Charities must dust off their “Big Board Talk” to achieve financial sustainability

“No organisation, whether business or charity, will survive difficult economic times without those in charge seriously looking at their financial health, direction and whether they’re making the best use of resources”.

So said the Charities Commission in 2009 when it promoted its “Big Board talk initiative” – the conversation all charities need to have. This covered key areas where charities tell them they are most vulnerable and asked 15 questions to help trustee boards look at both the options and opportunities available to them to help inform their board and planning discussions.

Of course, it is a duty of the charity trustees to ensure that the charity’s resources are protected in order that the charity can fulfil its aims – trustees need to ensure that assets are properly used, that its funds are spent effectively and its financial affairs are well managed; but this is a more strategic and practical take than the guidance to duties set out in “Internal Financial Controls for Charities (CC8)”.
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Auditel Consultant David Powell to conquer Kilimanjaro for Charity

Leeds-based Auditel cost and purchase management consultant  David Powell is going up in the world! A few days after his 35^th birthday on September 17th, he is planning to trek to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro – 19,341 ft above sea level. This is Africa’s highest peak and entails a climb from 5000 ft to nearly 2o, 000 ft in just six days.

David, who has never done much more than walk up and down Sheffield’s peaks as a student many years ago, will be in a party of 13 trekking for up to 10 hours a day for the children’s charity, Candlelighters. Each of the team has an individual target of £2500, with a hoped-for overall total of £50,000.

Candlelighter, also based in Leeds, was established in 1976. It is a charity formed and run by parents of children who have or have had cancer and the medical staff who treat them. The charity provides essential services and support to children with cancer and their families.

Kilimanjaro is sometimes seen as the ‘easiest’ of the seven continental peaks, because there is no technical climbing with ropes or crampons. However, it is still a great challenge and at the higher levels, the air carries only 30% of the normal oxygen content.

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Team Auditel finishes the Great British Bike Ride – 350 miles in 5 days

Team Auditel - Day 5

The Great British Bike Ride, which was staged from Land’s End to Twickenham Stadium is completed. The five-day ride was designed for cycling enthusiasts, sportsmen and women wanting to take on a real challenge and at the same time, raise some much-appreciated funds for highly deserving charities.

Team Auditel, consisting of five intrepid Auditel consultants, their Business Development Director and a representative from one of their suppliers, took part in this year’s gruelling ride. All seven team members cycled the 350 miles from Land’s End to Twickenham Stadium. The target was to raise at least £10,000 for Auditel’s chosen charity, Help for Heroes. With an average of 70 miles to cover on each day of the ride, Team Auditel started training in October last year.

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Team Auditel – Day Four of the Great British Bike Ride

Team Auditel reached home ground in Winchester yesterday. 3 days of continuous cycling have taken their toll on our intrepid team. There were concerns about Ed’s knee, but we were delighted to see him take his place this morning with the rest of Team Auditel.

The GBBR group were joined today by rugby commentator John Inverdale and English prop, Phil Vickery. The group are facing intermittent showers and windy conditions today as they make their way towards Esher, where they will spend their last night before heading to Twickenham. Follow Team Auditel via Twitter for the last part of their journey.

Team Auditel – Day One of the Great British Bike Ride

Team Auditel left bright and early this morning from Lands End. Taking part in the Great British Bike Ride means a grueling average of 70miles a day to cycle the 350 mile route to Twickenham over 5 days. Team Auditel are cycling the ride in order to raise money for Help For Heroes. Donations can be made on their Just Giving page and you can follow their progress on  Twitter .

Team Auditel consists of Auditel Consultants: Adrian Burton, Chris Bridge, Laurence Fitch,  Claire Power-Browne, Steve Ray and our Business Development Director Ed Brewer

Team Auditel take on the Great British Bike Ride – 350 miles in 5 days

Team Auditel and sponsors at the Auditel Supplier Exhibition 2011

The Great British Bike Ride in 2011 will be staged from Land’s End to Twickenham Stadium in early July. This five-day ride is designed for all cycling enthusiasts, sportsmen and women who want to take on a real challenge and at the same time, raise some much-appreciated funds for highly deserving charities.

Team Auditel, consisting of six intrepid Auditel consultants plus their Recruitment Director, will be taking part in this year’s gruelling ride. All six team members will be cycling the 350 miles from Land’s End to Twickenham Stadium over 5 days and, hopefully, raising at least £10,000 for Auditel’s chosen charity, Help for Heroes. With an average of 70 miles to cover on each day of the ride, Team Auditel started training in October last year and the team has already covered thousands of miles. Any donation small or large will be much appreciated and a step closer to their target.  Visit the Team Auditel – Just Giving page for more details .

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Team Auditel: the magnificant six ride again

Team Auditel and sponsors at the Auditel Supplier Exhibition 2011

You may remember back in October when we introduced Team Auditel, five intrepid Auditel consultants plus our Recruitment Director, who will be taking part in this years Great British Bike Ride. This gruelling ride will see all six team members cycling the 350 miles from Lands End to Twickenham over 5 days in July and, hopefully, raising at least £5,000 for Auditel’s chosen charity, Help for Heroes.

Ahead of their first team ride in the New Forest Bike Ride (also in aid of Help for Heroes) the team were joined at last Friday’s Auditel Supplier Exhibition at Whittlebury Hall by their eight generous sponsors for a chance to model their new kit and to drum up support and donations from colleagues. With an average of 70 miles to cover on each day of the ride, training started in October last year and the team have already covered thousands of miles, so we all wish them the very best of luck in these last few intensive weeks of preparation.

If you’d like to support Team Auditel and help them to reach their fundraising target you can visit their Just Giving website. Alternatively, I’m sure all the riders taking part in this arduous and challenging event would welcome support along the way so, if you’d like to give them a cheer, you can see a route map and details of each stage here.

Auditel At the Care Show Bournemouth – Eliminating Financial Waste in Care Homes

The care sector is facing huge challenges at the current time. Stagnant revenue growth and increasing costs are squeezing profitability for many care providers.

At the Care Show, Bournemouth International Centre, 29th and 30th March 2011, Auditel Cost Management Consultants Kien Lac and Terry Crouch will discuss how to tackle spiralling costs and ultimately sustain or even improve the bottom line performance under these difficult economic conditions.

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Team Auditel get on their bikes for charity

Team Auditel, from left to right: Adrian Burton, Chris Bridge, Laurence Fitch, Edward Brewer, Claire Power-Browne, Steve Ray and Denis Brennan

Inspired by Laurence Fitch’s example in this year’s Great British Bike Ride, our Business Development Director, Edward Brewer, has encouraged (and press-ganged!) a number of colleagues into taking part in the 2011 event. The Great British Bike Ride 2011 will be in support of ‘Help for Heroes’, ‘The Rugby Players Association Benevolent Fund’ and the ‘ RFU Injured Players Foundation’ and will be the second  in a series of  annual events which aim to raise £1 million for charity over 5 years. The ride will be from Lands End to Twickenham Stadium in late August and early September and Team Auditel have already started training hard (well, they’ve all bought new bicycle clips anyway!). We’ll keep you posted about their progress and let you know how you can sponsor them over the coming months.

Public sector restrictions on consultants

One of our consultants had a meeting earlier this week with a charity client that receives funding from Central Government, via the Ministry of Defence. They tell us, however, that the MOD have recently been directed by the Government that they, and those under their direct influence, are no longer allowed to enter into any new consultancy agreements, an edict we assume now applies to all Government and public sector bodies.  This led to concern that, while the existing project would be allowed to run, they would not be able to expand the remit of the project to include  new areas of cost, something they were keen to do. However, when looking at the directive in more detail, it seems the ban applies to advisory services and not to “implementation“  for which the organisation does not have adequate in-house knowledge or resources.

For this reason, our client believes the Auditel service falls outside the ban as it goes far beyond the simple provision of advice and is clearly based on providing full implementation and ongoing management. What’s more, as a results-driven service, fees are not paid unless and until savings and benefits can be proven and, as an outsourced service, it is also specifically designed to fill the skills and knowledge gap many UK organisations experience in the area of cost and purchase management.