Welcome to the August edition.
One of the highlights of the past month was the opportunity to meet with Jamie Scudamore, Head of Partner Relations in the Prime Minister’s Partnerships Unit. The conversation focused on how government can work more effectively with charities through the new Civil Society Covenant to tackle some of the UK’s biggest social challenges, and it was encouraging to see a genuine interest in the expertise and insight that our sector can bring.
Ahead of the meeting, I asked a number of ACO member CEOs and senior leaders to share the issues they are seeing on the ground. A remarkably consistent picture emerged: growing complexity of need, increasing pressure on frontline charities, and a strong belief that earlier intervention and better partnership between government and the charity sector could deliver far greater impact. I was pleased to be able to represent those views, and I’m grateful to everyone who took the time to contribute.
We’ll continue to look for opportunities to ensure the experience of ACO members helps inform national conversations about how charities can play an even greater role in supporting individuals and communities.
With just a few weeks to go, a quick reminder that our Annual Conference, Stronger Together: Shaping the Future of Charity Support, takes place on 17 September. This year we’ll be looking ahead at the trends shaping charities supporting individuals, from how beneficiary needs and charity services are changing, to digital inclusion and how AI can give staff more time to be human. Alongside practical sessions and breakout discussions, there will be plenty of opportunity to connect and share experiences with colleagues from across the ACO network, as well as celebrate some of the fantastic work taking place across our membership at the 2026 ACO Annual Awards.
We hope you can join us!
Donal Watkin
Chief Executive
This month’s edition features:
- Upcoming ACO events
- Jobs board
- Member spotlight on Charity Link
- Guest article from Advanced Total Supplies (ATS)
- Member news
- Policy and sector news
- Publications