Charity sector meets to discuss role in future domestic disaster response
Melanie May | 29 January 2018 | News
Charities, umbrella bodies, fundraising platforms and charity regulators all met last week at an event hosted by the Charity Commission to discuss the sector’s role in responding to future domestic disasters in the UK.
The Charity Commission hosted a roundtable on Friday 26 January, attended by 25 large and small charities, umbrella bodies, fundraising platforms and charity regulators to discuss how the sector could respond to the likes of terror attacks, natural disasters, and other large scale national crises in the UK.
Attendees agreed to the principle of creating a collective framework to co-ordinate and enable future charity sector responses to national critical incidents. They also agreed to form a working group to develop the framework and operating principles behind any future disaster response by charities.
Those attending included the Fundraising Regulator, NCVO, OSCR, City Bridge Trust, London Emergencies Trust, British Red Cross, Muslim Aid, GoFundMe and JustGiving.
The creation of the working group follows last year’s tragic events in the UK, which included the Grenfell Tower fire and the terror attacks in Westminster, Manchester, London Bridge and Finsbury Park.
The group will work closely with other charities as well as national and local government where required to provide a swift, efficient and impactful response to any future disasters.
David Holdsworth, Deputy Chief Executive of The Charity Commission said:
“Charities by their very nature help people in times of need and the tragic disasters that we’ve seen in the UK over the past year have highlighted the great work charities do to support victims and channel the public’s compassion and generosity. Charities’ experience and expertise, as well as their ties to local communities, often make them best-placed to respond in these situations.
“Advances in technology combined with the consistent sheer generosity of the British public makes it an opportune time for charities to consider how they can work together to maximise their support for UK citizens in times of need.”
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.