Discretionary grants to charities will not be cut
Discretionary grants to charities and voluntary groups will not be cut, according to the City Council’s Chief Executive, John Barradell, speaking at a conference last week. The Community and Voluntary Sector Forum’s (CVSF) ‘Future of Fundraising’ conference attracted over 70 people from different voluntary groups, who discussed how they would deal with the impact public spending cuts could have on the services they provide to local people.
Mr Barradell committed to honouring Brighton and Hove City Council’s 3 year Discretionary Grants Programme, recognising the vital role and services provided by the local community and voluntary sector.
“This is good news for those groups who are funded by the City Council’s three year grants programme, which runs until 2013”, said Sally Polanski from CVSF. “It means a number of groups who, for example, support children and young people, victims of domestic violence, and people with disabilities, advice services and services for homeless people[i] at least know they have some secure funds to maintain services in the difficult months ahead”.
The conference included a unique chance for community and voluntary groups to put their questions to some of the city’s key decision makers, including John Barradell, Chief Executive of Brighton and Hove City Council; Amanda Fadero, Chief Executive of NHS Brighton and Hove, Graham Bartlett, Chief Superintendent, Divisional Commander of Brighton and Hove, Roger French, Chair of Brighton and Hove Strategic Partnership. All agreed the community and voluntary sector played a vital a role in the city and made commitments to working with the sector.
A number of groups in the city have already closed because of funding problems, and CVSF is calling on funders to make sure they understand the full impact cuts could have before they are made. CVSF’s conference found that groups are struggling to manage anxiety and uncertainty about their future and growing demand for their services as public services are cut and changes like the benefits reform take affect.
Ms Polanksi continued: “We are concerned that if the statutory sector does slash funds without considering the wider implications of doing so, not only are many of our members likely to fold, but more importantly, vast numbers of local people, especially those who are particularly vulnerable, will be left without the lifelines that support them and on which they rely.
“The City Council’s move towards more commissioning of services and the Coalition Government’s Big Society sees an increasing role for the sector[ii]. So it is crucial that we do all we can now to protect projects that will turn these ideas into a reality, by ensuring they are appropriately funded and supported over the coming difficult months”.
Notes
[1] www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/downloads/bhcc/WEBSITE_Three_Year_Strategic_Grants_2010-13.pdf
[1] “We should say to every single council in the country, ‘When it comes to looking at trimming your budgets, don’t do the easy thing, which is to cut money to the voluntary bodies and organisations working in our communities. Look at your core costs. Look at how you can do more for less. Look at the value for money you get from working with the voluntary sector’”. David Cameron, Prime Minister’s Question Time, House of Commons, 15 September 2010.
