Category Archives: Charity News

Charity News

‘Cardiff would be at a loss without City Hospice’

Two of City Hospice’s business ambassadors, Spiro Borg and Chris Macnamara, have joined forces to encourage other businesses across Cardiff and south Wales to support the charity and its urgent appeal.

City Hospice, the only provider of home-based specialist palliative care in Cardiff, is facing an increased demand for its services at a time when its costs are also rising and is hoping to raise an additional £100,000 by the end of March through its ‘Donate today, help for tomorrow’ appeal to ensure that no one in the community faces a terminal illness alone.

Motivated by the care that the charity has provided to loved ones and their drive to give back to their community, Spiro, founder and director of established hospitality, conference and events company Spiro’s Fine Dining and Events, and Chris, founder and managing director of luxury footwear retailer The Brogue Trader, have been business ambassadors for the charity for several years.

Spiro said: “I like to support local causes and met Chris at The Brogue Trader’s launch event in 2013 which was raising money for City Hospice; that’s how my journey with the charity started. I developed a good relationship with the charity, which only strengthened over time as they looked after several people close to me including family, friends and business connections during tough chapters in their lives.”

Chris said: “City Hospice had cared for my cousin, but the care doesn’t stop with the patient. The charity also supported my family through a difficult time which we are so grateful for. When City Hospice invited me to become an ambassador eight years ago, I was thrilled to get involved as I wanted to do more charity work and fundraising while raising awareness of the incredible work they do.”

As well as being passionate business ambassadors, Spiro and Chris practise what they preach and have raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for City Hospice over almost a decade. Having hosted his first successful ‘Brogue Does Beaujolais Day’ in 2015, Chris teamed up with Spiro the following year and the annual event has become a firm fixture in the calendar for many in the capital.

The pair have also pursued solo fundraising ventures with Spiro hosting events such as fashion shows and concerts at his venues and encouraging bucket collections and ticket proceeds to be donated, while Chris has completed several long-distance Vespa rides including Cardiff to Croatia and Portugal to Porthcawl.

As City Hospice faces this critical funding milestone, the pair are urging others to follow their lead to help the charity continue to care for Cardiff.

Spiro said: “You want to live life as best you can, and you want your death to be as good as it can be. City Hospice’s services and support are vital for both patients and families. Cardiff would be at a loss if the charity didn’t exist; it’s important that the charity is supported by the community it serves, including the business community.

“Adopting corporate social responsibility strategies can be a great starting point for businesses to get involved. Lots of little gestures can make a difference; every single pound helps and is appreciated.”

Chris added: “City Hospice is perhaps an under-recognised charity in our community, but it provides immeasurable support for patients and their families. I would encourage businesses of any size to support the charity and its urgent appeal. It’s a no brainer – supporting City Hospice is a positive thing your business can do for itself and the charity. Use your reach with your customers, build credibility for your business and enjoy the feelgood factor of making a difference locally.”

For further information about City Hospice’s ‘Donate today, help for tomorrow’ appeal, visit https://www.cityhospice.org.uk/get-involved/urgentappeal.

Business Advice, Business Finance, Business News, Charity News

Charities encouraged to explore salary sacrifice arrangements to tackle national insurance increases

All charities should explore salary sacrifice for employee pension contributions to reduce the amount of national insurance contributions (NICs) they pay but it is even more imperative for charities with revenues greater than £1m as this will help reduce the impact of the forthcoming rise in national insurance, according to leading independent financial services consultancy Quantum Advisory.

Employer NICs will increase from 13.8% to 15% from 6 April, with charities forecast in total to pay £1.4bn more each year following the rise.

On 25 February, the National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill was debated in the House of Lords and an amendment was passed exempting charities with an annual revenue of less than £1m from the employer NICs increase.

The exemption, if approved by the Commons and included in the legislation when it is granted royal assent, will benefit small charities which account for almost 95% of the UK’s 170,770 registered charities.

Charity sector bodies such as the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (ACEVO), Charity Finance Group (CFG) and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) have welcomed the amendment but expressed concern that medium and large sized charities will struggle to absorb the additional costs.

Pensions experts from Quantum Advisory suggest that implementing a salary sacrifice arrangement could be a more efficient way for charity employees to pay pension contributions and help offset the rise in NICs.

Salary sacrifice is seen as a tax-efficient way to make pension contributions and can increase employees’ take-home pay.

Salary sacrifice for employee pension contributions is an agreement between an employee and their employer where the employer pays the employee’s pension contribution and the employee’s wage is adjusted to reflect this. The reduced salary means that both employees and employers are subject to lower NICs. The more employees who have entered into a salary sacrifice scheme, the more charities can save on their national insurance costs.

Stuart Price, Partner and Actuary at Quantum Advisory, said: “Charities are part of the fabric of our society, actively supporting those in need in our communities and providing vital services that may not exist otherwise.

“The rise in employer NICs has been a concern for many businesses in the lead up to April, particularly in the charitable sector. While it is good news that the majority of UK charities are likely to benefit from an exemption, those with a revenue greater than £1m will be looking carefully at their cash flow and how to manage an increase in labour costs while still maintaining the use of funds raised and grants to fulfil their mission.

“Salary sacrifice could be an option for charities to lower NICs for both the employee and employer. It is a relatively straightforward way to save money but the barriers to these types of arrangement often stem from a lack of understanding of how salary sacrifice works, the benefits it provides and communication with employees.

“There’s no one size fits all arrangement, but we strongly encourage all charities and in particular medium and larger charities to explore the salary sacrifice options available to them as soon as possible to minimise the impact of increasing NICs from April.”

Charity & CSR, Charity News, News

Bereavement charity 2wish mark one year of providing support services in England

  • The charity has provided 928 individuals with support in the last 12 months
  • One third of families have been referred, with consent, directly from the hospitals 2wish work alongside
  • They have also provided support for 55 professionals
Bereavement charity, 2wish, is proud to mark the one-year anniversary of officially launching its services in England on February 27th (today).
Since service delivery began, 2wish has provided support to 201 families and approximately 928 individuals in the communities of Cheshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Avon and Somerset, ensuring that those dealing with child bereavement can access support when they need it most.
2wish’s support services, including counselling, complementary therapy and play therapy have been used by 311 people in England.
The charity – whose headquarters are in Llantrisant, south Wales – has also delivered awareness training to 2,717 individuals and held 47 coffee mornings and nine support events, including a canal boat trip and a glass workshop.
They have provided support for 55 professionals who have been affected by the sudden death of a child or a young person under the age of 25, and have worked closely with 18 hospitals and four police forces across the six communities they’re operating in in England.
With consent, one third of families have been referred directly from the hospitals 2wish work alongside, and one fifth have come directly from the police officers over the last 12 months in England.
Founder Rhian Mannings MBE established 2wish in 2012, after she and her husband Paul tragically lost their baby son George. They left the hospital heartbroken, confused and bewildered with no support. Five days later, consumed with grief, Paul took his own life. Rhian and her children felt completely alone, and Rhian never wanted another family to go through that heartache. Across every Emergency Unit and Critical Care Unit in Wales, there are now immediate support pathways in place.
The launch of 2wish’s expansion into England came on February 27th, 2024 – the 12th anniversary of Paul’s death.
CEO of 2wish Rhian Mannings said: “We are so proud to have been able to extend our support to local communities in England. We’ve been able to provide vital services that not only help families navigate this heartbreaking and difficult time but also raise awareness about the realities of child loss. The response we’ve received from the families and professionals we’ve worked with has been overwhelmingly positive, and it’s clear that these services are making a real difference.”
“Our work in hospitals and with emergency services has helped ensure that professionals are equipped to provide the best possible care to grieving families. Along with providing support to families directly affected, it is also essential that the professionals who interact with families during these painful moments are trained and supported themselves, and 2wish have launched a campaign You Can’t Pour From an Empty Cup to raise awareness of the importance of this.”
2wish remains committed to expanding its services and continuing its vital work, helping more families and professionals through the devastating impact of child loss.
To find out more about 2wish and its work, visit https://www.2wish.org.uk.