Girlguiding charity apologises as audit uncovers racism and Islamophobia – The Independent

Posted May 20th, 2021 in charities, diversity, Islam, news, racism, reports, young persons by tracey

‘Girlguiding, the UK’s leading charity for girls and young women, has apologised after an external audit uncovered alarming instances of racism and Islamophobia among girl guides and staff. The probe, which took evidence from over 200 members, staff, parents and carers, revealed instances of discrimination that saw young people of colour being called racial slurs and a Muslim girl being asked to remove her hijab during a trip.’

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The Independent, 19th May 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Mental health tests in the presence of counter-terror units ‘unethical’, says charity – The Guardian

‘Mental health assessments are being conducted in the presence of police in little-known hubs that embed nurses and psychologists with counter-terrorism units, raising “serious ethical concerns”, a medical charity has said.’

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The Guardian, 19th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Torture victims kept in solitary by Home Office for up to a year – The Guardian

‘The Home Office has pursued a policy of psychological brutality by locking up scores of torture survivors in solitary confinement for indefinite periods, according to fresh testimony from immigration detainees.’

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The Guardian, 15th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

UK Immigration Rough Sleeper Rule – Family Law

‘The UK government has recently introduced a controversial new set of rules that aim to make rough sleeping grounds for refusal or cancellation of a migrant’s permission to remain within the UK.’

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Family Law, 11th May 2021

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Rough Sleeping Immigration Rule Must Be Repealed – EIN Blog

Posted April 13th, 2021 in charities, deportation, homelessness, immigration, news by sally

‘The UK government has recently, and quietly, reintroduced a scheme that works with councils and homelessness charities to obtain personal data on migrant rough sleepers that may result in their deportation.’

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EIN Blog, 12th April 2021

Source: www.ein.org.uk

Third Sector Protector – Kids Company Article – 3 Hare Court

Posted April 9th, 2021 in chambers articles, charities, company directors, news by sally

‘Kids Company was founded in 1996 by Camila Batmanghelidjh to support the most vulnerable children who fell through the cracks in mainstream services. Despite securing hundreds of millions of pounds in donations from celebrity donors and winning more than £42m in government grants, the ever-increasing demand for Kids Company’s services led to financial difficulties for the charity. It collapsed in 2015 in the wake of unfounded allegations of sexual abuse.’

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3 Hare Court, 8th April 2021

Source: www.3harecourt.com

UK’s ‘headlong rush into abandoning human rights’ rebuked by Amnesty – The Guardian

‘Amnesty International has published a stark rebuke of the UK government’s stance on human rights, saying that it is “speeding towards the cliff edge” in its policies on housing and immigration, and criticising its seeming determination to end the legal right for the public to challenge government decisions in court.’

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The Guardian, 7th April 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Advertising, religion and Articles 9 & 10 ECHR: Lancashire Festival of Hope – Law & Religion UK

‘In Lancashire Festival of Hope with Franklin Graham Limited v Blackpool Borough Council & Anor [2021] Manchester Cty Ct F00MA124, the Court was asked, in effect, to rule on whether or not a charitable limited company could be regarded as having “human rights” for the purposes of anti-discrimination legislation and the ECHR.’

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Law & Religion UK, 6th April 2021

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

Charity Commission investigates Carrie Symonds’ employer – The Independent

‘The organisation that employs Boris Johnson’s fiancee Carrie Symonds is set to be investigated by the Charity Commission following “serious concerns” over its governance and financial management.’

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The Independent, 1st April 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Stalking victims ‘sitting ducks’ in lockdown, say Suzy Lamplugh Trust – BBC News

Posted March 25th, 2021 in charities, coronavirus, news, stalking, victims by sally

‘Stalking victims say they feel like “sitting ducks” in lockdown, according to a charity which has seen a surge in calls for help.’

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BBC News, 25th March 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Colin Nesbitt: Bradford cancer charity founder guilty of theft – BBC News

Posted March 24th, 2021 in abuse of position of trust, charities, fraud, news, theft by sally

‘The founder of a children’s cancer charity has been convicted of stealing over £87,000 from the organisation.’

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BBC News, 23rd March 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Fixed universal credit cuts are unlawful, high court in UK rules – The Guardian

Posted March 19th, 2021 in benefits, charities, fines, government departments, homelessness, housing, news, vagrancy by sally

‘A group of former rough sleepers who were left destitute after the Department for Work and Pensions automatically deducted a third of their universal credit allowance to pay off court fines have won a high court victory.’

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The Guardian, 18th March 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Inside a domestic violence call centre – BBC News

Posted February 25th, 2021 in charities, coronavirus, domestic violence, news, victims by sally

‘A major charity working with victims of domestic abuse says calls to their 24-hour helpline increased by more than 50 per cent in the year of the pandemic.’

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BBC News, 24th February 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

At-home early medical abortions should be made permanent, say advocacy groups – The Guardian

‘Covid legislation in England allows patients in first 10 weeks of pregnancy to take pills at home.’

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The Guardian, 18th February 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Court refuses to approve tainted fiduciary decision making (Schumacher v Clarke) – New Square Chambers

Posted February 18th, 2021 in charities, conflict of interest, fiduciary duty, news, trusts, wills by sally

‘The court was faced with a category 2 and 3 Public Trustee v Cooper application principally for the approval of a momentous decision. The court was initially asked to approve the entirety of a settlement reached between four trustees split into two camps but later asked to approve only the dispositive elements of the settlement. The settlement unusually resolved disputes between the trustees rather than between trustees and beneficiaries or third parties. The court was concerned with mutual allegations of inappropriate action as fiduciaries and the failure of both sides to manage conflicts of interest in arriving at a settlement. After stressing that such factors could impair the decision reached and which the court was asked to approve, the court refused its approval of part of the settlement. Written by James Saunders, barrister, at New Square Chambers.’

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New Square Chambers, 11th February 2021

Source: www.newsquarechambers.co.uk

Covid: Court rejects self-employed mothers’ sexual discrimination case – BBC News

‘The charity Pregnant Then Screwed has lost its legal challenge against the government for indirect sexual discrimination over the amount of support self-employed mothers received.’

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BBC News, 17th February 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

DWP uses excessive surveillance on suspected fraudsters, report finds – The Guardian

‘Suspected benefit fraudsters in the UK are being subjected to excessive surveillance techniques such as being tailed by government officers or identified in CCTV footage, according to a report.’

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The Guardian, 14th February 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

RSPCA plans to stop taking animal abusers to court privately – The Guardian

‘For nearly two centuries, the RSPCA has pursued private prosecutions against people it suspects of cruelty to animals. Now, under pressure from MPs, it has said it plans to end that practice and turn over its files to the Crown Prosecution Service instead.’

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The Guardian, 28th January 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Calls to LawCare about anxiety more than double – Legal Futures

Posted January 28th, 2021 in charities, coronavirus, legal profession, mental health, news, statistics by sally

‘Calls from legal professionals about anxiety more than doubled in 2020, the chief executive of welfare charity LawCare has said.’

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Legal Futures, 28th January 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Rape and sexual assault: ‘Money needed’ to speed up investigations – BBC News

‘Police and prosecutors need more resources as sexual assault and rape investigations are taking longer, a charity that supports victims has said.’

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BBC News, 14th December 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk