Over £1bn in forgotten money has been unlocked for social causes. But how are decisions made about who gets it? And why aren’t women and girls one of the priorities? Over £1 billion of forgotten money has already been released for social causes in the UK through the Dormant Assets Scheme. But who gets to decide where it goes? “Dormant assets” sounds technical, but the idea is actually pretty simple. It’s money sitting in bank accounts, investments, pensions or insurance polic

Let’s start with the basics. An endowment is a pot of money that’s invested to generate income over the long term. Instead of spending the whole fund at once, the money is carefully invested so it can keep producing funding year after year. Think of it like planting a tree rather than buying fruit. You don’t just get one harvest — you get many. Most endowments are invested in financial markets. This usually includes a mix of: Shares in companies (the stock market) Government

Last Wednesday 28th January 2026 marked the official launch of the Forever Fund  – and what a way to begin. The room was full of energy, urgency and optimism as supporters, partners and allies came together around a shared ambition: to build long-term, sustainable funding for women and girls, by women, for women. Vivienne Hayes at the podium, getting ready for her speech at The Women's Forever Fund launch We heard powerful contributions from Vivienne Hayes , CEO of Women's R

There's a funny kind of charity folklore that floats around fundraising circles: "Give us £50k and we'll transform lives." Say it with a raised eyebrow, and most funders will quietly agree. Say it out loud? Somehow it gets weirdly uncomfortable. Here's the truth: £50k isn't transformational. It's not life-changing. It's survival funding - sometimes barely that. But we keep acting like it's enough because it feels better than facing the real problem: our funding system is brok