VE Day: Council duties under the Armed Forces Covenant
As we mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, Geoff Wild, Legal & Governance Consultant, looks at the duties of councils under the Armed Forces Covenant.
Number of children living in hygiene poverty surges
12/05/2025 A recent study has revealed a staggering number of children are living in hygiene poverty, with over one million children unable to access essential products such as shower gel, deodorant and toothpaste. |
Craig David backs call for 90,000 social homes
17/04/2025 Music icon Craig David has backed a call for tens of thousands of new social homes a year over the next decade. |
Over half of carers want more local government support
20/02/2025 Unpaid carers are feeling ‘overwhelmed’ and say they need more support from local authorities, a survey by a carers charity has revealed. |
NI rise threatens homelessness services
11/11/2024 The rise in national insurance announced in the Budget could be the ‘nail in the coffin’ for many organisations providing homelessness services, charities say. |
Violence reduction schemes found to benefit parents’ mental health
07/11/2024 Support services for parents in communities affected by violence have been found to positively impact their mental health and improve communication with their children. |
Last provider of holidays with 24-hour care to close
11/10/2024 The UK’s only holiday provider that offers 24-hour care for people with complex disabilities is set to close over ‘insurmountable’ financial challenges. |
Trussell Trust 'delighted' with Taylor Swift donation
04/10/2024 A donation from Taylor Swift to the Trussell Trust ‘will go a long way’ helping food banks support people facing hunger, the charity has said. |
Charity regulator issues first warning to a council
02/09/2024 The Charity Commission has for the first time issued a local authority with an official warning for failing to properly manage its charities. |
Watchdog's warning over charitable land
12/08/2024 Dozens of councils have run the risk of breaching charity laws relating to land, a watchdog has said. |
Party leaders urged to act on migrant homelessness
25/06/2024 More than 100 homelessness and migrants’ rights organisations have called on the next government to stop the asylum system ‘driving people needlessly’ into destitution. |
Build 90,000 social homes per year, party leaders told
20/06/2024 Charities and housing bodies have urged the major parties to commit to building 90,000 social homes per year over the next decade. |
Chris Kamara granted Freedom of Wakefield
16/05/2024 Wakefield Council has awarded ‘local and national legend’ Chris Kamara MBE a Freedom of the City for his services to the area and to charity. |
Food bank charity distributes record 3.1m parcels
15/05/2024 A record 3.1 million food parcels were distributed by the food bank network Trussell Trust this year – nearly double the number provided five years ago. |
Elderly forced to wait over six months for home adaptations
30/04/2024 Elderly and disabled people are being forced to wait over six months for the installation of home adaptations due to poor administration at the local level. |
Charities call for action on ‘dangerous’ homes
22/04/2024 A coalition of charities has launched a campaign urging the Government to halve the number of homes blighted by mould, damp and other serious hazards. |
Crisis support requests quadruple in five years, FOI reveals
06/02/2024 Applications to council crisis funds for help with beds for children have more than quadrupled in half a decade, a children’s charity has revealed. |
Homelessness charities extend Crisis at Christmas service
05/01/2024 National homelessness charities Crisis and St Mungo’s are teaming up for a third year to extend their hotel service in London into the new year. |
Cruelty to children doubles in five years
08/12/2023 The number of reported cases of children in England being subjected to cruelty or neglect has doubled in the last five years, a children’s charity has warned. |
Charities call for family reunion scheme for Palestinians
23/10/2023 Charities have called for an emergency family reunion scheme for Palestinians modelled on the approach introduced after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. |
Government ‘dodges scrutiny’ in levelling up Bill amendment
18/10/2023 Both rural campaigners and planners have raised concerns that communities were sidelined in yesterday’s amendments to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill. |
Fighting poverty at the local level
18/10/2023 This week for London Challenge Poverty Week John McGeachy, campaigns manager for Age UK London talks poverty amongst older people and what councils can do. |
Charities repeat call for ‘no-fault’ evictions ban
16/10/2023 Thirty charities and non-profit organisations have called on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to pass a bill to ban ‘no-fault’ evictions. |
Eviction fears affecting older renters’ mental health
06/09/2023 Every 16 minutes, a tenant aged over 55 is given two months to leave their home, according to Shelter. |
Charity calls on planners to help older people move homes
29/08/2023 Planning authorities should be more responsive to local and personal circumstances to help older people who are ‘trapped’ in their current homes, according to a new report. |
Charities accuse Government of social care 'wild goose chase'
24/07/2023 More than 60 charities in England have urged Rishi Sunak to fulfil the Government’s 2019 pledge to ‘fix the crisis in social care once and for all’. |
Disadvantaged women in North East dying early
10/07/2023 Disadvantaged women in the North East are dying prematurely as public services are failing to meet their needs, according to a new report. |
Charity calls for more 20mph near schools
14/06/2023 A road safety charity has called on local authorities to implement 20mph speed limits around all schools. |
Record number of children at risk of exploitation
05/06/2023 A record number of children are at risk of exploitation because families will be unable to afford activities over the holidays, Barnardo's warns. |
‘Shocking’ number of children in care far from home
25/04/2023 A ‘shocking’ number of children are being moved into care far from their communities, according to a campaigning charity. |
Legal threat forces Devon CC to halt care cuts
17/04/2023 Devon County Council will halt its plans to cut adult day and respite services after the mental health charity Mencap threatened to take legal action. |
Private renters risk eviction if they complain, charity reveals
30/03/2023 Private renters risk being evicted if they complain to their landlords that repairs are needed in their homes, according to new research. |
Budget’s lack of social care support ‘disappointing’
16/03/2023 Council leaders welcomed the new funding in yesterday's budget but were disappointed by absence of investment in social care, health and children’s services. |
Third of parents worried about losing their home, charity warns
08/03/2023 A third of parents are worried about losing their home because of the cost-of-living crisis, according to campaigners. |
Rough sleeping numbers see record rise
28/02/2023 The number of rough sleepers has risen by 26% – the biggest increase since 2015 – in what one charity has branded a ‘collective failure’. |
Charity calls for preventative care to save ‘overstretched’ NHS
17/02/2023 An older person’s charity has called for more investment into preventative care to help ease the pressure on the ‘overstretched’ NHS and social care system. |
Charity collaborates with ICSs to boost childhood health
16/02/2023 Children’s charity Barnardo’s have linked with other organisations in a scheme to boost childhood health. |
Council launches £120,000 poverty grant scheme
03/02/2023 Central Bedfordshire Council is launching a grant scheme to help local charities and voluntary groups which support people in poverty. |
Nearly 250,000 people in temporary accommodation
11/01/2023 Nearly 250,000 people living in temporary accommodation due to a ‘chronic shortage’ of social homes and expensive private renting, homelessness charity says. |
End of energy support will be ‘devasting’, charities warn
16/12/2022 Homelessness organisations have warned that many homelessness services may be forced to ‘close their doors all together’ unless energy support is extended. |
Charity calls for better social care support from councils
07/12/2022 Almost four in five people in England say they know little to nothing about how paying for social care services works, an older person’s charity has found. |
Foodbank workers call on PM to increase benefits
17/10/2022 Thousands of food bank workers have signed a letter calling on the Prime Minister to increase benefits and to end the reliance on food banks. |
Charities warn of ‘public health emergency’
30/09/2022 A quarter of parents have cut back on the quantity of food they buy in order to afford essentials such as energy bills, survey reveals. |
Disabilities charity calls for ‘immediate increase’ in benefits
12/09/2022 A charity has called for an ‘immediate increase’ in disability benefits and for more assistance with energy costs to help families with disabled children. |
Council sets up cost-of-living crisis fund
09/09/2022 Buckinghamshire Council yesterday launched an appeal to raise extra funds to help vulnerable residents through the cost-of-living crisis. |
Universal Credit recipients ‘skipping meals’, charity says
07/09/2022 Forty percent of people claiming Universal Credit are skipping meals to survive, new research from the Trussell Trust reveals. |
Charity shares best practice from councils tackling homelessness
29/06/2022 A new study has brought together examples of best practice from councils that have helped prevent homelessness amongst non-UK nationals. |
Local authorities must seize the potential for health and care volunteering
31/05/2022 Paddy Hanrahan calls on councils to harness the support of trained volunteers to help combat huge challenges |
Children ‘bounced around’ care system
06/05/2022 Research by the charity Barnardo’s has found young people are facing frequent changes of home, school and social workers. |
Care home closed after children revealed to be ‘at risk’
15/03/2022 A care home in Northern Ireland has been criticised after an inspection revealed that vulnerable children were ‘at risk’. |
Study finds councillors do more voluntary work than MPs and civil servants
04/03/2022 Local councillors do more voluntary work and are more engaged with charities than other policymakers, according to new research. |
New fund to provide struggling families with a free break
14/02/2022 More than 800 families facing difficult times will be given a free holiday or trip under a new Government fund. |
Care cap will fail to help poorer pensioners, charity warns
10/02/2022 More than four out of five older people will not benefit from the Government's social care cap, a charity has warned. |
Councils call for the tools to support small charities to recover post-COVID
04/08/2021 Local authorities need to be provided with funding and tools to ensure that they can continue supporting smaller charities after the pandemic, county leaders say. |
Councils urged to embrace three changes to strengthen partnerships with charities
12/05/2021 A new report has urged councils to make three key changes in order to get the best from their local voluntary sector. |
Over 800 charities receive share of £4m fund to tackle loneliness
10/05/2021 More than 840 charities and community groups tackling social isolation have received a share of £4m to tackle loneliness, Government says. |
Charity gives out record 2.5 million emergency food parcels
22/04/2021 Food bank networks have called for local authority support schemes to be prioritised as a record?2.5 million emergency food parcels are given out by just one charity over the lockdown. |
Pandemic made councils 'more responsive' to charities, survey finds
22/04/2021 The pandemic has helped improve the relationships and collaboration between local authorities and charities, according to new research. |
Homeless charity warns calls from young people up a third in past year
21/04/2021 Vulnerable young people have struggled to access the support they need in the past year, a charity has warned in a new report. |
Charity warns of 'astonishing' level of underclaimed council tax support
14/04/2021 Older people on low incomes in Scotland missed out on £88m in Council Tax Reduction support last year, a charity has warned. |
Government announces £2.4m to support charities during pandemic
31/03/2021 The Government has announced £2.4m of funding for thirteen charities that help autistic people, disabled people and those with a learning disability. |
Councils fear homelessness ‘tidal wave’
01/03/2021 Local authorities are braced for a surge in the number of homeless people as protections put in place for the COVID-19 pandemic are allowed to lapse. |
Red Cross calls for £250m top up for local welfare assistance schemes
08/02/2021 Local authorities should receive an extra £250m a year to help improve access to emergency cash, a charity has said today. |
Minister announces £16m grant to distribute food to ‘vulnerable’
02/12/2020 The Government has announced a new multi-million-pound grant that will allow thousands of local charities across England to distribute food to people struggling as a result of the pandemic. |
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We must all step up to support our communities
18/06/2020 If we are to ensure a just recovery, the feelings of common purpose this crisis has caused must be harnessed, says Steve Butterworth of Neighbourly. |
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Charity reports huge increase in women seeking domestic abuse help
28/05/2020 The number of women seeking help for domestic abuse has 'spiked significantly' since lockdown began, a charity has warned. |
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Charities warn millions of people in council tax arrears due to Covid-19
21/05/2020 Over two million people have fallen behind on their council tax payments as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, debt charities have warned. |
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Scots charities launch bid to end rough sleeping
21/05/2020 A coalition of Scots charities will today present plans their plans to end rough sleeping to the Scottish Government. |
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Charities call for 'vital' early intervention funding to safeguard children
18/05/2020 Funding cuts to children's services have left councils unable to cope with the current crisis, charities have warned today. |
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Charities call for frontline feedback
29/04/2020 Sam Royston calls on emergency support providers to provide feedback on how Covid-19 is affecting their services. |
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Charity calls for ‘emergency measures’ to tackle child poverty
27/03/2020 A charity dedicated to fighting child poverty has called on the Government to introduce a package of ‘emergency measures’ to lift children out of poverty. |
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Charities struggle to deliver public sector contracts as they lose £4bn
24/03/2020 Charities and public services are more vulnerable to the Covid-19 crisis than was previously thought because of the squeeze on funding the former is experiencing as a result of the pandemic, study shows. |
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Families living in poverty ‘struggling to keep heads above water’
23/03/2020 A children’s charity has launched an emergency appeal to help families who fear they will ‘go under’ as a result of the economic and health impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. |
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Over 20 charities call for inquiry into ‘welfare-related deaths’
12/03/2020 Twenty-one charities and mental health organisations have thrown their weight behind a campaign calling for an independent inquiry into the deaths of people relying on the welfare system. |
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Care denied to 700,000 older people, charity reveals
07/02/2020 Around 700,000 older people have had their request for care turned down in the past year, analysis by a charity has discovered. |
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Building society pilots ‘contactless’ donation scheme to tackle homelessness
31/01/2020 A branch of the building society Nationwide has introduced a novel new way to donate to a homelessness charity – ‘contactless posters’. |
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Charity cancels evangelical event over preacher’s ‘repulsive views’
30/01/2020 A charity which manages venues in Sheffield has cancelled an event by an evangelical preacher after LGBT+ groups warned that he promoted homophobic views. |
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Khan urges Londoners to support rough sleepers this winter
17/12/2019 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has called on residents of the capital to support his winter rough sleeping campaign ahead of Christmas. |
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Private renters overspending £11bn a year on rent
26/11/2019 Private renters in England are spending £11bn more a year on rent than they can afford, new research has shown. |
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Nearly 700 children a day at risk of domestic violence
21/11/2019 Many children facing domestic abuse are failing to get the support they need because of a 'postcode lottery, a new report has warned today. |
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Over 22,000 young people face homelessness this Christmas
18/11/2019 A charity has warned that tens of thousands of young people in England will be homeless or at risk of homelessness this Christmas. |
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Glasgow faces legal battle over homeless services
03/10/2019 Shelter Scotland has launched a legal battle against Glasgow City Council over failures in its homelessness service. |
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Older people face ‘significant barriers’ in applying for EU Settlement Scheme
27/09/2019 The Government has been warned it could face a ‘Windrush 2’ as vulnerable older people are failing to apply to the EU settlement scheme (EUSS) in time. |
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Youth service spending set to hit ‘lowest point in a generation’
25/09/2019 The young persons charity YMCA has warned that spending on local youth services is at ‘breaking point’ with a nearly 70% decrease in funding in a decade. |
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Over 300,000 people forced to sell homes to pay for care
19/09/2019 Over the last 20 years hundreds of thousands of older people have been forced to sell their home to cover the cost of social care, charity reveals. |
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Casey calls for support to tackle homelessness
16/09/2019 Homelessness expert Dame Louise Casey has issued a call to arms to tackle the rising tide of homelessness around the world. |
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Councils sent 2.6 million debts to bailiffs in just one year, charity reveals
11/09/2019 Councils have substantially increased their use of bailiffs to collect debts over the last two years, a surge driven by a rise in parking debt referrals. |
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Council charity to run Hertfordshire's libraries
02/08/2019 Hertfordshire County Council is set to save £500,000 in business rates by transferring its libraries to a charity it set up for the purpose. |
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Around 770,000 denied support during social care green paper delay
22/07/2019 Nearly 800,000 people have been denied state help during the social care green paper delay, an elderly persons charity has said. |
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Report explores how public donations could protect future of parks
18/07/2019 Charitable donations could help protect the future of the UK’s parks and green spaces, a new report has found. |
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Charity calls for help feeding children during the holidays
16/07/2019 The Trussell Trust is urging people to donate food to their local food bank to help support families with children during the summer holidays. |
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Young people ‘fear for their future’, charity says
08/07/2019 Young people fear for their future and feel ignored by politicians, according to new report. |
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Charities call for £1bn a year to reverse public health cuts
12/06/2019 Two health charities are calling on the Government to reverse the £1bn a year cuts to public health grants. |
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Cuts creating ‘care deserts’ across England, charity says
15/05/2019 Years of underfunding has undermined the care market and created ‘care deserts’ in England, an elderly persons charity has warned. |
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Homeless shelter closes due to safety concerns
03/05/2019 A homeless centre in Shrewsbury has been temporarily closed down after safety concerns about the building were brought to Shropshire Council’s attention. |
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Universal Credit ‘key driver’ behind increase in foodbank use
25/04/2019 The number of food parcels given out across the UK has gone up 73% in five years, according to a major charity. |
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Homelessness charity wins £3.6m lottery grant
23/04/2019 A charity which helps people battling with homelessness, long-term unemployment and addiction is set to expand thanks to a grant from the national lottery. |
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Charities warn about ‘dangerous’ cuts to children’s services
26/02/2019 Thousands of children are at risk of falling into crisis due to ‘devastating and dangerous’ funding cuts in children’s services, five charities have warned today. |
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Council apologises for evicting anti-abortion charity
20/02/2019 Lambeth Council have paid £5,000 in damages to an anti-abortion charity after evicting its volunteers and staff from an event in the London borough last year. |
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One in five people are living in poverty, report warns
04/12/2018 Britain has suffered a 'relentless rise' in the number of working families struggling to make ends meet over the last five years, according to poverty campaigners. |
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RSPCA calls for more council funding for animal welfare services
28/11/2018 Councils are being forced to cut or outsource animal welfare services, a report from the RSPCA has warned. |
