Convictions for animal cruelty and neglect increased by a third between 2011 and 2012, according to the RSPCA which says it is struggling to cope with what it calls “the growing animal cruelty crisis” According to RSPCA chief executive Gavin Grant judges need to take cases of abuse far more seriously than they currently do.

There is a view that those who are cruel to vulnerable animals will also have the capacity for cruelty to vulnerable people, including children, a view backed by research into the records of violent criminals, who will often have early convictions for animal cruelty. Continue reading →

Charities used for avoidance of tax, and business rates have been in the news recently.

The Cup Trust was opened in the British Virgin Islands in 2009 but closed by a judge after it emerged that it had raised £176 million but only given £55,000 to good causes. HM Revenue and Customs have told the public accounts committee of MPs that it investigates more than 300 such schemes every year, suggesting that the Cup Trust is just one of many using charities to cloak their real purpose. Continue reading →

According to the Trussell Trust, the UK’s largest food crisis charity the number of people getting help from their food banks tripled to 350,000 since last year and was 100,000 more than expected.

The trust, which has 345 food banks is opening another three every week but says that up to 650 more will be needed nationwide to cope with the increased demand. This commonly is coming from people who have had their benefit reduced, or cut in the government’s reforms to welfare, as well as those whose benefit payments have been delayed, and the self-employed whose businesses are in trouble because of late or non-payment by customers. According to the Dept. for Work and Pensions the increases are also due to jobcentres referring people to food banks, and the greater awareness of them due to the successful marketing of them. Continue reading →

Despite the best efforts of charity People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) real fur, skinned from real animals and some alive at the time, is back in fashion for the rich.

According to a happy Frank Zilberkweit, head of fur designer and retailer Hockley, real fur is back and Harrods, for those who can afford to shop there is going to be “awash with fur” from next month, owing to greatly increased demand from lucrative Asian markets which has pushed up the profit in skinning mink and fox as well as a billion rabbits and two million cats and dogs.

Ethics, for some, will always take second place to fashion.

Charities relying on the patronage of the Prince of Wales are concerned for their future if and when their patron accedes to the throne.(i newspaper)

For convention dictates that the Monarch does not actively raise money for any institution and this could leave 13 of the Prince’s charities – including the Princes Trust, Business in the Community and In Kind Direct – struggling to sustain a combined income of £100 million.