Charity Sector Could Lose Out on Staff after Brexit

A report published on Tuesday by the Institute for the Public Policy Research say that over two thirds of EU nationals now working for charities might have to leave if the government decides to extend the non-EU nationals rules to them.  In one of my earlier blogs - Impact of Brexit on Charities - I mentioned that that charity sector and in particular the employment of EU nationals, will be far from immune from the effects of Brexit.

The report says that the number of EU nationals working in the UK charity sector has doubled since 2000. It is estimated some 31,000 EU nationals are working in the UK Charity sectors. Certainly, we have seen an increase in EU nationals being employed within the charities that we help. A majority of these individuals are highly qualified, more so than their UK counterparts.

It is also well known that EU nationals do many hours of voluntary work in the sector. The strict immigration controls are bound to create a profound impact on the voluntary workforce.

Last week Nigel Farage, in his LBC show, said that “I never promised it (Brexit) would be huge success….we will be in control of our destiny”.  During the referendum, the effect of Brexit on charities was not one of the key issues. I felt that the charity sector was pretty much ignored by all the main stream media and the key individuals who were campaigning for “Yes” and “No” votes.

It is not too late for the government to come up with a plan to alleviate any concerns with EU nationals working in UK after the Brexit. Especially seeing as the third sector is still in dire need of help, volunteers are essential to help continue the good work within charities.

You can download the report by Institute for the Public Policy Research here.

If you have few hours to spare, why not visit your local authority website and see how you can volunteer. Most local authority websites have a section for “volunteer centre”  and they list opportunities available. The website for Redbridge's volunteer centre can be found here.

If as a charity you are concerned with the state of your organisation and would like further advice on how to tackle any issues, please contact Suda on suda.ratnam@raffingers.co.uk or call 020 8551 7200.

You can also follow our Twitter to keep up to date with the latest changes within the charity and not-for-profit sector. Suda is also available on LinkedIn if you wish to connect with him there.