With many banks closing branches on the high street, the Government have commissioned and independent review into how this affects businesses, organisations and members of the public.

The Review is inviting views on accessing face to face services, so it can use this evidence to shape recommendations which will be made to Government later this year.

So if you rely on in-person banking facilities and can share your experiences, please consider submitting a response via the online Smart Survey by 20th July.

See more here.

The latest UK grantmaking publication shows that grants to good causes increased by 4% last year to more than  £24bn in total.

Funding from trusts and foundations makes up the highest proportion of funding with government grants second.

Data shows that organisations based in areas with the highest levels of deprivation received higher levels of funding than those based in the least deprived areas. 

 The National Lottery remains a substantial funder, having distributed £2.57bn, but this was an increase of only 1% on the year before.

See more here.

Unfortunately, our country is not as united as it should be and we live in troubled times. Recent events have shown that incidents can occur anywhere at anytime and ProtectUK have recently released new resources to strengthen counter terrorism security.

Martyn's Law will be introduced later this year but a good security culture benefits everyone and can be introduced straight away.

Designed for use by any organisation, across any venue, or premises, the resources are free

and support organisations to strengthen their preparedness, build resilience, and better protect staff, visitors, and the public.

There is a Roadmap prectical guide, along with a new refreshed ACT Awareness e-Learning course launched with better accessibility standards so more people can engage and be prepared.

See more here.