Trustee News

Split emerges among members of board of trustees over circumstances of charity boss’s exit from organisation An extraordinary row has broken out at Oxfam over the treatment of its outgoing chief executive. Halima Begum had left the organisation, it confirmed on Monday, amid claim and counterclaim of bullying – with a split emerging among members of its board of trustees. Continue reading…

Training and qualifications body, acquired by private Greek firm in October, to become ‘leaner organisation’ The training and qualifications body City & Guilds is shrinking its UK workforce as part of a £22m cost-cutting drive after it was acquired by a private Greek business in October. Founded in 1878 by the City of London and a group of 16 livery companies, the original institute developed a national system of technical education, offering qualifications and apprenticeships in fields ranging from manufacturing and mechanical engineering to hairdressing and horticulture. Continue reading…

Milestone reached as journalists including Polly Toynbee and John Crace prepare for fundraising event on Saturday Call 0203 353 4368 to donate via the telethon You can also donate to our charity appeal here The first week of the Guardian’s Hope appeal has raised more than £200,000 for grassroots charities doing inspiring work to bring divided communities together, promoting tolerance and positive change, and opposing racism and hate. The milestone was reached before the annual fundraising telethon on Saturday. Journalists preparing to take donations over the phone include Polly Toynbee, John Crace, Jonathan Liew, Patrick Wintour and Simon Hattenstone. Continue reading…

Pioneering barrister and social entrepreneur whose remarkable career ranged from immigration adviser to TV presenter and Labour councillor It all began over a bottle of claret in a City wine bar in the early 2000s. Roger Warren Evans, a social entrepreneur and barrister, was lamenting with his solicitor friend Stephen Lloyd the low profile of the not-for-profit sector. As the evening wore on, the two lawyers developed the idea of creating an organisation that served the public interest but was not subject to the strict governance controls of a charity. Out of their conversation emerged what became known as community interest companies (CICs). There are now more than 37,000 registered in the UK. Continue reading…

Far-right rhetoric fuelled rioting here in 2024, but Back on the Map is helping to unite the community, through good accommodation, new shops, and an aim to genuinely uplift and improve people’s lives• Donate to the Guardian Charity Appeal 2025 here• Communities are our defence against hatred. Now, more than ever, we must invest in hope When 47-year-old shop assistant Claire Carter was younger, her mother told her to “never live on the long streets” – terrace-lined roads about half a mile long that lead from the centre of Hendon, Sunderland, to the sea. These six streets have a reputation for being “full of wrong ’uns, full of stolen cars, places getting smashed up”, she says. Close by is Fletcher’s News & Booze, the shop where Tommy Robinson hosted a book signing in 2017 that ended in physical fights and 21 arrests. Sunderland more widely has been a key site for far-right politics: in 2024 violent anti-Muslim riots broke out after misinformation spread on social media, suggesting that the man behind fatal stabbings at a children’s dance class in Southport was an illegal migrant. About 500 people came to Sunderland’s city centre to a protest that quickly descended into what a judge has since described as “an orgy of mindless destruction, violence and disorder”, with rioters setting a car on fire, shouting Islamophobic chants and throwing stones at the police. Continue reading…