Funding
VSA Funding representative: Claire Keetch
Funding for the sector is a very sensitive issue. Herefordshire Council’s strategy for supporting the sector has ‘a single gateway for small, mainly one off grants, which are easily accessible to local communities and groups.’
The VSA wants to see that that the voluntary & community sector are consulted and their views taken into account when developing that single gateway. The VSA is in discussion with Herefordshire Council about how the sector voice can be heard around this important topic.
Funding for voluntary & community groups is getting more difficult – the number of organisations in the sector has increased by a massive 40% in the last 10 years alone, but sources of funding have not kept up with this growth.
However, there are also some signs of positive changes in statutory funding. The Treasury believes that longer term funding arrangements are better value for money than one year funding, and that there is no reason why statutory funders should not implement full cost recovery.
These issues will be explored in full when the Compact Funding Code comes up for discussion.
