Polly Shute

Any charity, right now, could start planning a major appeal which would raise a lot of money and transform your core fundraising. It doesn’t require any sort of ‘capital expenditure’.  What is required is an organising idea. The NSPCC’s Centenary Appeal was a record at its time, and the single organising idea was simply that we were 100 years old.  Nothing more. Why would any-one give because we were 100 years old?  But they did.  In record numbers. A fluke?  Our 200 Branches were independent ‘Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children’ until 1953.  A great many organised their own Centenary Appeals to mark their own founding.  They were very successful. Yes, if you have a need for capital organise a capital appeal.  Rebuilding the church spire is a powerful reason for local people to give. But, if you don’t, focus on the most powerful organising idea that you can.  At least consider a major appeal.

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‘Bringing back the fun factor: why play needs a bigger role in sport’ - Cath Bishop in The Guardian A Commission on Play has been launched this month by the social entrepreneur Paul Lindley OBE partnered with the Centre for Young Lives. Set up to stimulate a national conversation about how to support children to play more, it will explore the impact of technology, access to outdoor space and parental attitudes. But in the brief, other than a glancing reference to the “no ball games” culture, there’s no mention of sport as we understand it. This in itself shows how a child’s experience of play has become disconnected from sport. This commission offers a sharp prod up the backside of the sports world to ask itself about its contribution to the diminishing experiences of play in children’s lives over recent decades. Hours of activity, free play and obesity have all gone in the wrong direction over the last decade. Sport has a role to play. The challenge is less about how we get more kids playing cricket, football or learning to row, and more about what children need from sport. When we find that out, we can then adapt our sports accordingly. Young people deserve to play freely without fear of rejection, constant assessment or other adult-devised constraints. Whether in school PE lessons or the local sports club, we’ve been sucked into over-organising and over-controlling sport. Play is a brilliant tool for creating diverse experiences of sport, exploring and experimenting, finding out about yourself, developing flair and freedom, and strong connections with those you play alongside. The Commission on Play offers a moment for sports leaders to ask what children need from sport, and what needs to change as a result. Not simply how are we going to do in the Euros and where will we finish in the Paris medal table. This summer offers a bigger opportunity for sport to rediscover its soul and reconnect to our lives more meaningfully and playfully. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 I absolutely agree with Cath Bishop and this is why I have joined the #RasingTheNation Play Commission as a Commissioner and why Play England have and will continue to work with Sport England and the wider sport & physical activity sector, as outlined in our Manifesto ask for the next Government to introduce #PlaySufficiency legislation in England, which would establish statutory guidance for local authorities to provide and secure sufficient play and recreation opportunities ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/eKtJWuBg 🏫🚸🌿🍁🍂🪵 🚲 🛴 🛹🛼 🛝 🏃🏼‍♂️🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏾👩‍🦽🚴🏿🚏🚶🏻🤸🏾‍♂️🤸🏼‍♂️🌳🏘️ #PlaySufficiency #FreePlay #Play #PhysicalLiteracy #PhysicalActivity #Leisure #Sport #ActiveTravel #PlayStreet #SchoolStreets #StreetPlay #HomeZones #Playces #Splace #Playgrounds #Parks #FreerangeUrbanNeighbourhoods #FUN #KnowBallGames #UNCRC #Article31

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📢 New Grant Funding Opportunity 📢 Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is to invest approximately £3 million in innovation projects in the creative sector. This funding is from the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) Create Growth Programme and has a regional focus across 12 regions, including Greater Lincolnshire. The programme support package will comprise of three complementary strands: business support targeted at the creative industries, finance and investor capacity building activities. The aim of this competition is to provide a package of targeted support to high-growth creative businesses to scale, build investor networks and reach their potential. This funding is designed to help creative businesses explore new innovation projects as a stimulus for growth. To find out more about how to apply, you can visit the competition overview page here: Competition overview - DCMS Create Growth Programme Competition 3 - Innovation Funding Service (https://lnkd.in/easDVuVT) #GrantFunding #BusinessSupport #LincolnBusiness

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Looking forward to chairing this session for PLMR Genesis colleagues next week, with an expert panel discussing what may happen in the polls coming July 4th & what the East of England needs from a new administration. Sign-up details below if you want to listen in! #politics #policy #publicaffairs #eastofengland

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JEREMY HUNT, WHY ARE YOU MAKING US POORER? An enthusiastic round of applause greeted my question to the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, at Innovation Zero this week only moments after protestors had been dragged away by security. I asked him why he and the Conservatives are keeping us poorer by refusing to ramp up investment in net zero and why they lack any credible industrial plan which would see Britain leading the clean industrial revolution. Additionally I pointed out that with 92% of GDP globally under a net zero commitment this was a blindingly obvious commercial opportunity and not just that – if we do not invest heavily now, we lose out terminally to China and the USA with China dominating renewables and processing of vital metals and minerals and the US. rapidly driving investment through the blatantly protectionist Inflation Reduction Act. Lastly I mentioned net zero 2050 is ludicrously too late based on the science from the IPCC’s AR6 report with the carbon budget for staying under 1.5C running out in 2028 (still giving us a 1 in 5 chance to breach 1.5C) His reply……. was that the science was wrong and he relies on the Climate Change Committee’s advice which is about reaching net zero in 2050. BUT he didn’t mention that the Climate Change Committee’s obligation under the Climate Change Act 2008 is to report on “the progress that has been made towards meeting … the target for 2050”. The Climate Change Committee is not mandated to say if net zero 2050 is correct or not but only to report on how to get there! He then singularly avoided answering why the government can’t see the massive industrial opportunity of Britain bringing forward its net zero target by decades, galvanising our industry, driving exports and putting money into our national coffers! We must push the incumbent politicians and policy makers harder. The window of opportunity to Britain to lead the Clean Industrial Revolution is open now but will close very fast – within a year or two if China and USA get their way! The Climate Party #netzero #climateopportunity #cleanindustrialrevolution #china #usa #cleantech #jeremyhunt https://lnkd.in/ej4r7dWf

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"When you pay attention to detail, the big picture will take care of itself." ~ Georges St-Pierre Wonderful modern slavery workshop today with the Tyler Grange | B Corp™ tribe. My key takeaways: 🧐Knowledge is key. One of the tribe told me that she only realised that she had previously experienced a case of modern slavery through a learning from today’s workshop. 😎A company’s culture and leadership team are crucial to the creation of an environment that encourages openness, transparency and progressive learning. TG has it in spades. 🧑🏽‍💻Comprehensive and detailed planning is vital to the execution of a great workshop that inspires participants to move the dial. Chapeau to the Ride For Freedom and TG project teams. We smashed it! 🚲Creating a unique aspect to a session stimulates a memorable and storied experience. Our static bike exercise gave today’s workshop focus and warmed hearts, minds and bodies! #RideForFreedom #EndModernSlavery #ModernSlaveryAwareness #HumanRights #ClimateChange #Collaboration #CommunityEngagement #TylerGrangeDifference #EducationIsPower #SpotTheSigns

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Today at the #IEPSummit2024 a key theme has been how we can address challenges and priorities in the employability sector.  One challenge that is prevalent in the sector is the impact of #mentalhealth. 1 in 4 people will suffer with a mental health condition and this is heightened in younger people aged 18-24 years old, which is a large demographic of people we work with here at Catch22 The aim of many #Employability  programmes is to support people into sustainable employment but this can only be achieved if you look at people on an individual basis and work with them to identify all barriers they might be facing. With mental health affecting at least a quarter of the participants we work with, our programmes and staff are tailored with this in mind. In recent months we have developed a tool for our frontline staff to use when onboarding new participants that includes identifying challenges like mental health and can help us to build support plans that match the person’s development. We have seen great success in this by reviewing touch points and can see a positive impact being made. In addition to this, all of our #Employability programmes have mental health support included, partnering with the mental health platform Shout UK where all participants can access a free text service to gain support and guidance as and when needed. Let’s focus on the overlooked challenges and build them into a person’s journey. I look forward to seeing how other organisations are supporting and developing participants in #BuildingTomorrowsEmployabilitySupport

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TLDR: There’s no room for ego in our fight for equality. I’m fortunate to have filled leadership positions in Scotland’s third sector for a long time now, and whilst the reality of funding streams means that occasionally we’re forced to compete with other (very worthy) organisations in order to secure the services that our communities need, it can be avoidable. The alternatives take trust, vulnerability, and a willingness and ability to explore the role that our ego plays in decision making. I’m intrigued by approaches like Ego State Therapy, that explore the relationship between our Ego and Trauma, partly because I can’t help but feel that many third sector leaders, and especially queer/LGBTQ+ leaders, will have experienced some level of trauma in their past. I have an inkling that’s maybe part of our motivation to seek roles where we can effect change and remedy social injustice, but this view is based purely on my experience of trying to understand (what I’ve deemed) really confusing decision making, there may be academic evidence to support or refute my view. Evidence aside, if we understand how our ego can impact our decision making, we can limit it’s interference. I’m grateful to see the emphasis of collaboration over competition highlighted in The ALLIANCE case study re LGBT Health and Wellbeing, and would be really interested in hearing your thoughts on how Trauma Informed Practice can be applied in the boardroom… https://lnkd.in/ghf5x3NP #lgbt #collaboration #traumainformedpractice #thirdsector #leadership #ego

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Some days, like today, I feel heartbroken by the realities of what vulnerable communities face. Picking up of plastic might seem so useless, but I remain resolute in the empowerment of our charities’ EcoChangeMakers programme. I need to remind myself that as a charity we can, by default, empower acceleration across the sustainable development goals by relentlessly taking every step we can, even if only in tiny increments. #iamtheripple #startaripple #wemustnevergiveup #rippleeffect #impact2030 #itsajourney

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Today we launch our Young Enterprise UK #2024Manifesto that provides ; ✔YE's recent impact track record to date 🎯Our key Goal for 2030: for all young people to have the opportunities to build the skills, confidence and mindset they need to thrive in their early adult lives regardless of their starting point or where they live. Our key asks of a Future Government: 💥Increased Access to #AppliedLearning Opportunities 💥Access to #FinancialEducation for All Young People ‼️Our 2024-2030 #TransformingFuturesStrategy brings together the critical Red Thread of #Opportunity, #Skills, #Productivity & #SocialMobility because we know that, provided resources and support are prioritised to increase access to applied learning for young people facing the greatest barriers, the potential to increase social mobility also has significant economic benefits. Thank you to all our #TransformingFuture Partners for your engagement and support in the development of the Manifesto 🤍 https://ow.ly/VajV50Rn3Bz #socialmobility #manifesto #breakingdownbarriers #productivity #skills #financialeducation #opportunity #enterpriseeducation

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What more can we do to support the voluntary sector? The question we ask daily at Volunteero Yesterday we hosted and funded yet another informal networking drinks for volunteer managers and fundraising managers across the sector. It was a super event executed seamlessly by 💜Mushka Cohen-Gluck and I think appreciated by all who came along. It was wonderful to partner with the fantastic Dotdigital on our first joint-hosted event. John McBriarty, Jamie Cullen The primary way we are achieving our mission of boosting volunteering is of course through our volunteer management platform and volunteer app (#2 volunteering app on the App and Play Store) But here are other ways we are supporting the sector. Knowledge Centre - We publish blogs and articles weekly to our free knowledge centre tackling all hot topics in volunteer management. Free resources - We produce free downloadable resources like a volunteer strategy template, volunteer survey template and many more. Lunch and Learn - Another initiative from 💜Mushka Cohen-Gluck to host monthly webinars with expert speakers. Events - We host networking events and our Volunteero summit offering attendees free access at our own expense. We believe helping connect great people is vital! What else could we do? We want to hear from you! Great to meet some wonderful people, thanks for coming Marina Harden, Margaret Joan Smith, Helen Keenan #volunteermanagement #volunteerrecruitment #charitydigital

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More support for investment in the early years...programmes like Dolly Parton's Imagination Library are aimed at 0-5s for this very reason, the benefits can be 7 to 1 or higher. #dollyslibrary #readingforpleasure #earlyyears

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Is the UK recruiting ethically from the global South? The answer is probably not ethically enough. I have been part of great work by the CHS Alliance who ran a project giving back power to local countries and organisations and ensuring large international charities do not recruit staff from global small charities. We need to have a strategic approach to recruitment with EDI weaved in throughout the employee experience. Being ethical isn't about legislation box ticking, it's kindness, compassion and doing the right thing for others before yourself. Great to feature in this article for this month's edition of HR magazine by Amrit Virdi #HR #EDI #Ethics #Recruitment

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This is well worth a read if you are seeking grant funding. Some great tips here thank you Gill Pipkin. Writing bids is time consuming and so often pressured with short deadlines. So important to do the groundwork, be prepared, read the funding criteria carefully, write in simple terms and avoid jargon, tell your story of who you help, why and the difference you will make but make sure you are answering the question being asked! Take any opportunity to build a relationship with your funder. #charity #fundraising

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I’ve fought 3 mayoral elections - how much of an idiot can I make myself look? Today London goes to the polls to elect a Mayor. (Or rather *some* will). Here’s my short and medium term predictions. Let’s see how I do…! 1. Khan will be re-elected BUT the media/political bubble will be surprised that he didn’t win by 20 points, as most polls show. They will have failed to register how unpopular he is and the basic fact that turnout in mayoral elections has never gone above 50%. He will win, however, because the resting Labour vote is just higher. 2. The smaller parties vote share will again be higher, reflecting the general dissasatisfction with Khan 3. Starmer will be quietly pleased, as Khan is a future leadership rival. Much better to keep him in City Hall with a small mandate 4. However, Khan will not serve a full 3rd term. When Starmer wins, Khan will seek a speedy exit to Parliament and into Cabinet. We will have another mayoral election within the next two years. 5. Longer term, the viability of the mayoralty must be in doubt. It soaks up a lot of money for no obvious return, reflected by the lack of serious people wanting to do it. What are your predictions? Where have I got it right? And wrong? Let me know in the comments!

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Well I don’t think I did too badly on this…. Some further thoughts: 1) A mayoral election is a low-turnout, low-stakes affair and the voters who do choose to participate are in an information vacuum. 2.) In my study of the last one, there was very little switching between the main parties. This means voters only have their default assumptions about the party labels to go on - hence Labour comfortably winning. 3.) If another party wants to beat Labour in London next time it has to EITHER: - pick a candidate with the profile to transcend party labels (one in a million) OR - do the hard work of crafting the right message, building the right communications channels and rigorously assessing candidates based on their ability to meet Londoners’ expectations and deliver a winning message

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The Power of the Black Vote I ran for Mayor of the West Midlands for 3 key reasons: 1. To get the issues of inequality, democracy, and planet action on the agenda 2. To represent the Green Party 3. To combat the lack of representation of Black community leaders in the system! In my Capacity as Vice Chair of Birmingham Race Impact Group we have been working with Operation Black Vote, Black Equity Organisation & The Legacy Centre of Excellence to increase participation and representation of Black youth in the political system. This event on 16th May 6pm is intended to:  Unlock the transformative potential our youth vote in shaping the future  Rallying Black youth to the polls  Amplify our voices in addressing the issues that matter most. Whether that’s the criminalisation of our youth, protecting our rights to protest, the rise and ‘sanctioning’ of racism or unequal treatment & outcomes in so many of our services. Together, let us shape a 21st century Britain that values us and contribute to the development of “Black Britain's Mandate,” a unifying force that aims to empower diverse voices within the Black community and exert political influence. Our vision is clear: to rectify past injustices and create a future where justice, equality, belonging, and inclusivity are the norm. Prepare to be inspired by dynamic speakers and impassioned poets who will speak truth to power. MUST BOOK:

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For shame on us that these are even needed but, making practical aid accessible (food, toiletries, appliances, clothing) so that families and children can live with a modicum of dignity in a increasingly poverty-stricken world, means an all hands on deck approach. What's a multibank? https://lnkd.in/efAQRnPV Multi banks started in Fife, Scotland and these make for interesting stats - In the first year, over 1m items were distributed to over 65,000 families. A study was conducted by Social Value Lab, to measure the impact achieved: 💰 Prevented 42% of families from accumulating more debt 😭 90% reduction in children’s stress and anxiety levels as reported by professionals 🤩 27% of parents noted increased confidence and self-esteem in their children 👩‍🎓 68% of professionals witnessed better concentration and 59% reported improved school attendance 🏡 11% of parents credit it with preventing tenancy loss and the potential loss of their children to care 💕 A social return of £5.96 for every £1 invested https://lnkd.in/esihgSsu

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How the next government can deliver better outcomes for Britain - read on!

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