Local authorities should look at the value for money the voluntary sector delivers

Encouraging news was heard from David Cameron last week when he answered a question in the Commons by stating that local authorities should not to do the "easy thing" by cutting money from voluntary organisations.

Responding to Julie Hilling, Labour MP for Bolton West, the Prime Minister said ‘When it comes to looking at and 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.'

At a time when many groups feel threatened by what can seem like inevitable impending cuts, David Cameron’s response gives some hope for organisations that reduction in funding isn’t necessarily a given. There’s an opportunity here for organisations to seize. The more compelling organisations can make their case to show how they deliver value for money services can help councils realise that cutting funding for the voluntary sector doesn’t work out as a cheap option.

There are examples out there where local authorities and voluntary organisations are talking to each other. In Thurrock a wide consultation with local groups concluded that investment in the voluntary sector was the best way to ensure key services were effectively delivered. 

Tough decisions will of course have to be made in every local area, but hopefully the more that organisations engage with the process and can demonstrate the benefit and impact that their funding brings, the more informed these decisions will be and hopefully more success stories like Thurrock will be seen.