All Members should have received the message from the Chairman below regarding the recently launched Members’ COVID-19 survey. If you have not received the survey link, please contact Natalie Chambers here.
The effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the Service Charity Sector has been significant, both for beneficiaries and individual charities. We know from anecdotal feedback from Members that demand for services in some areas has increased, and in others has declined. Beneficiaries are now harder to reach, which has necessitated new and innovative ways of working. Funding, and more specifically, cash flow, have been significantly affected, with some Members reporting income declines of 50% during the period of lockdown. The government has introduced a range of support Measures to help charities, including grants, furloughing, and loans. However, it would appear that Members have had variable success in accessing the various schemes.
The Cobseo Executive Committee is doing all that it can to support Members. A key element of that support is lobbying government, and other funders, seeking to improve and extend the nature of the support available. We have also been engaging with key partners, such as the NCVO, as they work to represent the broader national Third Sector. In order to add weight to our arguments, it is essential that we have a clear and authoritative picture of the reality of Members’ experience. Gathering firsthand quantitative and qualitative data would provide Cobseo with the evidence to inform current dialogue, future planning, and the development of services to Members.
Supported by the Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT), Cobseo has partnered with the Directory of Social Change (DSC) to conduct a survey to develop this evidence base.
Members are asked to please take the time to complete the survey as far as they are able, by no later than the close of play on Friday 8 May 2020, in order to allow Cobseo to work as effectively as possible on the Confederation’s behalf. The response time frame is tight, reflecting the gravity of the situation, and the need for urgent action.
