#NPCIgnites2018: Meeting the challenge of change
Ahead of tomorrow’s match between England and Sweden, we’ve heard a lot about what a new, dynamic England team this is. Regardless of any upcoming results, they have played differently, acted differently and won more than those who came before them; breaking records and capturing people’s hearts in the process.
How and why a change like this happens is difficult to understand. Sometimes it’s leadership, sometimes it’s a great idea, sometimes it’s circumstance, often it’s a combination of all three. But for all we struggle to understand change, and we do at NPC daily, we know one thing for sure—change is constant, and it affects everyone.
As a result, change is always a key factor that must be addressed and embraced for those of us involved in trying to achieve positive social progress— that is why it is the focus of our autumn conference NPC Ignites.
Over time the issues the sector tackles change, with high levels of low quality employment and a rapidly ageing population.
The policy environment is the most unpredictable for a long time, to the extent that calls to soften austerity from some areas of government are shouted down from others. All in the context of Brexit, an event that could change Britain more dramatically than any other.
We see technology expand the range of tools we might use to create social progress—as we move from analogue activities to technologically enabled philanthropy and user centred apps.
The public are changing, both demographically but also in attitudes to charity, their faith rocked by recent, and not-so-recent, scandals.
That is why the sector needs to constantly challenge itself and why we at NPC won’t stop banging the drum for innovation. And it’s why Ignites is so important, because it provides both the motivation and the tools for attendees to get out there and make change happen.
At Ignites we gather together and re-energise all of those who are interested in doing things better—whether in a large, small or medium sized charity, an innovative start up or scaling up social enterprise, or a grant making trust wanting to give funds out better.
We’ve got speakers from some of the biggest charities in the country, The Scouts, Shelter, Plan International UK, sharing a platform with the smaller organisations who are driving change first hand, such as The Brain Tumour Charity and Spark Inside.
We’ll hear from experts inside and outside the sector. Speakers from NESTA, the Money Advice Service and IPSOS MORI will help us understand what is happening in the world, how we can help and how we are perceived.
Finally, we’re pleased to announce that the Minister for Civil Society, Tracey Crouch, will be speaking. She will be coming to us hot off the heels of the publication of the Civil Society Strategy (we hope), and we can’t wait to hear her vision for the sector in the coming years.
For the ideas, motivation and inspiration to make change happen positively in the social sector, book on to NPC Ignites. Tickets available for a limited time at a special early bird rate of 40% off!
#GivingTuesday: More money isn’t the (only) answer
Giving Tuesday is a great way to get more money directed towards charitable causes. But, as George Hoare explains, what matters above all is how the cash is then used.
#GivingTuesday: tips on how to give wisely & well
Today is Giving Tuesday, established by campaigner Henry Timms in the United States in 2012 to 'celebrate generosity and to give'. Its proximity to Black Friday prompts an astonishing thought: for if it raises even 10% of the cash spent last week, UK charities would enjoy a windfall of more than £55m.
#impactconference
The measurement world changes fast, which is why our upcoming Annual Conference acts as a place where people can catch up with what’s happening, hear from leading experts and reflect on where to go next. Our plasticine creations—Data Girl and Measurement Boy—give a more rousing overview of the programme in our short film!
‘Kids don’t count’ – what’s to be done?
I wonder if I was the only person in the country not to be shocked by the recent programme on Channel 4 'Kids don't count' which highlighted the failure of our schools to teach children basic numeracy. It reported that 1 in 5 children leaving primary school fail to achieve the expected standard in numeracy, nearly half our children fail to achieve a grade A-C at GCSE, and many adults (including primary teachers) can't do basic sums.
‘Poverty porn’ or no, let’s welcome prompts to think differently
The Comic Relief video of Ed Sheeran in Liberia has been branded 'poverty tourism' by the annual Radi-Aid awards. The debate around its content highlights the difficult calls charities must make to impact their chosen causes. But it also prompts charities to think hard about how they're depicting the people and causes they work for. Katy Murray explores.
