Major charity cuts nearly 200 jobs amid organisation-wide restructure

The Royal National Institute of Blind People has cut nearly 200 jobs as a part of a wide-ranging restructure.

The charity has told Third Sector that 197 of the charity’s 1,248 staff were made redundant after a 45-day consultation, which opened in January. The cuts were made across the organisation, Third Sector understands.

This news comes after the RNIB announced that its chief executive, Matt Stringer, will step down from the job in December after six years in post.

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Charities must ‘rethink traditional approaches’ over the next year, NCVO warns

Charities must “rethink traditional approaches and embrace new models of operations” over the year ahead, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations has warned.

The membership body’s annual Road Ahead report, which examined the external forces, issues and trends affecting the voluntary sector, said the sector “stands at a pivotal point” where its ability to adapt, innovate and collaborate will define its success.

The report described 2025 as the “year of the ‘big squeeze’”, saying: “The financial year ahead will be a squeeze for many, and the risks this poses could be high. But necessity also creates opportunities for innovation.”

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Three people arrested after ‘large-scale theft’ of items donated to charity

Three people have been arrested as part of an investigation into “large-scale theft” of clothes donated to charity, police have confirmed.

Essex Police said they obtained a warrant to search an industrial unit in London Road, Purfleet, as part of an investigation into the theft of clothes that were donated in January, most of which were intended for The Salvation Army.

Officers found a substantial amount of cash, estimated at about £38,000, along with washing machines, industrial scales, conveyor belts, cages and a forklift.

Following the search, a 48-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of money laundering. Two men, aged 38 and 31, were also arrested on suspicion of going equipped to steal.

All three have been released on bail until 28 June while police continue their enquiries, the force’s spokesperson said.

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