Small International Development Charity Network (SIDCN) began in 2016 as an online collective on Facebook and has now grown to a community of 1,500 members. SIDCN’s aim is to amplify the voices of small international development charities through building on the sector’s community support approach and further advocacy within the UK.
SIDCN begun because there was a need to connect and network with others who were working internationally. It can be a lonely journey so it became imperative that a group was started to reach out and support each other. At the height of Covid-19 and extreme job loss around the country it became clear that there was a lack of support for small international development charities. Charities felt that there was no one speaking up for them. The working group and subsequent working board came together in April 2020 to raise the voice of small ID charities throughout the UK.
Without SCC we would be at stage one. SCC has been our biggest supporter and catalyst to make this happen. They have guided us through the charity application and supported us with press releases and best practices to speak with the media. We feel secure and safe knowing that SCC is behind us and helping us each step of the way. International charities are fierce- they give up at nothing. They may change gears and directions but they are led with passion and from the communities they work within.
The future is unknown for all sectors and industries at the moment. In regards to International Development, we won't stop, it will probably get harder, but we believe that humankind will come together to ensure that around the world we are working together for a greater world.
Here are some of the highlights from the two surveys they recently ran:
· 85% of participants reported that COVID had a negative impact on their organisations with an average loss of 33% per charity.
· In our first survey, 51% of participants expressed that they did not feel supported and that although their funding had dropped dramatically the need for support had increased by 27%.
· Without additional funding, from the UK Government or elsewhere, nearly half (45%) will need to shut their doors within 12 months. 15% in 6 months.
· There are 10,000 known International Development Charities in the UK - they employ thousands of people and impact hundreds of thousands around the world.
For the full results, follow the links below:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1162926397065741/