Riots: letter of support from DCMS Secretary of State

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Rt Hon Lisa Nandy MP, issued a letter of support to the voluntary sector in the wake of the abhorrent riots and unrest which took place across England last month:

Your continued efforts, at both a national and local level, are so crucial, particularly where people who are already vulnerable are put at even greater risk. Trying to heal divisions while keeping your staff, volunteers and premises safe is a challenge none of you should have to face and I recognise various organisations are having to make tough decisions daily. The work you do offers hope in these most challenging times. Many of you are already using your influence to call for peace and unity, offering priceless comfort and reassurance to those who are scared and worried about the future."

The letter makes reference to the additional guidance and support provided by the Charity Commission, including that which can help trustees, who know their charities, communities, and circumstances best, make good decisions.

The Commission’s ‘Safeguarding and protecting people for charities and trustees’ guidance includes a section on how to handle and report incidents and concerns, which encourages individuals to:

• Handle and record it in a secure and responsible way
• Follow your protecting people and safeguarding policies and procedures
• Act quickly, ensuring you stop or minimise any further harm or damage
• Report it to all relevant agencies and regulators when required
• Plan what to say to those involved with your charity and the media if appropriate
• Be as open and transparent as possible, so that you build the charity’s reputation for acting with integrity while protecting confidentiality appropriately
• Review what happened to understand how to stop it from happening again.