share
the stewardship magazine 19
raising the flag for art and generosity an interview with Makoto Fujimura
Supporting Full-time Christian Workers Harvest and Christmas Reclaimed Olympic Opportunity
transforming generosity
In today’s hectic world even the best intentions can sometimes be forgotten. Payroll Giving from Stewardship stops your giving being one of them. c Give straight away, on payday, like clockwork c Gifts come direct from your salary, before tax c Basic Rate tax payers – a £10 gift only ‘costs’ you £8. Higher Rate tax payers even less c Give to any UK charity c Easy set up for employees and employers
Find out how you can transform your giving, as an employee or employer, by visiting stewardship.org.uk/pg
about us We are Stewardship, a charity that effectively releases resources to support individuals, charities and organisations worldwide. Our mission is to enable you to live and give generously, advancing God’s Kingdom. We believe that generosity is transformational, for the giver and for the receiver. Our work inspires and supports a generous resourcing community, with transformational results. We are delighted to partner with you in your journey of generosity. contact us PO Box 99, Loughton, Essex, IG10 3QJ 020 8502 5600 enquiries@stewardship.org.uk www.stewardship.org.uk You can contact the editor by emailing editor@stewardship.org.uk Editor: Craig Borlase Design: www.adeptdesign.co.uk Stewardship is the operating name of Stewardship Services (UKET) Limited, a registered charity in England and Wales no. 234714 and a company limited by guarantee no. 90305
editorial A decade ago, late on the evening of 10th September 2001, my wife and I flew into New York after spending two weeks in England with my in-laws. We overslept on the morning of 11th September. Donna and I were fortunate we were together that morning. With transportation and phone systems not functioning so many would wait hours to know if a loved one was alive. Others knew right away. Some waited weeks. The morning was, in contrast to the devastation, beautiful. Blue skies. A gentle breeze. Brilliant sun. Ideal temperature. It was as if creation itself was crying out. As if the Creator was speaking gently into the chaos with words of grace, healing and beauty from the ashes. I write this in August, six years on from the terrorist attacks on London, a few weeks on from events in Norway and days after the riots in England shocked the world. Yet whatever the cause, there appears to be some continuity among the responses. In NYC the ash was everywhere. So, too, was generosity. Everyone longed to respond. To engage. To serve. Generosity in the face of adversity was overwhelming and it poured forth in abundance from around the nation and around the world. Thousands lined up to donate blood. In the early hours of 11th September we all expected masses of injured people. I wonder if secretly we were hoping there would be injured victims whilst all the while knowing it was unlikely. Although we lived in NYC until December 2008, I’ve never returned to the World Trade Centre. I could not. I was born and raised in NYC, and over 40 people I grew up with died that day. I recall saying to a friend that I could not return to the World Trade Centre until there was grass growing. It sounds odd to me, but I think I was looking for redemption. For life. That’s why I’m so grateful for the work of Makoto Fujimura and the Generative Japan project featured on p16. Out of Japan’s tragedy has come a remarkable expression of generosity, the sort that will change lives and help build a better future. This edition of Share has so much in it that speaks of life and hope. Whether uncovering stories of transformation or reclaiming Harvest and Christmas, generosity is alive and well, ready for the fight. Michael O’Neill, Chief Executive 3
news in brief balancing the books
bolly good
The Money Course, developed in partnership with Stewardship, Alpha and Credit Action, has been an unprecedented success. So far twenty churches have run the pilot, with a further fourteen trained and ready to go. Feedback from guests has been overwhelmingly positive: ‘Everyone should do the Money Course, regardless of their situation’; ‘A life-saver, thank you so much on behalf of all our family.’
A Luton vicar has released his first album, featuring Christian lyrics over Bollywood film music. The Revd. Thomas Singh recorded Gospel Bollywood: Journey of a Saviour in both English and Hindi.
The course will be published next year. To find out more, visit themoneycourse.org
lovely jubbly Jamie Oliver has appeared in the Sunday Times Rich List for the second year running. The chef is now in 1,348th place, worth an estimated £40 million. He has been listed as Britain’s 22nd most generous donor, giving away a sizeable chunk of his wealth. 4
Revd. Singh wrote his first song in six minutes while waiting for his daughter to come out of an exam. He raised the £20,000 needed to make the album through a mixture of charitable funding and organising a sponsored walk.
dispossessed fund Londoners’ generosity has helped the Evening Standard’s Dispossessed Fund to raise over £6.2 million in its bid to help charities combat poverty in the capital. The appeal has also attracted support from a number of celebrities, including chef Michel Roux and easyJet boss Stelios Haji-Ioannou. To find out more, click on thisislondon.co.uk and follow the link.
Features... 16-21
white paper on giving Reactions across the sector to the government’s White Paper on Giving have been broadly positive. Launched on 23rd May, it offers funds, initiatives and measures designed to reward givers, encourage community giving and stimulate innovation. Stewardship’s Chief Executive, Mike O’Neill, welcomed the move: “The key to unlocking greater giving is an understanding of generosity and a willingness to engage in causes we support. We are not lacking tools by which to give, yet tools alone are not the answer. To release a spirit of giving and generosity we need to address the ‘why we give’ question as well as the ‘how’. Two key commitments are to remove Gift Aid paperwork for donations up to £5,000 (by April 2013) and reduce the rate of inheritance tax for estates leaving 10% or more to charity (from 6th April 2012). The Giving White Paper can be downloaded from the Cabinet Office Website cabinetoffice.gov.uk
06-08
Stewardship in action
09 10-11
our history
one service: two stories
12-13 riot clean-up 14-15
supporting full-time Christian workers
16-21
22-23 24-25 27-29
crisis, art and generosity: the work of Makoto Fujimura
reclaiming harvest
legal and financial roundup
the antidote to a consumer christmas
30-31
more than gold
The magazine is printed on paper from farmed forests: for each tree felled, another is planted. The paper is chlorine-free and environmentally friendly.
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Stewardship in action finding hope at the centre We love a good story here at Stewardship, and we get to hear more than most. It’s always encouraging to find out about lives and communities being transformed through Christian initiatives, just as they are through the work of the Hope Centre in Macclesfield.
We were closing up one day when two ladies came in. As we explained more about the Centre, one of them dug the other one in the ribs and said ‘this is just what you need!’ It turned out that she was near-suicidal and in desperate need of company.
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While it only launched in June, the centre – with its Christian bookshop and coffee shop – is already having a dramatic impact on the people of Macclesfield. Bob Boland, Chairman of the Trustees, takes up the story. “The Hope Centre project was developed as a result of the Hope in North East Cheshire initiative launched in November 2009 – 39 churches coming together to inspire hope in our communities. Five mission groups were established and it’s from the group’s aim ‘to respond to human need by loving service’ that the Hope Centre project emerged.” The original idea for a Christian centre goes back a long way. “My wife and I moved to Macclesfield in 1978 and began working with a local couple, David and Diana Bayley,” explains Bob.
“David had inherited some money with which he bought premises in town, with the idea of converting them into a Christian bookshop and centre. For 33 years, the building was used as a Christian bookshop and then The Macclesfield Christian Mission, before finally becoming a branch of Wesley Owen. It is fantastic that the building is now returning to David’s original vision.” By the time Wesley Owen went into receivership in 2009, the freehold of the premises had passed to Di Bayley. She generously agreed a tenancy agreement with Hope in North East Cheshire, kick starting the establishment of the Hope Centre.
Kevin told Share. “We know that Bob and his colleagues will use the Centre to impact many lives with Christ’s love and saving grace, while drawing together local churches in fruitful mission.” Stewardship’s grant of £20,000 was key to the Hope Centre’s start-up. “The grant provided nearly one-third of the total capital required to get the Centre off the ground,” explains Bob. “Without it, I truly don’t believe we would have had the confidence to proceed with the project.”
Stewardship’s Technical Director, Kevin Russell and Trustee Mike Wilson have been closely involved with the project. “Stewardship has been delighted to make use of funds from the estate of Charles Beswick to support the new Hope Centre in his home town,” 7
The minute the Centre’s doors opened, people began dropping in to chat, drink coffee and see what it was all about. “It’s been a privilege to hear people’s stories,” says Bob. “We were closing up one day when two ladies came in. As we explained more about the Centre, one of them dug the other one in the ribs and said ‘this is just what you need!’ It turned out that she was near-suicidal and in desperate need of company.” Christine Togneri is Centre Manager. A local Baptist minister’s wife with a background in catering and hospitality, she had always felt called to work in Macclesfield, although her job was elsewhere. “My job location changed suddenly, which was a concern. We were wondering how we would manage the extra journey time when the Manager’s position came up at the Hope Centre,” she explains. “I’d say that was God’s perfect timing.”
Lonely people go into coffee shops and they sit alone. Here, people feel the love of God as soon as they step over the threshold.
Christine has been amazed at the number of people who have asked for prayer via the Centre’s Prayer Tree. “We’ve had an average of six requests a week. We pass them on to a church prayer group to ensure total confidentiality. It’s wonderful to be able to offer our clients this service.” Bob is excited about the future of the building. “The coffee shop is Phase One. We have two more floors here and we’re praying about how we should utilise them.” With Phase One up and running, he’s clear about the needs the Centre meets. “Lonely people go into coffee shops and they sit alone. Here, people feel the love of God as soon as they step over the threshold. We’re reaching out to lonely, isolated people in our community.” As the Hope Centre begins a new chapter in Macclesfield, it’s safe to say that there will be plenty of new stories to look forward to.
To find out more, visit stewardship.org.uk/HopeCentre 8
Give the gift of giving with our charity gift vouchers. Perfect for friends or loved ones – your gift to them becomes a gift for them to give away.
the perfect gift Find out more or buy your gift vouchers at uk/vouchers www.stewardship.org.
Maggie Ellis is director of Lifecentre Rape Crisis Service
Two women – one a therapist, the other a service user – reflect on the work that has brought their stories together.
Maggie Ellis: Lifecentre supports male and female survivors of rape and sexual abuse of all ages, through face to face counselling and helpline support. We also do preventative and outreach work in schools and colleges. Maggie: My personal faith inspired me to set up Lifecentre as I discovered to my horror that there was no specialist service in Sussex for survivors of rape and other sexual abuse. Coming from a German Jewish family line, many of whom were wiped out by the Holocaust, I am deeply committed to speak out when injustice and evil flourishes hidden under our noses. Sexual abuse is horrifically commonplace in our society: rooted in secrecy, turning a blind eye and pretence. We find it easier to respond to the fruits (be that substance addictions, self-harming, depression, eating disorders etc) rather than being disturbed by what is so often the root. Maggie: I have learned so much about the courage and inherent dignity of the human spirit; I have learned that light always prevails over darkness; to hold onto hope however powerful the grip of despair, and to love…one tiny step at a time. Maggie: I have experienced healing as bringing people into a greater sense of life. It is about carving off the injuries to get down to the beautiful image of God in which all human beings are made. It does not come instantly because it is holistic and true, engaging our understanding in the process so that it becomes our own possession that we can hold. Maggie: If I was without Lifecentre I would find another way to express my faith in a God who is angry when human beings are treated as things, and whose passion for the broken is evidenced in the words of Matthew 25: 40 “whatever you did for one of the least of these children of mine, you did for the King.” Maggie: I would love to have enough money to achieve healing for all survivors who come to us, irrespective of their means to pay. We currently subsidise people’s counselling as much as we can afford, but we are struggling to maintain this as demand has grown some 60% in the last two years. Lifecentre was set up in 2001 with the support of local churches in the Chichester area. Today it works with a broad partnership – including local councils, Sussex Police and churches – towards the goal of improving holistic support for survivors of any form of sexual violation. Lifecentre exists to offer unprejudiced support to all survivors regardless of their own faith background – or lack of it – gender, orientation, disability, race or any other personal factor. 10
Babita Woodgate has been a user of the Lifecentre : What does Lifecentre do?
Babita Woodgate: They acknowledge and help individuals to process trauma in a nurturing environment. Most importantly, they save the future quality of troubled lives of people violated because of sexual abuse.
: What led you to get involved with Lifecentre?
Babita: I was falling downward into an abyss that was destroying my very being. I couldn’t function and I couldn’t live. My trauma dominated my life.
:What have you received from Lifecentre?
Babita: Self-empowerment, strategies and management tools to continue thriving. A new life to begin living as I was always meant to live. My right as a human being to live a liberated, dignified and free life.
: What does healing look like?
Babita: Healing looks to me like an emotional evolution to a beautiful Technicolor world from a world that was once frighteningly black and white and very silent. I’m revelling in its colours!
: Without Lifecentre I would be...
Babita: Divorced. Suffering the relentless effects of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), dead inside and out. I would be experiencing hell on earth – daily reminders of the crimes committed against me.
: Where next?
Babita: There is so much next, but in the meantime I want to make a positive impact to the lives of others. I qualified as a life coach and will be launching myself in the near future.
You can support Lifecentre with your Stewardship giving account. Their account number is 20038970. lifecentre.uk.com 11
riot clean-up The riots that swept England this summer left a trail of s destruction... and gave birth to countless acts of generous kindnes Interviews by Ruth Leigh
The Burmese community
lending a hand.
Street Pastors
The clean-up gets underway!
Croydon YFC
Street Pastors worked closely with the police after the riots – helping in the clean-up and doing what they usually do on the streets: engaging, encouraging and praying. “If ever a community needed pastoral care,” says Eustace Constance, Operations Manager, “this is the time.” www.streetpastors.org.uk
ings are “Our offices are in Christ Church build e and burnt out. We started serving tea, coffe ed pray toast to people after the riot. We also d. tene with elderly people who were very frigh the that one of The church pre-school leader realised burned down. flat her n whe g ythin mums had lost ever all her baby clothes She’s a week off giving birth, has lost her other children. I put and equipment and everything for appealing for people a message on Facebook and Twitter ren’s toys. That was to donate clothes, toiletries and child ning, we had 40 tables Tuesday evening. By Thursday mor covered in clothes.” Naomi George, Croydon YFC Director www.facebook.com/croydonyfc
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Photo credits clockwise from top left: The BDC, celie, mobiledisco Matthew Basham (matthewbashamphotography.blogspot.com) Martin Deutsch Helen Smith
Cleaning the streets in
Hackney
through Positive messages spread shop window. up d rde boa a on m Peckha
All Saints, Peckham Church Youth and Children’s Worker, Esther Barnett, explained that the church has been focussing on practical needs. “Our vicar, Jonathan Mortimer, took some cakes down to our local police station. Their faces were a picture. A policeman just appeared on our doorstep to say thank you. They appreciated the gesture so much.” www.allsaintspeckham.org.uk
Tea and coffee for the cleaners in Manchester.
Websites to help the mugging victim Ashraf Haziq and 89-year-old barber Aaron Biber, whose shop was vandalised, raised £22,000 and £35,000 respectively.
OASIS Residents of the OASIS ‘supported housing project’ in Croydon received messages inviting them to join the riots. Yet none of them did. Why? Because through the support and care of Oasis youth workers, residents have found work, are in full-time education , are learning to live independently and have found a place in their community. They have a stake in society, and they have hope. “I have been so proud to see the way the Oasis youth teams, churches and even offic e staff, responded to last week’s riots – bein g available all hours; being a voice of calm and reason; and providing a positive presence in really fearful situations.” Abbe Stapleton, Director of Commun ity Services www.oasisuk.org
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supporting full-time Christian workers We asked ourselves the question: how can we better invest in the community of Christian workers who are registered with us for support? We decided to throw open our office doors for the day and create an opportunity for people to share ideas, grow in knowledge and receive encouragement for the Kingdom work they’re engaged in. So we were delighted to welcome our first group of ‘test pilots’ in June. Myles Wilson, author of Funding the Family Business, covered the biblical foundations of raising personal support for ministry and Steve Mathews from Stewardship talked about the important technical issues affecting finances and charitable activities. Some also grabbed the opportunity for a one-to-one ‘clinic’ and others simply enjoyed the chance to gather information or have a ‘refresher’. It was a rewarding day for us too – a day when the theoretical translates into the real stories of real people doing God’s work. Debbie Wright, Stewardship’s Head of Content, caught up with some of the delegates over lunch. 14
: What makes a great supporter? Karen and Paul Carr: We have all sorts of different people supporting us in many ways but the best ones are those that have been changed and transformed by our ministry themselves. These supporters have seen the vision in action and want to be part of that vision in other people’s lives; they are real partners in every sense. Adam Fielder: We minister to the deaf community in Uganda and we have found that the positive stories that come out of our work particularly inspire our deaf supporters, sometimes bringing them back to a living faith. This two-way partnership leads to great involved supporters.
These supporters have seen the vision in action and want to be part of that vision in other people’s lives; they are real partners in every sense. : Have you ever been surprised when asking for support? Andrew Bowers: My wife and I have been working for YWAM (Youth With A Mission) in Harpenden for the last 10 years. When we started out I was very apprehensive about asking for support – our biggest surprise was that when we approached friends, our church and the wider community, no one turned us down! Some years later I still have a fearful mindset that people will feel maxed out or uninterested and again I have been surprised by receiving support from people I have never asked, who want to give, partner and support us. I am finally learning not to have that fearful mindset as a default but to be positive and joyful in our support-raising.
Don’t limp into mission, don’t fastforward your planning time by thinking that you need to be out there, making a difference.
: How has a day like this helped? Adam Fielder: It has been good to compare and share stories with other missionaries elsewhere in the world. I find the tax and legal requirements a minefield and having a session on these issues is really illuminating. Dan Randall: I know much more about setting a realistic budget and also how to manage my support network. Joanna Carthy: Myles’ wisdom and experience has been inspirational, his biblical knowledge and exposition have given me new insight into the relationships between the senders and the sent. : Knowing what you know now – what one piece of advice would you give to someone starting out? Andrew Bowers: Don’t limp into mission, don’t fast-forward your planning time by thinking that you need to be out there, making a difference. Planning and forging connections and building relationships with your supporters are key to a productive working life. Adam Fielder: Allow two years to develop your support base before you start. We thought ‘wow, two years is a long time’ but in reality that’s exactly how long we needed.
In full-time Christian work? Find out how we can help at www.stewardship.org.uk/receive
Photos clockwise from top left: Myles Wilson - author of Funding the Family Business Andrew Bowers - ywamharpenden.org Karen & Paul Carr - eagleministries.org.uk Jo Carthy , Adam Fielder - Deaf Connections, Uganda Dan Randall - paisproject.com Photos by Martin Smith (www.martinsmithphotography.com) 15
colouring outside the lines
Images copyright Crossway 16
A decade into the 21st Century and it seems like we’ve already experienced far more war, catastrophe and disaster than the previous forty years combined. So what’s the solution? Do we hide in fear, retreat from responding? We spoke to Makoto Fujimura; a man who suggests otherwise – raising the flag for art and generosity in the process.
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We live in a small world. According to the notion of Six Degrees of Separation every one of us is only ever six steps away from knowing everyone else on the planet. And if ever there was an event that gave weight to the theory, it was the terror attacks that took place on 11th September 2001. For those of us here in the UK there were stories of friends of friends of friends who had been caught up in the events: some narrowly escaped while others lost their lives. Everybody, it seemed, had a story to tell. For New Yorkers like artist Makoto Fujimura, the events hit far closer to home. Mako was attending a prayer meeting towards the north of Manhattan Island when he heard news of an accident involving the World Trade Centre – the towering twin landmarks located just three blocks from both his home and the schools attended by all three of his children. After an agonising journey back towards his home in which he was trapped in the subway for an hour, Mako was eventually reunited with his wife and all three children. Covered in white ash – the ‘dust of death’ as it would quickly become known – they were safe.
That sense of exile – of being a stranger in a strange land – was even more tangible as he faced his family that morning, covered as they were in that clay-like white dust. Could they stay in such a city where so much death and violence had been unleashed on such innocents? Yet God clearly had other plans, leading Mako towards a fresh revelation of the significance of Shalom – the Hebrew term for peace, completion, harmony and more. Reflecting on the word, Mako wrote in an email to his friends: “Create we must, and respond to this dark hour. The world needs artists who dedicate themselves to communicate the images of Shalom. Jesus is the Shalom. Shalom is not just the absence of war, but wholeness, healing and joy of fullness of Humanity. We need to collaborate within our communities, to respond individually to give to the world our Shalom vision.”
Mako’s background is unusual, yet perfectly reflects the diversity of a place like New York, as well as the nature of his art:
On the surface there was little that was peaceful or safe in what came next. The events that followed 9/11 have been retold a thousand times in newsprint and on cinema screens. An army of new words and phrases has been created to describe this new world of ground zero, preemptive retaliation, the war on terror, shock and awe, waterboarding, IEDs, extradition flights, the surge, insurgents and drones.
“I was born in the US,” he explains, “but grew up bi-culturally between Japan and the US. My art, too, is borderless, navigating between east and west, abstraction and representation, tradition and contemporary. Since I was trained as a national scholar for six and a half years in the lineage program of Nihonga, which is traditional Japanese-style painting, I use these ancient materials and methods to create contemporary art.
Yet this is not an article about the rights and wrongs of military policy. However, the practice of generosity is not so far from this subject as might first appear. For residents like Mako, the immediate aftermath of the attacks was characterized not just by collective shock, but grief as well; by Shalom. He remembers countless conversations with neighbours over countless cups of coffee, as well as impromptu memorials of candles springing up.
“As an artist of faith, I found myself navigating the gap between the church and the world. My
“9/11 reshaped me as a person, father, leader in the church, artist and the founder/creative
“Had I come out from the school five seconds earlier,” said his ten-year-old son C.J. when Mako finally found him, “I would have been in trouble.”
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artist friends could not share in my newly found excitement about Christ and my church friends could not understand art. I was doubly exiled.”
My artist friends could not share in my newly found excitement about Christ and my church friends could not understand art. I was doubly exiled.
Photo: Brad Guise
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director of IAM (International Arts Movement),” explains Mako. “Through IAM we focus on being a re-humanizing element in a dehumanized culture. We serve with those whose efforts ‘create the world that ought to be’, whether they are Christians or not. We believe that by doing so, we are more effective as ministering agents.” That urge to ‘create the world that ought to be’ – to reach out and help others in their distress – grew ever stronger: “In November of 2001, we embarked on a project called TriBeCa Temporary (www.tribecatemporary.com) to address creative needs of Ground Zero artists.”
Generosity begets generosity
From there came Christmas In Peace, a project in 2003 that used exhibitions, lectures, concerts and other public events to reconnect residents of Tokyo with the deeper spiritual meaning of Christmas. And this year IAM is back in Japan, concentrating its efforts on supporting individual artists as they process the triple trauma of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crises that so badly affected the country earlier this year. The project goes by the name Generative Japan and looks to foster the creation of art that heals wounds and breathes hope into communities. Faith is found at the very heart of the project, for, as Mako says “We, today, have a language to celebrate waywardness, but we do not have a cultural language to bring people back home.” It’s an unusual project for an artist whose work graces corporate headquarters and whose influence has seen him serve as Presidential appointee to the National Council on the Arts (2003 - 2009). Yet Mako understands the value of generosity: “Generosity begets generosity,” he wrote recently, “and this is at the heart of generative 20
thinking. It is one of the greatest powers, but we often forget to implement it when life is going well. In emergencies, our response should be generosity... In times of fear or while being traumatized, one of the greatest challenges is to operate not strictly out of fear, but out of love. Art and creativity operate in the spheres of love... The key to communicating our core message of generative work is to operate out of sheer love for people, and not to unnecessarily increase their fear for the future... To have hope is no longer an optimist’s escapism – it is the only path to the future.” Take a look at Mako’s art – as you can on the cover of this magazine – and it is clear that his approach is abstract, with his works appearing to shimmer with a life of their own. There are few borders or hard lines dividing colour or form. And as in art, so it is in life: Mako and the other members of IAM understand that generosity should not be limited to charity workers any more than art should be reserved solely for those who frequent galleries or corporate headquarters. These days it can be tempting to see life as a collection of separate elements: education divides knowledge into separate subjects and the reaction to the Big Society brought into focus just how much public opinion sees community service as somebody else’s responsibility. But remember 9/11 and those six degrees of ‘separation’: perhaps we are not so disconnected after all.
2011 marks the 400th anniversary of the Bible’s King James Version, and Mako has produced The Four Holy Gospels to celebrate the fact. The result is a leatherbound collection of the Gospels, beautifully designed and illumined by Mako.
Supporting Generative Japan In the aftermath of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crises there were no UK groups at work in the country. That is why we are pleased to support the work of Generative Japan: a profoundly Christian project that feeds soul and body with true generosity. You can use your Stewardship giving account to support the Generative Japan project. Current funding needs include: support for a tour of classically trained musicians to affected areas of northern Japan and a series of lectures from dignitaries experienced in rebuilding efforts, particularly from an urban design perspective. Finally, there are plans to exhibit Mako’s The Four Holy Gospels in Japan in December 2011, commemorating the 400th Anniversary of the King James Bible.
To have hope is no longer an optimist’s escapism – it is the only path to the future.
You can use your giving account to support IAM’s Generative Japan project (account number 20120756). internationalarts movement.org makotofujimura.com 21
legal & financial roundup Kevin Russell explores what’s new and noteworthy
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£
£
Charitable Incorporated Organisations – Update
Default Retirement Age (DRA)
A Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) is a new form of charity that will have the benefits of incorporation, without all of the burdens of corporate charities. CIOs are unlikely to be available in England and Wales until the end of the year at the earliest, but the Charity Commission website now contains guidance on setting them up. The first organisations to be able to register will be new charities. Existing charitable companies wishing to convert to CIO status will follow later on.
It is no longer possible for employers to impose a DRA (for example, age 65) on employees. This has far reaching implications for employers in relation to areas like recruitment, performance management and termination. CIPD and the TUC have produced a useful Guide Managing Age available from http://bit.ly/qWoFml
Scotland, however, is ahead of the game – the first Scottish CIO was registered with OSCR (Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator) in April. Although existing charitable companies cannot apply to convert to SCIO until 1 January 2012, any other form of existing Scottish charity, and new charity applicants, can apply for SCIO status now.
A Charities Bill 2011 has been published. This is not intended to introduce new measures but simply consolidate existing Charities Acts. Meanwhile, towards the end of this year, the Government is to review the operation of the Charities Act 2006. This may result in some minor changes, for example in financial thresholds.
Abolition of Cheques
Briefing Papers:
Readers will be aware that the Payments Council had planned to abolish cheques from 2018 – a move that caused concern to many charities, including churches. We are delighted to report that these plans have now been dropped. Cheque payment facilities will now continue for as long as customers need them.
We have a range of over seventy free Briefing Papers, specially written by our professional team with churches and Christian charities in mind – tailored to your needs and presented in an easy, accessible style. Take a look by visiting stewardship.org.uk/briefing
Charity Law
Payroll Giving Schemes Stewardship is an approved Payroll Giving Agency which means that employers who operate a Payroll Giving Scheme can ask Stewardship to process deductions made from employees under their Scheme. Find out more at stewardship.org.uk/payroll-giving You can also download the guide for employers pdf through a link on the right of the page, or call us on 020 8502 8560 The Government is keen to see an increase in the take-up of Payroll Giving and is seeking ideas on how to achieve this. Are you an employer without a Payroll Giving scheme? If you do not have a scheme in place, what are the reasons for this? What would cause you to actively consider introducing one to your company? Are you an employee? Would you like a scheme at your company? What stands in the way? Send your thoughts and ideas to kevin.russell@stewardship.org.uk so that we can provide feedback to the Government.
Northern Ireland Whilst the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland is not yet in a position to register charities within its jurisdiction, it has published a list of those organisations in NI to which its powers apply: http://bit.ly/q2aFDk Meanwhile, CCNI has also published Guidance on Campaigning and Political Activity, available from the ‘Charity requirements & guidance’ / ‘Charity activities’ links from the Commission’s home page.
Budget 2011 The 2011 Budget Statement contained more for charities than is usual. Stewardship is providing input on the design of some of the Budget announcements. Key points of immediate interest are: - A ‘Small Donations’ scheme that will allow charities, especially churches, to claim a relief, like Gift Aid, on small cash collections of up to £5,000 p.a. in total from April 2013. - A new reduced rate of Inheritance Tax, from April 2012, where 10% or more of a net estate is given to charity. The underlying rules are looking to be more straightforward than we first anticipated and we will publish a separate Briefing Paper once they are finalised. - A new tax relief for gifts of pre-eminent objects and works of art to the nation that may be of benefit to churches and charities that reflect local or national heritage. An outline of each of these measures appears in our Budget Briefing Paper, available from our website.
National Minimum Wage New NMW hourly rates come into force on 1 October 2011 as follows: Adults: £6.08; 18-20 year olds: £4.98; 16-17 year olds: £3.68, and apprentices £2.60. Kevin Russell Technical Director
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Whatever our age, whatever our experience, generosity is a journey best travelled with friends. We’re glad to be sharing this adventure with you all. Stewardship