Tag: Pro Bono Economics

Turmoil in local government threatens charity services

Stuart Mitchell

As financial distress grips local councils across England, a new report highlights the hidden consequences for charities and the people who rely on them. Councils such as Birmingham City Council are issuing section 114 notices at unprecedented rates, notifying the government that their financial situation is unmanageable, and charities across the country are being hit by the consequences. The report ‘Tethered fortunes: The threat to charities from trouble in local government’ by Pro Bono Economics (PBE) and Nottingham Trent University’s VCSE Data and Insights National Observatory, reveals the depth of…

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‘Gender imbalance at the top of UK charities is holding sector back,’ report finds

Stuart Mitchell

The charity sector in the UK is being held back by “male-dominated decision-making” which fails to fairly represent the make-up of the sector’s workforce and service users, according to a new report. Pro Bono Economics (PBE) is calling on sector leaders, charity boards and funders to lead the way in addressing an “under-discussed gender imbalance” in the sector. The new PBE report, titled Women and the charity sector, finds that while women account for more than two-thirds (68%) of the UK sector’s workforce – and contributed £19 billion to the…

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‘Small charities more worried about future as volunteer concerns leap,’ survey finds

Stuart Mitchell

Small charities are finding their recovery from the economic difficulties of the past year more challenging than the rest of the sector – as they struggle with a lack of volunteers on top of stretched funding and high demand, according to new research.  The fourth VCSE Sector Barometer, a quarterly survey conducted by Pro Bono Economics (PBE) and Nottingham Trent University’s National VCSE Data and Insights Observatory, has identified an emerging divide between the experience of small charities – those with annual income below £100,000 – and their larger counterparts…

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Signs of increasing optimism among charities but volunteer concerns grow, survey finds

Stuart Mitchell

A major new survey of charities has identified growing optimism in the sector following months of financial hardship associated with the cost of living crisis – but there is rising concern about dwindling volunteer numbers leaving charities in a precarious position. The latest VCSE Sector Barometer, a quarterly survey conducted by Pro Bono Economics and Nottingham Trent University’s National VCSE Data and Insights Observatory, found an increasing expectation among charities that their financial position will improve, alongside a marked reduction in concern about energy costs. It means that for the…

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Charities struggling with energy bill hikes of 50% and more amid soaring demand, survey finds

Stuart Mitchell

A major new survey of charities has revealed the impact of the energy crisis on the sector – with many organisations experiencing a rise in their bills of 50% and more – amid calls for the government to act as part of a review due to be published in the new year. The survey, conducted by Pro Bono Economics and Nottingham Trent University’s National VCSE Data and Insights Observatory, found that 40% of charities across the UK are having to cope with rising gas and electricity bills. At the same…

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