MORE FRANKLY THINKING

The huge rise in the cost of postage stamps, now up to 50 pence for second class letters, has left your editor wondering if there would be a business opportunity in providing a mail franking service, currently costing 31 pence to frank a second class letter, to the cash-strapped public. (See Marketing Matters, Issue 26, May/June 2012, FRANKLY THINKING)

For this our charities with high street premises are especially well placed to install a franking machine and offer the service, perhaps just on second class letters, to keep it simple. According to the manufacturers of the smallest machines the annual saving of £296 (19 pence x 1560) on five pieces of mail a day, Monday to Saturday would cover the annual cost of rental, and consumables, and that those buying at around £400 and amortising over five years could justify the cost with one to two pieces a day. Continue reading

ROYAL ALBERT HALL CLEANS UP ITS ACT

The management of the Royal Albert Hall has belatedly banned trustees from selling their tickets to touts after it was revealed by the Times newspaper that two of its trustees were making more than £100,000 a year from the sales, and one had set up his own touting company to profit.

The move also follows criticism of the Royal Albert Hall management by the Charities Commission, and warnings that the touted tickets brought the venue into disrepute and could put their funding from the National Lottery, worth £40 million since 1996, at risk.

A new by-law, hastily brought in by the hall management, requires members selling unwanted tickets to sell them at face value or less, stopping the abuse.

SIGH OF RELIEF

News that the government has dropped plans to cap tax relief on donations to charity at £50,000 from next April has been welcomed in the sector.

Nearly 50% of the sector’s income comes from donations from the super-rich, who then enjoy unlimited tax relief on their philanthropy. It was feared that those giving their support to the sector might withdraw it if the tax breaks were not available and the only benefits were personal PR and a nice warm feeling.

SICK COCKFIGHTING IN CHESHIRE

A farmer in Wansford, Cheshire has been banned from keeping animals for life after the RSPCA found 120 cockerels on his smallholding with evidence that they were being kept for cockfighting. Also found were metal spurs and animal fight DVDs.

Raymond Weedall, 62, was found guilty of ten counts of animal mistreatment and received a series of suspended jail sentences, a six month curfew and 150 hours community service.

CRISIS AT RSPCA

Meanwhile the RSPCA has said its finances are at breaking point following a slump in money left in wills and a rise in the number of cruelty cases taken to court.

More than 2,100 people were prosecuted last year for mistreating dogs, a rise of 22%, and more than 1,300 for cruelty to other animals, a rise of 23.5%. Around 1,100 were banned from owning pets and 71 received jail sentences.

About £59 million was left to the charity in 2010, down 20% on 2009. Despite a small rise in donations from the public the charity still received a total income of £115 million in 2010, £15 million down on 2009.

TRUSTEE STOLE FROM MINERS’ CARE HOME

A four-year jail sentence was handed down at Birmingham Crown Court to Neil Greatrex, 61, who as trustee of the Nottingham branch of the Union of Demicratic Mineworkers (UDM) was able to sign cheques and steal £143, 000 over five years from a miners’ care home, to spend on home improvements. He denied 14 charges of theft but was found guilty on all of them, Judge John Watt telling him “This was calculated and sophisticated greed”

Greatrex was formerly the president of the UDM.

VENUES FOR CHARITIES

Those charity event organisers who like to support charity-owned venues and those with charitable objectives might like to know about one in Leeds and one in Liverpool, both non-residential.

o Northern Ballet is a modern and fully-accessible venue located in Leed’s Cultural Quarter with impressive views over the city. This offers a 230-seat theatre, which can also accommodate 270 for a reception or 200 cabaret-style, six studio areas for 120 theatre-style and one for 80, a meeting room for 30 which is divisible into two, a board suite for 24 boardroom-style divisible into two and two green rooms accommodating 80 for a reception or 60 for a dinner. 

Tel: 0113 220 8000 email: [email protected] visit: www.northernballet.com

o The Gateway Centre in Liverpool, located five minutes from Lime Street station, especially supports disability charities and offers three meetings suites for 38/40/65 theatre-style, five smaller rooms for up to ten boardroom style and a fully equipped 16 workstation ICT training suite. All rooms are air-conditioned, fully-accessible and with a range of AV presentation equipment 

Tel:0151 238 3200 email:[email protected] visit:www.thegatewaycentre.org

Charity Matters June/July 2012 ISSUE 43

MORE FRANKLY THINKING
The huge rise in the cost of postage stamps, now up to 50 pence for second class letters, has left your editor wondering if there would be a business opportunity in….

ROYAL ALBERT HALL CLEANS UP ITS ACT
The management of the Royal Albert Hall has belatedly banned trustees from selling their tickets to touts after it was revealed by the Times newspaper that two of its….

SIGH OF RELIEF
News that the government has dropped plans to cap tax relief on donations to charity at £50,000 from next April has been welcomed in the sector.  Nearly 50% of the sector’s….

SICK COCKFIGHTING IN CHESHIRE
A farmer in Wansford, Cheshire has been banned from keeping animals for life after the RSPCA found 120 cockerels on his smallholding with evidence that they were….

CRISIS AT RSPCA
Meanwhile the RSPCA has said its finances are at breaking point following a slump in money left in wills and a rise in the number of cruelty cases taken to court….

TRUSTEE STOLE FROM MINERS’ CARE HOME
A four-year jail sentence was handed down at Birmingham Crown Court to Neil Greatrex, 61, who as trustee of the Nottingham branch of the Union of….

VENUES FOR CHARITIES
Those charity event organisers who like to support charity-owned venues and those with charitable objectives might like to know about one in Leeds and one in….

NEW SHOW FOR CHARITY EVENTS
A new exhibition for not-for-profit organisations, NFP Events, takes place at the Business Design Centre, Islington on Tuesday September 25….