Trustee News

Ekow Eshun’s photo exhibition aims to look deeper at life in the developing world Charity imagery taken in the global south too often depicts it as “disease-ridden and exotic” and does not do enough to humanise its subjects, according to the curator of a new exhibition that aims to provide a “deeper” perspective. Ekow Eshun, the writer, editor and chair of the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group, said charity photography and reportage could still often misrepresent the people its creators are trying to manufacture empathy for. Face to Face is in the King’s Cross Tunnel from 7 October to 1 November 2020 Continue reading…

In a new term after the challenges of lockdown, the charity Chefs in Schools is providing 11,000 London students with fresh, nutritious and creative food It’s the first Monday of the new term at Woodmansterne School in Lambeth, south London, after a difficult summer. Head chefs Jake Taylor and Sam Riches and their team are preparing lunch for the primary kids. “Monday’s not our most ambitious day,” says Taylor, putting the finishing touches to trays of bright looking pasta and salads. Today it’s macaroni cheese, with pasta alla norma and gnocchi pomodoro, and homemade coleslaw and roast beetroot on the side. The vegetables are from top supplier Entremettier, the olives from Belazu. “We made focaccia from scratch,” Taylor says. “It’s the Sportsman’s recipe, which bakes it hard at the start and then turns it right down, so it has this nice crust.” Buying bread to feed 400 kids cost £140. When we made it from scratch, it was £40 We tried an 18-hour lamb braise, straight out of St John. The kids were like, ‘What is this?’ Related: Marcus Rashford takes aim at child food poverty with new taskforce Continue reading…

My job is to make women who suffer domestic violence safer. I wonder if they know how I wish I could do more I am an independent domestic violence advocate. I phone one of my clients first thing; I’ve been worried about her over the weekend. Although I’m an atheist, as the phone rings I find myself praying that her partner hasn’t hurt her. She answers, says “I’m not interested in PPI” and hangs up. That’s a code letting me know her abuser is with her and it’s not safe to speak. Related: My working week: ‘Jakub has been sleeping rough for 10 days. I threaten the council with legal action’ Call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge, on 0808 2000 247. Women’s Aid’s online chat can be found here Continue reading…

Charity has made ‘significant steps’ to improve safeguarding and can now apply for government funds two years on from withdrawal The charity Save the Children can resume bids for government funding after it withdrew from the process two years ago over a sexual misconduct scandal. The charity, one of the largest British recipients of government funding, receiving £139m in 2017, had taken “significant steps” to improve safeguarding and now meets government standards, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office confirmed on Thursday. Related: Aid sector forced into greater transparency by #MeToo movement Continue reading…

Zaki Cooper says we should encourage more rich people to give to charity, not criticise those who do engage in philanthropy, while Mary Pim and Nik Wood warn of the dangers of charities’ involvement in public services Paul Vallely casts a critical eye over modern philanthropy, but the picture is not as bleak as he suggests (How philanthropy benefits the super-rich, 8 September). Rich people have a choice about giving money to good causes or not, and we should welcome those who do so. This should be in addition to paying taxes. Research by the Beacon Collaborative shows that of the 18,000 people in the UK with wealth of £10m or more, only 10% give significantly to charity. Rather than chastise the minority who do engage in philanthropy, questioning their motives and criticising their choices, we should ask questions of those who don’t. The elite causes that Mr Vallely is concerned about are now much more conscious of widening access and participation. The most prominent universities receive large backing, but an increasing proportion is spent on bursaries to recruit people from underprivileged backgrounds. Continue reading…