T., Tom E, Tom Wells; past team members Abigail and Sharon; Marcin Bryszak, Georgia Cairns and Mary Phelan from GOS comms; and Jonathan, Huw and the team at SAMI Consulting. This week our colleagues in the Foresight team published their latest report on the Future of the Subsurface (https://lnkd.in/egiG9Qtw). Taking a systems thinking approach, it drew together evidence from a wide range of sources (including over 350 experts from academia, government and industry) to set out the key current issues and challenges to subsurface management and presents three challenging scenarios. Congratulations on another great report to all the team that worked on the project over the past year - Jack Snape, Holger Kessler, Cara Nicol, Emily W, Matthew B and Julia Erdelmann, PhD. And elsewhere in government, the MOD Defence Futures team have launched the latest in their series of Global Strategic Trends reports. GST7 (https://lnkd.in/eH4teifQ) describes the future global strategic context and trends out to 2055 and includes foresight analysis from a thematic and geographic perspective and five scenarios. Great work from Colonel Joachim Isacsson OBE and all the team. #futures #foresight #futuresthinking #StrategicForesight #FuturesToolkit

62

2 Comments

I’m very proud of getting to this point with Home Truths 2 - we are now open for applications to Further, Faster - a pioneering movement for a significant number of CEOs and senior leaders in civil society ready and committed to create a movement to rapidly create momentum in taking concrete action on creating an anti racist future for civil society. Excuse the following essay, but I’ve a lot to say! Time to put our money where our mouth is and invest resources in shifting the dial - we need to see results and be part of creating hope and showing that people and their will are at the heart of achieving progress to overcome institutional barriers. Positive energy is needed. This is ambitious and untested - to my knowledge never before has there been an attempt by a smallish membership organisation such as ACEVO to attempt to run a programme of this size and for non members too - to influence concrete and rapid change and inspire action through a facilitated learning programme focused on action- not just warm words. It demands a lot from applicants, financial and time commitments and it won’t be an easy ride, but one filled with hope, agency and action. Leaders will be led through this programme by experts JMB Consulting and Social Justice Collective , appointed following a competitive tender and who have designed this bespoke programme with meticulous care and attention to detail. Course fees will be used to pay for the expert facilitation. In line with the aims of the programme, the desire is to challenge the status quo of funds flowing to support majority white leaders to learn about anti racism and instead to ensure funding flows directly to black and minoritised ethnicity led organisations to adequately recompense them for needing to educate and build capacity. I urge you to find out more by visiting https://lnkd.in/eBC95n-S and apply if it feels right for you. The Home Truths 2 team, Sanjiv Lingayah architect of the entire HomeTruths programme and Pamela Daniels, with whom I would not be without in running the programme, will be on hand to support you through. Change is possible and you can be part of achieving that change.

14

1 Comment

I really like this 10 point approach to stakeholder engagement from Nattergal Ltd. It's specific to nature recovery projects, but the principles apply to all projects https://lnkd.in/evU8B3y8

3

In the lead up to the Biodiversity COP and next week's Nature Positive Summit, a vital report by WWF-UK & Aviva emphasises the critical need for clarity and consistency in guiding businesses and finance towards a nature-positive future. The report advocates for the development of sectoral pathways for nature, mirroring the progress made for climate action towards net zero. Notably, the UK is leading the way compared to Australia, with the report showcasing a nature-positive pathway for agriculture as a model for other industrial sectors. Explore more on national nature-positive pathways to inform policy and drive private sector initiatives: wwf.org.uk.

31

4 Comments

Today, the Youth Endowment Fund, have published a data report that looks ‘Beyond the Headlines’. It provides a clear account on whether violence affecting young people across England and Wales is improving or worsening across key sectors over the past ten years.   Youth services are essential for providing support and safe spaces. However, budget cuts have strained these services, leading to closures and increased pressure on youth workers. There's a correlation between decreased youth expenditure and rises in weapons possession and reoffending, though not necessarily violent crime. 🔍 Youth Sector Insights Spending on youth services is the core measure we’re focusing on in this report, across universal and targeted provisions. Data shows: - Since 2012/13, spending has fallen by over half a billion pounds, a 56% decrease. - Recently, the decline has plateaued, with a 3% increase in 2022/23 compared to the previous year, 8% above pre-Covid levels.   🌟 Hopes for the Next 10 Years Increased funding and support can rejuvenate youth services, with a particular focus on mentoring to support young people at risk of violence. Rebuilding youth services is crucial for fostering a safer, more supportive society. Let's ensure the next decade brings renewed investment and a brighter future for our youth.   📄 Download the Full Report For more detailed insights, download our comprehensive report on the state of youth services and violence among young people. https://lnkd.in/eFAqrhQK CHECK OUT 'FIVE KEY STATISTICS' IN THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW #BeyondtheHeadlines #TrendsinViolence #YouthServices #CommunitySupport #InvestInYouth #YouthDevelopment #Mentoring #YEFToolkit

10

2 Comments

You work in a charity trying to bring about social change. And you know that the climate and nature crises are growing issues. But you struggle to bring the two together, especially in a context of fundraising pressures and competing priorities. The Everyone's Environment Pathway is here to help. Work through this step by step guide to understand the impacts of the climate and nature crises on your mission and to take strategic action that improves the lives of the people you serve and benefits the environment. https://lnkd.in/e4i8Mfxk NPC (New Philanthropy Capital)

40

100 funders were asked about their attitudes to funding campaigners + activists in this new Social Change Lab research report. It found that while funders believe in campaigning as a tool for change (good!), there are practical + psychological blocks to their giving (so stuff to address...) Some suggestions for helping funders support campaigning are cited. Whilst they aren't rocket science, it's an important reminder of what we might not be doing effectively at the moment. - Make it easier to fund campaigners. Get to know intermediary organisations who can help you make relevant connections. - Improve comms. Have a clear plan of what you can win. Consider using fairness and justice as framing. - See evidence as your friend (am a particular fan of this one). Look at past or similar campaigns that were successful and consider their impact. Sheila McKechnie Foundation Campaigner Awards are a useful source. You can view the full report here:

14

🌍 Launch 🌍 We are thrilled to announce the digital launch of the #LambethClimatePartnership platform! This new platform will highlight the vast range of climate initiatives happening across the borough and create opportunities for more organisations to join this crucial mission. It includes a visual dashboard that tracks the borough’s progress towards our climate goals, ensuring transparency and accountability. Founded by 12 leading organisations in Lambeth, the partnership represents key sectors such as health, housing, culture, education, and skills. It is designed for organisations from all sectors that are committed to incorporating #climateaction into their objectives, operations, logistics, building management, staff activities, and overall impact on community health and well-being. Our aim is to foster cross-sector #collaboration, enabling the sharing of knowledge and expertise to drive Lambeth towards its #netzero targets. A big thanks to the climate team – particularly Fiona Hart, Emily Hirst, Georgia Faid, and Cassidy Travis – and our partners for their tremendous effort in developing this platform and showcasing the incredible climate action happening across the borough. King's College London, Guy's and St Thomas'​ NHS Foundation Trust, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, National Theatre, Southbank Centre, LSBU Global, Metropolitan Thames Valley, Sustainable Ventures https://lnkd.in/egKdvnra

83