Charity Commission Annual Public Meeting 2010

Twitter transcript from #ccommapm2010 & related conversations September 29, 2010

5:02 pm @commutiny The Charity Commission's vision is "Charity working at the

heart of society for public benefit" #CCommAPM2010

5:06 pm @commutiny #CCommAPM2010 is just one of the ways the Charity

Commission tries to be #open and #accountable

5:08 pm @commutiny I've had a very friendly welcome by Sam Younger and his

colleagues at #CCommAPM2010 which is encouraging...

They *want* to be open

5:24 pm @commutiny Wondering if these Charity Commission peeps get to talk to

#real people these days. They're *all* keen & smiley,

chatting away #CCommAPM2010

5:26 pm @commutiny Very civilised facilities at #CCommAPM2010 I wasn't

expecting Wifi so tweeting by SMS (risk of predictive text

slippage)

5:31 pm @commutiny Charity Commission mission includes championing public

interest in charity and enabling charities to maximise impact

#CCommAPM2010

5:34 pm @commutiny No attendee list or badges so can't slink around peering at

chests. Have to emulate unnervingly jolly Charity

Commission staff #CCOMMAPM2010

5:35 pm @hackofalltrades @commutiny Eek! I'm pretty sure I know exactly the type

you're talking about... may be a link to 'Cult of

Professionalism' stuff?

5:37 pm @commutiny Wondering how many #thirdsector #leaders are at

#CCommAPM2010 There's a full house, impressive in this

weather

5:38 pm @commutiny Dame Suzi Leather, Chair of Charity Commission opens the

meeting warmly #CCommAPM2010

5:39 pm @commutiny Happy Birthday to Andrew Hind got a round of applause

#CCommAPM2010

5:40 pm @commutiny It's a tricky time to be looking back when the immediate

future will see huge changes #CCommAPM2010

5:41 pm @commutiny Context is vital for #thirdsector to flourish and Charity

Commission is vital to shape this #CCommAPM2010

5:42 pm @commutiny Charity Commission has recently been shortlisted for Civil

Service "more for less" award #CCommAPM2010

5:44 pm @commutiny Sam Younger, new CEO presents the strategic and

operational highlights of the past year #CCommAPM2010

5:51pm @commutiny When I say unnervingly jolly I mean culture of this APM is

unusually approchable, chatty and open. Conversation not

broadcast #CCommAPM2010

5:52 pm @commutiny Not much paper around, Charity Commission is quite good

at digital information #CCommAPM2010

5:53 pm @commutiny Back on Track report shows some charities at risk due to

basic governance mistakes, largely financial & safeguarding

related #CCommAPM2010

5:55 pm @commutiny Only 7.5% of assessments lead to investigations #goodsign

and 80% charities filing on time #CCommAPM2010

5:58 pm @commutiny Research finds in addition to survival issues there is a fear

that infrastructure which supports charities is also at risk

#CCOMMAPM2010

5:59 pm @commutiny Avg age of trustees is 57 - sector is missing out on younger

talent #CCommAPM2010

6:00 pm @hackofalltrades RT @commutiny: Avg age of trustees is 57 - sector is

missing out on younger talent #CCommAPM2010

6:01pm @hackofalltrades @commutiny Apparently only 0.5% of trustees are under

25... which further highlights that divide...

6:02 pm @commutiny Commission Strategic Review launches after Govt Spending

Review and will go back to 1st principles.

#CCommAPM2010

6:03 pm @commutiny Sam Younger calls for all Charity folk to contribute to the

consultations when the review is launch #CCommAPM2010

6:05 pm @commutiny Next up, David Locke & Neville Brownlee presenting info

about how the Commission is managing demand for its

services #CCommAPM2010

6:06 pm @commutiny Progress has been made on response times, consistency and

levels of 'customer satisfaction' #CCommAPM2010

6:07 pm @commutiny First jarring note for me is use of "customer" several times

#CCommAPM2010

6:09 pm @commutiny Serious efforts are being made to reduce bureaucracy

#CCommAPM2010 What's your experience?

6:11 pm @commutiny If you have anything you'd like me to ask at the Charity

Commission APM Q&A just use the hashtag

#CCommAPM2010

6:14 pm @commutiny 50% of phone calls to the Commission are from small

Charities with <£50k income #CCommAPM2010

6:16 pm @commutiny Most popular subject in phone calls is submission/receipt of

Annual Returns, then technical calls e.g. password queries

#CCommAPM2010

6:17 pm @commutiny I hope I'm not boring you. This is very important stuff to me

and should be to all #thirdsector peeps #CCommAPM2010

6:18 pm @watfordgap @commutiny Please keep it going. One of my twitter selling

points is "eyes & ears at events i'm not able to attend". Thx

6:19 pm @commutiny Even the style of presentation is unnervingly jolly at

#CCommAPM2010 Neville is getting laughs

6:21 pm @commutiny This is all too cosy, someone give me a spiky question to

ask! #CCommAPM2010

6:22 pm @commutiny Ms Allcock Tyler is asking about how cuts will affect small

charities #CCommAPM2010

6:23 pm @commutiny Dame Suzi admits evidence base is inadequate for

understanding what the risks of cuts are and invites us to

inform #CCommAPM2010

6:29 pm @commutiny We are "on the record" cos @thirdsector are reporting. Of

course, this is a *public* meeting & they've also welcomed

my tweeting #CCommAPM2010

6:30 pm @ChrisPenberthy @commutiny with move to digital returns what about areas

with very slow/no broadband - especially for smaller rural

orgs CCommAPM2010

6:30 pm @commutiny question about a formal complaint which a member of the

public does not feel has been handled well

#CCommAPM2010

6:31 pm @commutiny I think this particular issue has been raised before, but it's

not the place of the audience to heckle (ahem)

#CCommAPM2010

6:33 pm @commutiny Commission has committed to personal attention & says the

public, not just the Commission, should hold charities to

account #CCommAPM2010

6:38 pm @commutiny And finally, a happy reflection on Andrew Hind's tenure as

Commission Head Honcho. It's a bit like crashing the office

party

6:43 pm @commutiny Very warm tribute to Andrew was endorsed by the crowd

#CCommAPM2010 Now off to drinks and chat

6:45 pm @commutiny @ChrisPenberthy This was raised, response related to govt

digital online centres or whatever they're called

6:46 pm @ChrisPenberthy @commutiny I think that shows lack of understanding - if

broadband's not there then there aren't centres with it! Major

rural issue

6:47 pm @commutiny Ah, no need for name badges... many establishment chums

are here. More #public should take advantage of these

meetings #CCommAPM2010

6:48 pm @commutiny @watfordgap happy to be of assistance ;)

6:51 pm @commutiny This may seem shallow... @DebAllcockTyler is wearing the

most magnificent blue boots #CCommAPM2010

6:55 pm @commutiny It's quite difficult to join any of the conversations now,

establishment closes ranks? #CCommAPM2010

6:59 pm @prbass @commutiny if its not too late could you ask the CC about

@opencharities? Are they aware of opencharities.org and

what is their response?

7:00 pm @commutiny @ChrisPenberthy I spoke to Neville, he had reasonable

response too long for a tweet... #CCommAPM2010

7:02 pm @commutiny In summary … "The phone will never be unplugged, the

post box never nailed up" #CCommAPM2010

7:08 pm @ChrisPenberthy @commutiny that's good - as long as it is being sorted :)

7:24 pm @commutiny @prbass a bit late, will try :) #CCommAPM2010

7:25 pm @commutiny Sir Stuart Etherington has just popped up to praise Andrew

Hind... Ooh look! there's Richard Fries #CCommAPM2010

7:26 pm @commutiny I'm not showing off, I only recognise a few folk without the

badges #CCommAPM2010

7:30 pm @commutiny @ChrisPenberthy Neville is happy to talk to you more about

it if you want to contact him directly #CCommAPM2010

7:35 pm @commutiny Don't think @ChtyCommission would mind if y'all get in

touch direct to follow up on #CCommAPM2010 < my

opinion

7:45pm @commutiny @prbass short answer, opencharity is good stuff, regulator

wants to provide data & regulate, we can use it & do more

#CCommAPM2010

7:48 pm @commutiny Charity Commission Trustee Simon Weatherd is a

thoroughly nice chap (I know it's his job but still)

#CCommAPM2010

8:00 pm @commutiny Thx to all following #CCommAPM2010 I'm sending a

transcript to @ChtyCommission tomorrow

Roxanne Persaud @commutiny