News and Events from the Community Foundation
Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland Hosts National Philanthropy Conference
Vice President of the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland, Kate Adie opens the conference
The Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland has hosted one of the UK’s largest gatherings of major philanthropists, charity professionals and policy-makers.
Over 350 delegates from across the country attended the Community Philanthropy Conference held at Northumbria University. The focus was community transformation, localism and the development of a renewed giving culture. Kate Adie OBE, Vice President of the Community Foundation, opened the conference and key speakers included Sam Younger, the Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, Jim Diers, an advisor to the Cabinet Office, and Thomas Hughes-Hallett, chair of the independent national philanthropy review.
The community philanthropy conference was organised by the national Community Foundation Network which represents 57 organisations across the UK. Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland, the largest in the country, was the host, alongside its sister charities the County Durham Community Foundation and Tees Valley Community Foundation. Collectively the three North East foundations are responsible for investing £12m every year in supporting local community groups across the region.
Rob Williamson, Chief Executive of the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland, said:
“It was a great privilege to host this conference in Newcastle upon Tyne. It could not be more timely, given the enormous current interest in charitable giving and philanthropy, and the demand from hard-pressed voluntary groups for more support to maintain their vital work in our communities. As the UK’s largest community foundation, we welcomed this opportunity to debate what we and others can do to further develop local philanthropy to benefit our area.”
Stephen Hammersley, Chief Executive of the Community Foundation Network added:
“We were delighted to hold this conference in Newcastle upon Tyne, a city which has done so much to regenerate itself and create a dynamic economy and thriving community spirit. With a great example in the local community foundations, the conference provided an opportunity to showcase the expertise and impact of our network and the philanthropists with whom we work.”
To view a short video of the conference click here or to see the photo album click here to visit our Facebook page.
Queen Guitarist Brian May Supports the Emma Newton Fund
Brian May has pledged his support to the Emma Newton Fund
The Emma Newton Fund, established at the Community Foundation following her tragic death due to a falling tree hitting her car, has received a boost of support by international rock star and Queen guitarist Brian May.
Brian heard about the fund after Emma’s friends were urged to put their thoughts about her on paper. Kristin Clawson, a friend and fellow performer, wrote of Emma’s incredible talent as a performing arts student and how she had shone in her role as Brit in the school performance of We Will Rock You. She felt moved to share these thoughts with Brian and the rest of the We Will Rock You cast in London.
Brian May’s response was both immediate and genuine, with the message:
“I just looked at the news story, what a beautiful girl; I wish I had seen her perform.
“I was so sorry to hear about Emma’s death. She really sounded like a great girl. The idea of an Arts fund is a great idea. I’d like to help.”
He went on to offer words of encouragement and support to Emma’s friends and those involved with the fund:
“Creating a permanent fund to support young people in the Performing Arts is great. Working to fulfill a talent in singing, acting and dance can be tough. I’m delighted to help get the fund established and look forward to seeing it grow.
“I hope all of you will be able to find your way through the inevitable trauma that you will be feeling. Immersing yourselves in a project like this is a good form of therapy, I think. And it is a worthy cause in itself. Good luck with it!”
He then contacted the fund organisers to offer his support by making a personal donation , linked his official website to the www.emmanewtonfund.com website and has pledged further support.
Calls for Applications
Living Streets have been awarded over £16,000 to encourage more young people in the North East to walk to school
The Local Environmental Action Fund (LEAF) is looking for applications from high quality projects that have a positive impact on the environment, and educate people about global environmental issues. Click here for more information and to apply online or email Pauline Johnson, Senior Fund Development Manager (Environment), directly.
Charities and fraud
Charities need to do much more to improve their resilience to fraud, says a new report from PKF Forensic Services and the University of Portsmouth.
The report, based on a survey of 83 charities, found that nearly all had arrangements in place to protect themselves against fraud. However fewer involved their trustees in the regular review of their counter fraud practice, or provided staff with specialist training in this area. The report recommends that charities address this problem at the highest level as part of their strategic planning, providing key staff with the knowledge and authority to implement anti-fraud measures.
The report suggests that such measures could half the losses to the UK charity sector as a result of fraud. The Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland recognises that robust counter fraud measures are an essential feature of good governance, and is committed to improving both its own and its grantees’ practice in this area.
Click here to view the PKF Forensic Services / University of Plymouth report “The resilience to fraud of the UK charity sector” (2010).
PC Hardware on Offer
Long-time supporters of the Community Foundation, Muckle LLP have recently undergone new systems upgrades and are offering their old PCs to good homes at local community and voluntary organisations.
There are approximately 120 PCs and monitors on offer and 140 keyboards and mice. All systems are fully operational, have been wiped of all current data and have been reinstalled with Windows XP and Office XP.
For more information and details of the specification of the equipment email Andrew Black or call 0191 211 7964.
