NCVS has regularly encouraged you to complete the quarterly VCSE Barometer Survey. We need you now more than ever! Please add your voice to the responses in this latest wave.

It's so important we hear from as many Nottingham organisations as possible. At present the information is collected at a national level, but NCVS is working with colleagues at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) to develop a local dashboard. For this to be really meaningful, we need more of you to take part.

Wave 4 of the Barometer Survey is open until midnight on Wednesday 27 September 2023, and its topical theme is Wellbeing.

Everyone can take part - it doesn't matter if you haven't answered previously.

The Barometer Survey is a quarterly ‘temperature check’ of the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector which aims to uncover new trends and insights, and highlight real-time issues and challenges. A key aim of the survey is to provide useful insight for the sector at both national and local level, particularly in the light of the ongoing challenges of the cost of living crisis. The survey is a partnership between NTU and ProBono Economics..

Our Chief Executive Officer, Jules Sebelin, has been completing the quarterly survey on behalf of NCVS and wants to assure you that it is a VCSE friendly process which takes very little time to complete. It has a very different feel and focus to the many small business surveys we have taken part in over the years.

So, let’s put our Nottingham VCSE sector on the map! Organisations of all sizes are able to participate so that we can develop a true picture of life in Nottingham’s voluntary sector.

We will be discussing the Barometer in more detail at our December network meeting, and our colleagues from NTU will be attending. But don’t wait until then to give it a try.

Please contact Jules at juless@nottinghamcvs.co.uk if you would like to discuss any aspect of the Barometer Survey.

In previous NCVS e-bulletins we've introduced our innovative Heritage Buddies pilot project. This work is funded by Historic England and is part of the “whole-community approach to social prescribing”, as adopted by the National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP).

It's a good time to share some of our developments as this week the country is celebrating Heritage Open Days 2023. England's largest festival of history and culture runs until 17 September and provides opportunities to explore new places free of charge.

NCVS is working with a small number of heritage and befriending organisations to test and trial the role of volunteers as Heritage Buddies, to connect people with local heritage and the historic environment to support health and wellbeing. Our learning from the pilot will be shared to benefit the wider community.

Connecting through visits, learning and creative activities, or volunteering, offers many health and wellbeing benefits:

• Physical exercise and fresh air from exploring a venue and its natural environment.
• Opportunities to meet people and share similar interests, building social confidence and reducing isolation and loneliness.
• New learning and active reminiscing opportunities.
• Gaining greater perspective of past and present.
• Greater connection to a place and a sense of belonging.
• Enjoyment and relaxation from a good day out.

You can read more about heritage and wellbeing in this NASP article:
Connecting to Heritage: 5 Ways to Wellbeing.

Discovering heritage activities in Nottingham

Many organisations have told us they would like to know what heritage provision, resources and activities are available for their communities and groups to access across Nottingham all year round.

That's why we’ve collated an A to Z listing of heritage and cultural organisations and resources, with website links for further information and direct enquiries. Some people might need additional support and encouragement to use them.

This is a starting point and we know we haven't captured everything on offer. We'd welcome further suggestions. Email our Heritage Buddies Project Coordinator, Sarah Greaves: sarah.g@nottinghamcvs.co.uk.

Nottingham is once again addressing race and inequality, this time for those experiencing severe and multiple disadvantage (SMD).

In May 2023, the Place-Based-Partnership sponsored Nottingham’s first Race Health Inequalities Summit. This month, the Race Equity workstream of the SMD Partnership and the Changing Futures Programme are sponsoring the Building Bridges event.

For more background to SMD and the Changing Futures Programme, visit https://www.changingfuturesnottingham.co.uk.

The event takes place on Thursday 28 September 2023, from 9.30am until 4pm, at the Indian Community Centre Association (ICCA), 99 Hucknall Road, Nottingham NG5 1QZ.

This event aims to address the pressing issues faced by people from ethnic minority communities experiencing severe and multiple disadvantage.

The event is an opportunity for voluntary organisations, communities, community leaders, SMD service providers and decision-makers to come together, share knowledge and collaborate on finding effective solutions alongside people with lived experience. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

If you have questions about the event, please contact Tracey Ford, Senior System Change Commissioning Manager for the Changing Futures Programme.
Email tracey.ford@nottinghamcity.gov.uk.

Nottingham City Council’s Public Health Department is undertaking a mapping exercise to map all of the meetings and collaborative/strategic groups or networks taking place that support the (0-19 age range) Children and Young People’s agenda across Nottingham City.

The aim of the exercise is to get a better understanding of what activity is taking place, to identify any gaps, to help streamline the work and avoid duplication.

This particular mapping exercise is interested in meetings contributing to strategic and partnership discussions. It is not attempting to map direct service delivery or individual organisations working to support children and young people.

Even if you don't lead on a relevant meeting, it would be helpful if you could identify which meetings you are aware of and how you feed in.

Please populate the table in this Word document template (clicking the link will directly download the document) and return it to:

Jenn Burton (Public Health Manager) Jennifer.burton@nottinghamcity.gov.uk by Friday 29 September 2023.

Once the information has been collated it will be shared with partners across the system, and will help to structure Nottingham City’s (0-19s) Children and Young People's meetings / strategic partnerships going forwards

If you would like any further information to help you complete this request, please contact Jenn Burton on the above email.

The Labour Party has named Lilian Greenwood as its shadow civil society minister as part of the opposition party’s reshuffle. Heritage has been added to the shadow civil society minister’s brief, which also includes the arts.

Lilian is "looking forward to working with the rich tapestry of arts, heritage and third sector organisations that are so vital to our national life and Britain’s future."

The Nottinghamshire Carers Hub, currently run by TuVida, has been through a re-tender process over the last few months. The new contract for Nottinghamshire County and Nottingham City adult carers support has been awarded to Carers Federation Ltd and will commence on 1 October 2023.

TuVida is continuing to accept referrals up until Friday 29 September and will be providing as much help as possible in the transfer period. They have revised the referral form which includes a section on gaining consent from the carer to share details with the new provider. If the carer is happy and provides consent, details will be passed on seamlessly and securely, in line with GDPR regulations, as part of the data transfer to Carers Federation.

The updated referral form wasn't available on TuVida's website at the time of preparing this NCVS e-bulletin. If you would like to make a referral before 29 September, please contact Becca Robbins: rebeccarobbins@tuvida.org.

Alternatively, you can contact Carers Federation directly after 1 October by calling 0808 802 1777.

The Nottinghamshire Stalking Advocacy Service aims to provide high quality assistance to male and female survivors of non-domestic stalking who are aged 16 or above and live in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. It will also work alongside Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire children's social care and Nottinghamshire Police to support younger victims of non-domestic stalking as required.

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire has commissioned a new contract which delivers an enhanced and more streamlined offer until March 2026.

Specialist support provider Nottinghamshire Women’s Aid has been awarded the contract as lead providers and will subcontract to fellow experts, Juno Women’s Aid and Equation, with the new contract set to go live in October 2023.

Change Grow Live (CGL) and Nottingham City Council have announced the launch of a refreshed service providing support for young people, young adults (up to the age of 24) and children and families in Nottingham City.

The current service (known as Jigsaw) will have a new name, chosen by young people in Nottingham, and will officially become 'The Place' on 1 October 2023.

The service has been redesigned and extended to include much needed support services for:

• Young people who are using or at risk of using drugs and/or alcohol
• Young adults up to the age of 24 who are using drugs and/or alcohol
• Children and young people who are affected by someone else’s substance use.

Please continue to visit the Jigsaw service website to make any referrals. These will be picked up until the transfer to the new website is complete.

If you would like to know more, please contact the Service Manager, Habib Akhtar. Call 07738 488020 or email habib.akhtar@cgl.org.uk.

Very tight deadline for First Round expressions of interest: 4pm on Friday 15 September 2023

Improving Lives Through Advice (ILTA) is a new five-year funding programme delivered by the Access to Justice Foundation with support from the Community Justice Fund.

It is designed to support the delivery of free legal advice to marginalised people and communities across England. ILTA will provide multi-year core costs grants to charities based in England only.

There will be a second round of funding available as part of this programme. This round will open for expressions of interest later in 2023 with further details and guidance to follow.

Deadline for applications is midnight on Sunday 24 September 2023

The Nottingham Festival of Science and Curiosity has launched its first ever Community Grants Programme. The Festival has been running since 2013, delivering a two-week festival each February that aims to engage new audiences across Nottinghamshire with science and curiosity.

The 2024 Festival will take place from 5 to 16 February 2024.

The Community Grants Programme is being piloted for the 2024 Festival to:

• increase engagement with community groups in Nottinghamshire, with a focus on audiences that don’t usually take part in the Festival
• support organisations and groups to engage with the Festival via funding and access to networks
• increase awareness of the Festival beyond its usual partners and communities
• include more events in the Festival programme that are co-created by communities and are guided by their interests.

The Festival will fund three projects with grants of up to £500 each to organisations who are interested engaging their audiences with science and curiosity through a project or event during the 2024 Festival. The grants will have a particular focus on reaching children & families who are of Black/Black British heritage, children who are disabled and children & families who live in areas that are remote or areas of disadvantage.

Next deadline for applications is Friday 29 September 2023

The Community Dividend Fund has been relaunched in an effort to offer vital support to good causes, groups and charities. Groups can now apply for between £100 to £3,000 every two years to help projects that aim to support access to food, health and wellbeing, inclusion and the environment.

Grants are available to full members of Central England Co-op, which includes Nottinghamshire.

Full Membership, with associated democratic rights, takes effect six months following the full payment of the minimum £1 share to the Society. Full terms and conditions for membership can be found here.

To access this funding, Local Authorities were required to submit Investment Plans to government for approval by the Department for Levelling Up Housing & Communities. 

There are currently two Open Calls as part of Nottingham's UKSPF Investment Plan.

UKSPF Nottingham Open Call 5 (OC5) – Business
This call focuses on the UKSPF Investment Priority of Supporting Local Businesses within Nottingham City Council’s UKSPF programme.

Nottingham City Council will utilise approximately £700,000 of UKSPF Revenue and Capital funding to support its business growth objectives from April 2024 to March 2025.

The Open Call contains four separate lots and is looking to provide grants to organisations to deliver projects aimed at:

1. Supporting Enterprise Infrastructure, Incubators and Accelerators.
2. Growing the Local Social Economy.
3. Developing Angel Investor Networks.
4. R&D grants supporting innovative product & service development.

These projects will help to grow business productivity, increase the local business pool and drive growth in the economy.

A Technical Workshop providing more details on this Open Call and who is eligible to apply will be held on Microsoft Teams on Tuesday 10 October 2023 from 10am to 11am. You don't need an invitation to join this meeting. Please join the meeting using the Teams link which is provided on Nottingham City's UKSPF website (scroll down to Open Call 5).

UKSPF Nottingham Open Call 6 (OC6) – Developing Green Skills
This call focuses on the UKSPF Investment Priority of People & Skills within Nottingham City Council’s UKSPF programme.

Nottingham City Council will utilise approximately £165,000 of UKSPF Revenue and Capital funding to support its Employment & Skills objectives from April 2024 to March 2025.

The Open Call is looking to provide one grant to an organisation to deliver a project aimed at:

• Meeting local skills needs.
• Delivering Green Skills courses.
• Supporting the delivery of life and career skills courses.

They are looking for applications that: 

• Promote social inclusion.
• Reduce social deprivation and encouraging social mobility.
• Engage economically inactive residents to support their economic progression.
• Contribute to Nottingham becoming a carbon neutral city by 2028.

A Technical Workshop providing more details on this Open Call and who is eligible to apply will be held on Microsoft Teams on Thursday 12 October 2023 from 2pm to 3pm . You don't need an invitation to join this meeting. Please join the meeting using the Teams link which is provided on Nottingham City's UKSPF website (scroll down to Open Call 6).

Application deadline: Sunday 1 October 2023

Sir Robert McAlpine has launched a £15,000 fund for community projects that drive positive change in their local communities. Funding is available for non-profit organisations within 20 miles of LE12 5QW (including Loughborough, Nottingham, Derby and Leicester).

This fund is live on ActionFunder, a funding platform helping businesses and foundations find and fund community projects across the UK.

ActionFunder works in a different way to a standard grant application process. You will need to register your organisation with the ActionFunder website, and post a project you want funding for, in order to possibly be matched to this funding opportunity.

Up to £3,000 per project is available for community groups, charities and CICs.

NCVS Volunteering Development Officer, Dave Thomas, writes:

Summer isn’t really over yet and already the shops have trees, tinsel and Santa chocolates on sale. Although I love Christmas, it almost feels too early to be writing about it.

So, when Setty from Let’s Shine and Give a Smile asked me to promote an opportunity for Christmas meal volunteers, I was sceptical that volunteers would be thinking about Christmas this early.

However, I was wrong. In just over two weeks, five people enquired about this opportunity to be involved in providing a Christmas lunch for the disadvantaged and vulnerable people the organisation supports. The opportunity is still on our website and I confidently expect that more volunteers will come forward.

I know that many other organisations are planning additional activities for their beneficiaries around Christmas. They will be holding fundraising events too. I also know that we will get a lot more people wanting to volunteer as the season gets closer.

As part of your planning, please will you consider whether your Christmas events and activities could be enhanced by involving some extra volunteers? You never know, they could even stick around after Christmas.

As long ago as 2013, Leaders of Volunteers were being urged to better involve volunteers in the run-up to Christmas. Joe Saxton wrote in this Third Sector magazine article:

Charities do a lot of fundraising over Christmas but they do not make much of volunteering at Christmas... our research says there is quite a large group of people who say they want to volunteer over Christmas. It is a logical time for volunteering, so why aren't charities making more of Christmas volunteering in the way they make more of Christmas giving?

Let’s chat about your plans and think about whether a few more volunteers could help your Christmas party or event to be better than ever. Please email me at davet@nottinghamcvs.co.uk. Together, we can explore the possibilities.

Every year since 1993, Nottingham has held a unique programme of events around World Mental Health Day (10 October).

The 2023 Mental Health Awareness Weeks (MHAW) programme runs from Monday 9 October to Friday 20 October.

The events which make up MHAW’s programmes aren't commissioned according to any particular theme, but are contributed from the community, to reflect the diversity of approaches to mental health and wellbeing.

Events emerge each year from a wide network of local groups and organisations, and the MHAW coordinating committee acts as a catalyst to stimulate ideas and build a balanced programme.

You will find contributions from art, music, film, drama, therapies, information and social events, open to anyone interested.

Tuesday 26 September 2023, 6pm to 7.30pm
Nottingham Women's Centre, 30 Chaucer Street NG1 5LP and Online

This free interactive workshop organised by Nottingham Women's Centre is for all self-identifying women interested in getting into politics, using their voices to get heard, and getting active in the upcoming general elections. Join a journey about politics within a supportive community of other women.

You'll get a full overview of how UK Parliament works for you and you don't need any existing knowledge or experience.

If you would like to join the event via Zoom rather than attend in person, please send an email to Ezinwanne Raymond: ezinwanne@nottinghamwomenscentre.com.

Friday 15 September 2023 from 9pm
Live on YouTube

Live from the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, audiences will be able to witness the 2023 winners being named the best of British diversity. The ceremony, dubbed the ‘Golden Globes’ of the diversity world, will be hosted by broadcasting legend Clare Balding CBE.

Wednesday 20 September 2023, 1pm to 2.30pm
Online via Zoom

The forum is open to all Community Transport providers and other charities, not for profit organisations and stakeholders who have an interest in community and accessible transport in the East Midlands region. It's an opportunity to work collaboratively and understand needs across the region.

Wednesday 1 to Thursday 2 November 2023
Online, free to attend

Charity Digital is holding a free, two-day, online event, with informative webinars and interactive workshops, and plenty of time for networking.

The event is free to attend, but you need to register (also free) as a user of the Charity Digital website in order to sign up for the content.

New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) is holding three online events during September to share findings from the Everyone’s Environment programme - a collaboration of over 50 social and environmental charities to accelerate action on the social impacts of the environmental crises.

• What young people want you to do about the environmental crises
  Monday 25 September 2023, 10.30am to 12 noon
  
  
• What people from ethnic minority communities want you to do about the environmental crises
  Tuesday 26 September 2023, 3pm to 4.30pm
  
  
• What older people and Disabled people want you to do about the environmental crises
  Thursday 28 September 2023, 11am to 12.30pm
  

Wednesday 11 October 2023, 10am to 12.30pm

An online course giving a basic understanding of roles and responsibilities in the safeguarding of adults and how to respond to concerns.

Cost: £25 per participant

Tuesday 24 October 2023, 10.30am to 1pm

An online course giving a basic understanding of roles and responsibilities in the safeguarding of children and young people and how to respond to concerns.

Cost: £25 per participant

Wednesday 29 November 2023, 10am to 12.30pm

An online course giving a basic understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the Designated Safeguarding Lead Person.

Cost: £25 per participant

Wednesday 15 November 2023, 10.30am to 12 noon

An interactive online session for Trustees (or members of Management Committees) of organisations whose activities put them in contact with vulnerable adults or children.

Cost: £15 per participant

Monday 9 October 2023, 11am to 1pm

This two-hour online session covers the basic information for all trustees, whether you are new to the role or long-established.

Cost: £20 per participant

Thursday 19 October 2023, 10am to 12.15pm

A new interactive hands-on workshop for organisations and community groups who want to practice their skills and would welcome constructive feedback to further develop their skills in writing successful funding applications.
Cost: £20 per participant

Tuesday 10 October 2023, 10.30am to 12.30pm

Do you manage a space, office or building? This new two-hour online session will take your Fire Wardens and/or Fire Marshal through the basics. As a result, they will be better equipped to carry out these very important roles.

Cost: £20 per participant

Tuesday 7 November 2023, 6.30pm to 8.30pm

This two-hour online session is intended for trustees who have completed our 'Being a Trustee' course, who want to further develop their involvement and awareness of trustee duties and improve their personal skill set.

Cost: £20 per participant

Tuesday 16 January 2024, 10.30am to 12.30pm

Are you acting as secretary or note taker, or do you need to record meetings? Learn how to take effective minutes and make your task easier. This two-hour online session replaces our previous face-to-face three-hour course and will take you through the process of producing a 'minute'.

Cost: £20 per participant

Wednesday 11 October 2023, 6pm to 8pm

This new two-hour online session will explain the basics of health and safety, then take you through the process of carrying out a risk assessment in an organisational environment.

Cost: £20 per participant

Monday 8 January 2024, 10.30am to 12.30pm

What is the right structure for your organisation? This two-hour online session will explain your options and provide you with some useful tips to help you through the process of registration and beyond.

Cost: £20 per participant

Tuesday 19 September 2023, 10am to 11.15am

For organisations and community groups who are new to applying for funding, or for those in need of a refresher. Relevant for groups applying for cost of living funding and recovery support as well as other general funding.

Cost: £10 per participant

Wednesday 22 November 2023, 10am to 11am

In this one-hour online session, we will identify some of the barriers that potential volunteers face to becoming involved in your organisation and share ideas to remove these barriers.

Cost: £10 per participant

Thursday 9 November 2023, 10am to 11am

This one-hour online session aims to share some ideas about how best to deal with the inevitable disagreements, personality clashes and conflicts that arise from time to time among a team of volunteers.

Cost: £10 per participant

Thursday 5 October 2023, 10am to 11am

This one-hour online session looks at methods that have proved to be effective in volunteer leadership, including the best ways to plan, involve, support and retain volunteers.

Cost: £10 per participant

Thursday 21 September 2023, 10am to 12 noon

For some time, we’ve been asked about training that goes beyond the basics of managing and supporting volunteers. In this new two-hour online session, we’ll explore some of the real-life issues that you are facing.

Cost: £20 per participant

Thursday 8 February 2024, 10am to 12 noon

A two-hour online course for Leaders of Volunteers to start to develop an understanding of some of the legal requirements that relate to your volunteering programme.

Cost: £20 per participant

Tuesday 17 October 2023, 10am to 11am

A one-hour online session to help your volunteer role descriptions stand out, ensuring you attract enthusiastic volunteers.

Cost: £10 per participant

The PDU aims to promote and facilitate collaborative learning and the sharing of good practice among professionals and volunteers from all sectors, in Nottingham and neighbouring areas, who work with people experiencing severe and multiple disadvantage (understood as a combination of mental ill-health, substance misuse, homelessness, offending and domestic abuse, among other issues).

Contact Katie Hall, our PDU Programme Manager, for more information: enquiries@pdunottingham.org

Join our free online hub www.pdunottingham.org

Follow us on Twitter @NottinghamCVS #PDUNottingham.

This event, part of the interactive series of webinars on gambling related harms, has now been rescheduled.

Wednesday 27 September 2023, 10am to 11am
Online, free to attend

This session explores the topic of screening in relation to gambling related harm. We will discuss available screening tools, how these can be implemented within your service and the impact these can have on identifying problematic gambling within your client groups - looking at both local and national approaches. We will explore how stigma and shame can impact people’s willingness to openly discuss gambling behaviour, with a view to increase people’s confidence in having conversations on this topic.

We welcome individuals with lived experience of severe and multiple disadvantage (SMD|) to attend, as well as professionals and volunteers from all sectors.

The British Red Cross is delivering face-to-face Wellbeing and First Aid workshops across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

The workshops are free and last for 1 hour 30 minutes.

• Tackling Loneliness – Increasing awareness around loneliness and being more confident to talk and offer support to somebody. This workshop encourages looking at key skills to help others.
  
  
• Adapt & Recover from Adversity – Look at tools and strategies to help build your resilience. This workshop welcomes group discussion to reflect on personal challenges.
  
  
• First Aid – learn how to perform CPR, look at using a defibrillator and other key first aid skills.

If you have any questions about the courses or how to book, please contact Anish Nathwani, Community Education Coordinator for Nottinghamshire. Email AnishNathwani@redcross.org.uk.

There are no other Nottingham/Nottinghamshire organisations in the running, so no conflict of interest if you'd like funding to come to our local VCSE sector.

Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Refugee Forum (NNRF) is taking part in the My Favourite Voucher Codes charity poll this month, in the hope of winning a donation of 20% of the website's profits – but they need your help to do it!

Every month, the My Favourite Voucher Codes website donates a percentage of their profits to a UK charity, and they let the public decide where it should go.

During September 2023, NNRF is one of the four shortlisted charities, and you can cast your free vote at the My Favourite Voucher Codes homepage.

Everyone gets one vote to use in the poll, voting is free and there is no need to sign up or use any vouchers to vote.

The poll is open until midnight on Saturday 30 September 2023, so get your votes in soon to ensure they are counted.

Applications for the 2024 programme close at 3pm on Monday 2 October 2023

Boardroom Apprentice is a twelve month unique board learning, development and placement programme which enables those who would like to serve on a public or third sector board to learn and gain experience in a safe way before they take that step. It is supported by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Open to those aged 18 or over from all backgrounds and all abilities, the programme seeks to enable a wider diversity of individuals to play their part within boardrooms, allowing those without board experience to enhance their knowledge and understanding through in-depth learning and support.

The criteria to apply is simple, but must be met in full. You will not be eligible if you have held a board position on a public or private sector board or have significant experience on a voluntary, community or social enterprise board.

The 65 Host Boards for 2024 are either charity, public sector or governmental department boards, including Mencap, Dyspraxia Foundation, Heritage Lottery Fund, Community Foundations and more.

Nottingham businesses and voluntary organisations are being urged to consider cash grants of up to £25,000 for green transport schemes before a deadline at the end of the year. The money can be applied for through Nottingham City Council’s Workplace Travel Service.

Businesses contribute 25% towards the costs. Public sector, voluntary and charity groups are 100% funded.

The scheme can help you to future-proof your workplace by adding electric vehicle charging points and facilities to make cycling to work easier.

After submitting an expression of interest, a decision is made within a month to six weeks.

Deadline for responses is Friday 22 September 2023

This is a joint survey by Governance & Leadership (G&L) and the Sheila McKechnie Foundation (SMK). It is designed for charity trustees only.

Research suggests that one of the barriers to charities being heard more in public discourse is a lack of clarity, and perhaps confidence, among charity trustees as to what charity CEOs can – or should – legitimately speak about, and how.

This survey aims to take the temperature of trustees on this issue, and on broader attitudes to charity campaigning. You will be asked about your understanding of and attitudes to charity campaigning in general, as well as the approach taken in a charity you are involved with as a trustee.

All answers will be treated anonymously.

This consultation closes at 11am on Thursday 28 September 2023

The Treasury and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities are running a consultation on proposals to reduce evasion and avoidance of business rates.

The Charity Tax Group supports the intentions behind the consultation but at the same time considers there is a risk of unintended consequences in the current proposals, which could include the potential loss of Empty Property Relief to charities altogether.

If your charity has taken on previously unoccupied premises and been eligible for Empty Property Relief, you may wish to comment.