There are nearly 10,000 charity shops in the UK. Between them they raise some £220m. Gift Aid would increase that amount significantly, but it has long been a problem for charity shops. Why? – because it can only be claimed on gifts of money and not on donations of goods.
Confidence among small businesses rose to its highest level in three years according to the latest Small Business Index from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) released today, with confidence rising across all parts of the UK and in most sectors.
When people talk about businesses and charities working together they are usually referring to big corporates making financial commitments to big-name charities. In truth, a wide range of engagement takes place between moderately-sized bodies in both camps. This is often recognised both for the public benefit it brings and the commercial sense it expresses – for both partners.
Small businesses have received a huge boost after the Government announced that it will accept all the recommendations made in a report by its Enterprise Advisor Lord Young.
More than 50% of UK organisations across private and public sectors are failing to comply with the EU Directive on Privacy and Electronic Communications by not being clear enough with web visitors about cookies, new research from KPMG reveals. This figure has dropped from 80% in 2012, but still represents a fairly poor response to the legislation.
David Hopkins, Charities Aid Foundation (CAF)
Don’t underestimate the value of natural interaction: Two vehicles that work well in terms of the idea of sharing have been the physical hub model – i.e. where an organisation has created a shared space that charities can work out of, and the natural interaction that evolves through conversation and partnerships.
It’s important to bring charities together to share war stories, swap ideas and hear from others about new approaches. My experience has been that the value of these events – as a grant maker and as a participant – far outstrips the impact of newsletters, guidance notes, case studies as a means of stimulating new approaches.
From Cancer Research UK and Tesco to Save the Children and GlaxoSmithKline, there are lots of well-known partnerships between charities and some of the biggest corporates in the country.
UK businesses keen to protect their products and technologies through patents and design rights may benefit from changes proposed by a new Intellectual Property Bill, says the Intellectual Property Office.
Innovative companies in the UK will have access to a record £440 million of funding this year as the Technology Strategy Board steps up its commitment to driving economic growth. The investment was confirmed this week by Universities and Science Minister David Willetts and represents an increase of more than £50 million year on year.
Research commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), revealed that the number of cyber attacks hitting businesses has increased over the last year.