Funders, commissioners and others often use concepts and terms from the language of planning, project management and performance improvement in different ways. This has led to widespread confusion about what particular terms mean and how to use them most appropriately.

www.jargonbusters.org.uk is a brand new website from Charities Evaluation Services (CES) and the Jargonbuster group. It is dedicated to providing clear and simple definitions of the key terms usually used to describe what organisations are doing and the difference their work is making. (more…)

In January 2012, the chief executives and directors of more than 30 non-governmental organisations, including the Equality and Diversity Forum, wrote to The Times asking that legal aid be protected where it matters most — ‘to people on low incomes struggling with complex and serious problems, unable to resolve them without specialist help’.

Please read the letter that was sent to The Times.

[Source: EDF]

This strategic plan has been developed following a wide ranging consultation with external stakeholders including the charity sector, the Government, Parliament and the public, as well as an internal consultation with our people. A key message that emerged was that the Commission, taking into account its reduced resources, needs to focus on what only the regulator can do: 

Introduction 

• Registration of charities;
• Generic guidance;
• Statutory advice or permissions;
• Transparency through charity annual returns; and
• Investigation of alleged wrongdoing. (more…)

Given current threats to the Human Rights Act, the Equality and Diversity Forum (EDF) sees an urgent need to advocate for respect for human rights in the UK, including those of minorities who are particularly likely to be the focus of popular and media hostility. (more…)

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is hosting a major consultation event with disabled people’s organisations, third sector advice and support organisations and public sector organisations.

The focus of the ‘Manifesto for Change’ consultation event is to develop pragmatic approaches for public authorities to tackle disability-related harassment with the strategic input of disabled people’s organisations. (more…)

GCVS and CRER are currently developing an Equality and Human Rights Framework for the Third Sector on behalf of a consortium of organisations including the Equality and Diversity Forum, Shelter, Age UK, Macmillan Cancer, Campaign for National Parks and Action for Children, funded by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

They want to hear from organisations with experience of the benefits and challenges of mainstreaming equality and human rights to make sure this competency based, outcome focussed performance measurement Framework meets the needs of Britain’s diverse Third Sector. (more…)

Young people believe poverty is one of the key reasons behind the August riots, according to a new survey.

Behind the Riots, a survey commissioned by The Children’s Society, found most 13 to 17-year-olds and adults believed that a reason why people became involved in the trouble that blighted the country was “to get goods and possessions they couldn’t afford to buy”.

The charity polled 1,004 adults and 1,077 13 to 17-year-olds from across the UK in an online survey between October 3 and November 10. It said they gave a mixed picture overall, with most choosing more than one reason why the riots happened. (more…)

The Deputy Prime Minister, Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP, is today delivering the Scarman Lecture, hosted by the People Can charity, to an invited audience in Brixton.
In his speech, the Deputy Prime Minister will give a frank assessment of the race debate in Britain since the Brixton riots in 1981:
A great deal has been achieved in the last thirty years.
“We have moved forward on a number of fronts: legal rights – where we have seen the most success. Political representation is better – though of course there is still a very, very long way to go. I say that as a leader of a political party that is still too male and too pale. A problem we are working very hard to fix.

(more…)

The tenth issue of Among Equals, the quarterly campaign update from The Equality Trust, is out now!

This issue of the newsletter includes

• Our new campaign: Act Local = Close the Gap
  
• Occupying the news agenda
  
• Brand new inequality fact-sheets
  
• News from Equality West Midlands

Download the latest issue from The Equality Trust