Tuesday 1 March 2011

Hello Chris, Goodbye Jill

As many of you know I am retiring on 9th March, having enjoyed many years working in the voluntary and community sector both in West Yorkshire and further south. Many things have changed since I first started working in the sector back in 1975; it has increased in size, become much more professional and become more diverse; however I am delighted to say that one thing that has not changed is its commitment to social justice and its aspiration to empower the most disadvantaged. I would like to thank all my colleagues in the sector whom I have worked with across Yorkshire and Humber for their support and guidance along the way and especially the staff and trustees of WYCAS; I wish you all the very best as you face the choppy waters ahead.
I am delighted to be handing over to Chris Tatham who comes to WYCAS from the Audit Commission and is starting at the beginning of March.

Jill Jones Manager

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Corporation Tax Update

From 1 April 2011, new rules require all companies and organisations to file their tax return and accounts and computations online for any accounting period ending after 31 March 2010. This includes any charities required to file a tax return. Until HMRC provides free software that is suitable for smaller charities, HMRC will continue to accept accounts from smaller charities in PDF format. However, this will not apply to all charity groups, trading subsidiaries, social enterprises and other not-for-profit bodies. Watch out for a full article on this in our forthcoming newsletter.

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Voluntary Sector Cuts

Voluntary Sector Cuts is a new collaborative project which maps intelligence about voluntary groups experiencing reductions in public sector funding.

If you're involved in a voluntary or community group which has been told its statutory funding will be reduced, you can be part of this work by sharing your story. Just fill in the simple form to share your experiences and the impact the cuts will have on the people in your area who use your services.

Your contribution will be crucial to building a wider picture of the scale of the challenge ahead in your community, your region, or nationally.

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Charity Trustees must be more fraud aware

The charity sector loses £1.3bn a year to fraud, according to a recently released report. The  National Fraud Authority's review says 11 per cent of charities have fallen victim, see:-

Fraud costs the voluntary sector £1.3bn a year

Related Articles

• Charities under-reporting fraud, accountant claims
• Cuts 'will mean an increase in charity fraud'
• Fraud cost London Philharmonic £2.1m, says Charity Commission

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Sayer Vincent suggests fresh ways to approach risk management

When it was first introduced, the process of assessing risks had real benefits. It helped to prioritise management actions and involved trustees in key strategic thinking. However, several years on, organisations are reporting that they are still finding it difficult to embed risk management. So it may be that your organisation needs to refresh its approach. Download the full article.

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