• A whim and a prayer: Pickles advice on council meetings raises legal difficulties. Did communities secretary overturn a high court decision to ban town hall prayers? Even the experts aren't sure, says Mark Wilding

• Ali Parsa, chief executive of the private company running a Cambridgeshire NHS trust, tells SA Mathieson how he aims to make the hospital one of the best in the country

• Digital strategist Dr Abhay Adhikari explains how charities can use social media for digital campaigning

• The Manchester Mortgage: how one city is solving the housing crisis. Manchester council is providing affordable housing via a subsidised mortgage scheme for first-time buyers

On my radar ...

• According to the Resolution Foundation thousands of low income working families will lose up to a quarter of their household income at the start of the new tax year as the cuts to tax credits start to bite. A young couple working 23 hours with one child and with a household income of £15.5k receive nearly £6,000 in tax credits this year – around half from working tax credits and half from child tax credits. Under the new rules, their entitlement to working tax credits is switched off from this Friday, cutting their annual income by £2,961 (or around 19%). Even taking into account the increase in the personal allowance and a small increase in child tax credits the family is still projected to lose 19% of their income overall as these gains are offset by the ongoing wage squeeze and freezes to child benefit.

The impact is even greater the less income the household has, as they have more working tax credits to lose. A single earner on the minimum wage of £6.08 an hour, working 20 hours a week, will lose £3,910 – over a quarter (27%) of their overall income.

• Arts mental health charity CoolTan Arts has been awarded Creative Hero by Mental Healthy in the Mental Health Hero Awards. Southwark based CoolTan Arts started as a volunteer led organisation 21 years ago run by and for people with experience of mental distress. The charity works with over 700 people face to face each year; running workshops and an art gallery exhibiting and making public all the participants work. Read more about the awards here

• And the Twitter frenzy over Samantha Brick's article about the cattiness she's experienced from other women for being attractive shows no sign of diminishing, as she is still trending on the social network. The Independent's Harriet Walker has written a thought provoking piece called "Roll up, roll up, woman-baiting is back in fashion" on the subject, making the point that Brick is a puppet for a male hegemony empowered by the myth that women don't like each other. Nice to see someone looking beyond the sensationalism to what fuled the reactions to her piece.

After all, though she herself became the laughing stock of millions, the Daily Mail reportedly made £30,000 off the attention.

Guardian's own Esther Addley tweeted a screengrab from MailOnline, in which the publication who publishished Brick's piece appears to sneer at her for writing it, and Hadley Freeman voices her disgust at the Mail's history of using and abusing female writers.

Other news

• The BBC is looking at what effect the tax and benefit changes coming into force tomorrow, Friday 6 April, will have on millions of British families.

• According to the Telegraph, the chief executive of the NHS Confederation has said Andrew Lansley was "right to ask for abortion clinic inspections".

Events and seminars

Digital communications and campaigning for charities

Thursday 19 April, Kings Cross, London

This half-day seminar will enable you plan, implement and manage your online campaign to maximum effect. It will give you practical advise on how to get the most out of popular social media websites as well as help you define your target audience. This event is a must for anyone needing to plan a campaign to create relationships with supporters to champion your long-term aims.

The Green Deal - A real opportunity?

Tuesday 24 April, Kings Cross, London

The Green Deal offers opportunity for both the social housing sector and local authorities to reduce carbon emissions. How can your organisation maximise the benefits of the scheme for both tenants and your finances?

Making the most of social media for social housing

Friday 4 May, Kings Cross, London

This overview of social media channels will show you how to use them to maximum effect, with clear, practical examples of ways to save money, improve your communications and form a social media campaign

Managing volunteers

Tuesday 15 May, Kings Cross, London

Engaging with volunteers is an increasingly challenging task. This half-day seminar will help you explore what 21st century volunteers want and what you need to do to involve them effectively. Delivered by leading expert Rob Jackson, this session is a must for anyone building a long-term volunteer engagement strategy.

Successful bid writing

Friday 18 May, Kings Cross, London

Bid writing is an essential skill in voluntary sector organisations. This interactive seminar will help you create applications and bids that demonstrate your organisation's strengths and priorities, how you differ from other projects, what the benefits are for your clients and the community and how you'll be able to measure them.