Trust held. Standards moved. Fundraisers kept going.

Policy: The Civil Society Council met at 10 Downing Street on 8 July. Its readout says work is under way with the Cabinet Office on procurement barriers, alongside training and a model for participation and lived experience. These are programme updates, not a new funding promise or procurement right.

Regulation: The updated EHRC Code of Practice will commence on 5 August. It did not have legal force at drafting time. The Charity Commission has advised charities to prepare and says its own Equality Act guidance is due in autumn.

Research: Charity Commission polling found 57% of the public reported high trust in charities, unchanged since 2020. A separate trustee survey found more than a quarter of charities had been affected by a challenging social environment.

Fundraising evidence: The Fundraising Regulator found 64% of people who had experienced charitable fundraising in the previous 12 months described it positively. Public fundraising also moved from more negative than positive in 2023 to 42% positive and 31% negative in 2026.

Sector commentary: NCVO argued that open letters work best when backed by evidence, early engagement and trusted relationships. That is advice, not a rule, but it is a useful test before the next public statement.

This month in history: On 9 July 1869, the work that became Action for Children began with a home for children living on London’s streets. The charity’s history records how the Reverend Dr Thomas Bowman Stephenson first listened to Fred and George beneath Waterloo Station’s arches, then acted.

Did you know? In a nationally representative May 2026 survey of 3,018 UK adults, 45% said they would be more likely to donate to a charity displaying the Fundraising Regulator badge.