Increasing levels of division and polarisation
Charities across the UK are reporting increasing levels of hostility, fear and intimidation, alongside growing division and polarisation in wider society.
In October, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) held a week of listening sessions with representatives from 46 voluntary organisations to better understand the challenges charities are currently facing.
Across five sessions, participants described rising levels of fear, intimidation and online hate, with some organisations feeling increasingly unsafe as they go about their work.
A growing threat to charities’ core missions
A report published by NCVO brings together testimonies from those sessions and highlights a serious and growing threat to charities’ ability to deliver their work safely.
The report identifies four key themes of concern:
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A pervasive climate of fear
Participants described a tangible sense of fear affecting the day-to-day lives of staff and volunteers, particularly those from global majority backgrounds. -
Operational disruption and forced invisibility
Organisations reported cancelling community events, reducing their online presence and scaling back public activity due to direct threats or security concerns. -
Direct targeting and abuse
Many described receiving intimidating emails and other forms of harassment. Some charities reported removing trustee names from their websites to reduce risk. -
Increasing internal tensions
Organisations spoke about managing conflicting views among staff, trustees and volunteers, alongside challenging interactions with service users.
Sector leadership response
Commenting on the findings, Kate Lee OBE, Chief Executive of NCVO, said:
“Using the findings from this report, we need to ensure the sector, and its partners and friends, come together to prevent this further affecting organisations that are simply trying to deliver their vital work. By supporting one another, and offering hope where others spread hate, we can protect the space civil society occupies and ensure charities can continue to strengthen.”
Call for action and support
Participants in the listening sessions emphasised the need for sustained, coordinated action to help organisations operate safely.
Key areas highlighted included:
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practical guidance on staff safety, risk management and responding to online hate
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stronger peer support and confidential spaces to reduce isolation
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collective advocacy to strengthen solidarity across the sector
NCVO has set out plans to take this work forward, including developing further guidance with specialist organisations, creating peer-support spaces for leaders and frontline staff, and strengthening sector-wide advocacy through mechanisms such as the Civil Society Covenant.
Read the full report
You can read the full report and findings on the NCVO website.
