On the 18th of September, Caitlyn and Jess, FFBS Business Development Managers, were proud to present at the Association of Charitable Organisations Annual Conference, exploring the changing landscape of the charity sector, the evolving need of support and why collaboration and partnership-working is so important to best serve our communities.
We shared the challenges facing charities today, from government policy shifts and cost-of-living pressures to reduced donations and cuts in local authority support. We also drew upon our experience in partnering with organisations across the social housing and local authority sector to show the deep interconnectedness of these issues, particularly across housing, welfare, and community services, including issues such as damp and mould, no-fault evictions and the digital divide, making collaboration more important than ever.
As a wholly owned subsidiary of Family Fund, FFBS enables charities to provide practical support that makes a real difference to people’s lives. Over the last 12 years, our partnerships have delivered more than 4 million essential items and generated millions in unrestricted funding for our parent charity, helping Family reach more families raising a seriously ill or disabled child on a low income.
We also used this forum to introduce our newest charitable partnership: NewstrAid. The FFBS team met NewstrAid at the ACO Conference in 2024, and have worked collaboratively over the last 12 months to build a strong partnership to best support NewstrAid’s beneficiaries with practical support. We asked NewstrAid why they felt that the support FFBS could offer would enhance their grant-giving processes, and they said:
“What stood out about FFBS was the all-in-one service. The fixed price model, inclusive of delivery installation and recycling gives us cost clarity and consistency. For us, one of the biggest benefits is that the beneficiaries are now more in control. They deal directly with the supplier for delivery, which supports their dignity and removes a layer of stress for all involved. That shift from us doing everything to giving them some control back, is a huge win plus the wait times for goods is considerably lower.”
As pressures continue to grow, FFBS remains committed to supporting organisations across the charitable sector so that, together, we can help communities thrive, helping those in crisis today, avoid crisis tomorrow.
Can we partner with your charity to deliver practical support to communities in need? Fill out the form below to find out more.