Optimism amidst uncertainty for Welsh charities in 2020
The report shines a light on the attitudes and concerns of the
ambitious and stretched people at the helm of vital community
services around the UK.
The responses of Welsh charity leaders to the UK-wide survey
shine a light on some particular challenges faced here in Wales. An
overwhelming majority of charities in Wales (87%) say they face
more uncertainty now than in previous years. They feel this change
more keenly than charities in England and Scotland where 2 in 3
(65%) report rocky operating conditions. In a show of strength, two
thirds (67%) of small charity leaders in Wales expect to help more
people in 2020. The majority (4 in 5) are also confident they won’t
suffer a significant reduction in income next year despite an
ongoing backdrop of change and uncertainty.
Garfield Weston Foundation expanded the Weston Charity Awards to
Wales in 2017 in collaboration with Pilotlight. They are looking to
select twenty charities from Wales, the North of England and the
Midlands to benefit from a year of leadership coaching from a team
of carefully-matched business leaders through the Pilotlight
Programme along with £6,500 in unrestricted funding.
In spite of the challenges posed by meeting rising demand, only
one fifth of Welsh charities surveyed (20%) have invested in
leadership training this year – they are less likely to do so than
their counterparts in England and Wales. However, charity leaders
in Wales are actively pursuing other avenues of external support.
Nearly two thirds (63%) say they are currently seeking professional
pro bono support. There is evidence to show that charities in Wales
are less likely than others to apply for funding from UK bodies and
the Garfield Weston Foundation would like to buck the trend.
Philippa Charles, Director of Garfield Weston Foundation
said:
‘The resilience of small charity leaders in Wales is remarkable
and should be celebrated. Smaller charities tell us they struggle
to find the time and money to invest in long-term strategy but they
also fear the risks of failing to do so. If you run a small charity
in Wales please consider applying for a package of leadership
support and funding through the Weston Charity Awards to help you
to help more people long into the future.’
The package of support is available to even the smallest
community organisations with the ambition and commitment to plan
for a sustainable future. Previous Weston Charity Awards winners
from Wales include Paul Sartori Hospice at Home and the Cardiff
City FC Community Foundation.
Gavin Hawkey is Director of Cardiff City FC Community Foundation
which offers health, education and employment services to 17,000
people in South Wales. He applied successfully for a Weston Charity
Award in 2017. He said:
‘As a relatively small but ambitious Welsh charity we identified
the need for external support to help measure our impact, develop
robust partnerships and create a more financially sustainable
model. Winning the award gave me an amazing blend of challenge and
support. My business mentors
helped me to identify key operational improvements such as
reducing the number of core programmes and addressing skills gaps.
These changes are already making a huge difference to our
performance and improving outcomes for our beneficiaries.’
Ruth Marks, Chief Executive of WCVA said: ‘The new Small Charity
Leaders Insight Report supports our own findings and highlights the
importance of developing good relationships between Welsh Charities
and trusts and foundations such as the Garfield Weston Foundation.
We know that one of the key barriers to developing sustainable
funding here in Wales is leaders having sufficient “thinking time”.
It is essential to find time and space for leaders to explore
solutions so it’s great that this support is available through the
Weston Charity Awards. I really encourage charities in Wales to
apply for this support – it is invaluable.’
Applications open today (2 December 2019) and close 10 January
2020. To apply visit www.westoncharityawards.org.