Neighbourly’s Post

Such an interesting read that addresses a question which I often debate with the charities I work with. Where possible, having trustees on your Board with lived experience adds so much value. However in many cases the voluntary basis on which Trustees give their time precludes this. Paying trustees with lived experience is something more charities should consider ... but do read the post below as you'll need to put certain things in place to do this!

Helpful tips in this article from Matt Peacock MBE for any charity that may be looking at making it possible for trustees with lived experience to join its board by getting authority to pay them to be a trustee, where without payment they could not take up the role. Thanks Felicia Willow for sharing.

Interested in paying Trustees with lived experience? Read on! I recently became very excited when I saw Matt Peacock MBE from Arts & Homelessness International had convinced the Charity Commission to allow payments to Trustees with lived experience to work on their Board. Matt has put together the attached document setting out the key learnings - https://lnkd.in/eHE4mGRQ The one challenge in this is that their constitution didn't prohibit payment to Trustees. Most constitutions do. So, if you want to go down this path, you need to add in a constitutional change, which will also require Charity Commission approval (see https://lnkd.in/e3uUAgjh). As anyone who has followed me for a while knows, I'm a big believer that we need to break down the barriers to participation in the sector, and particularly in the role of Trustee, and part of that is about paying Trustees who wouldn't otherwise be able to participate. Has anyone out there changed their constitution to be able to pay Trustees, and would you be able to share your experience so others can learn from it?

At a time when the UK’s housing is in crisis with local Councils across the country declaring a housing emergency, the Scottish Government announce a £200 million cut to the housing budget. It makes you wonder how Scottish Government’s target of building 110,000 affordable homes by 2032 will be met. How will this choice, made by Scottish Government, impact on the poorest and most vulnerable in our society? People are living in temporary accommodation for far longer and are unable to afford to get onto the property ladder. The consequences to charities providing services within housing will be huge. Many charities are already struggling through the cost of living crisis.

In London, 25% of people are living in poverty after housing costs. This can have a devastating effect on people like Toni. Toni was self-employed in the hospitality industry. Then when Covid-19 hit, he was no longer able to work. As a result of this he was evicted from his private property along with his 3 children, ending up in temporary accommodation. The benefit cap could not be calculated accurately and left him struggling to pay for essentials and at risk of falling behind on rent. When he got in contact with one of our Centres of Excellence, they went through his entitlements and outgoings with a fine-tooth comb and found that he was having multiple incorrect deductions from his Universal Credit, directly leading to this impossible situation. The advice agency took on his case, had the correct benefits restored and helped him find appropriate accommodation until he was able to get back on his feet. With your help we can continue to offer legal advise to those most in need. Please follow the link to donate. Many thanks for your support. https://lnkd.in/dDzXFRiC #LegalWalk #20YearsOfJustice #Law #londonlegalwalk #accesstojustice #probono #charitywalk #donate #spreadtheword #10K #fundraiser #lawcentres #communityrights

Almost 136,000 16–24-year-olds were homeless or at risk of homelessness in the UK in 2022-23. This week everyone at Andrews is involved in various fundraising activities to raise £5,000 for [establish], a project that provides high quality, safe and affordable housing to young people vulnerable to homelessness (often care leavers), helping them grow into fully independent adults. Andrews Charitable Trust partner with local youth support organisations who provide ongoing weekly support to the residents. We find suitable properties that Andrews Charitable Trust purchase to become [establish] homes, and our teams provide housing management services and liaise regularly with the [establish] tenants. The money raised this week will fund deposits for [establish] tenants when they move on to the private rental sector. We’re proud to be charity owned and we’re incredibly proud of the amazing work of [establish]. #propertyandpurpose

Scenes of people living on the streets or in shelters create stereotypes around homelessness as an unsolvable problem. As daunting as those scenes are, the majority of people without housing or the threat of losing it are competent to take care of themselves and simply need a financial boost to move forward. In the UK, Greater Change partners with existing charities that refer clients for cash grants. Greater Change instigates a fundraising campaign and transfers money directly to the client’s support team. It’s a model worthy of emulation that has helped more than 900 UK residents get back on their feet since 2018. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gU4B-Fge

It Takes TWO

A #beneficiary in estate planning can be any people or organizations you would like to gift your assets, whether that’s money, property, or sentimental items. If you don't have a will, your assets are distributed by provincial law instead. That's why making a will and naming your beneficiaries is so important! To learn more about beneficiaries, check out our article: https://lnkd.in/gU9MZMt3 #MAWM #wills #estateplanning #donations

Please sign this and share if you can - it has just two days to go. 1 in 52 people aged 16-24 were experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness last year. We need a national strategy that will provide the direction and support needed to address: (1) the many forms that homelessness can take - from rough sleeping to sofa surfing to unsafe homes; (2) as well as the specific needs and challenges faced by young people - from the increased likelihood of family breakdown as a cause of homelessness to the decreased likelihood of receiving support from local authorities. We need a national strategy to end youth homelessness.