Sector leader condemns government for decision to cut campaigning fund
13th November 2009
Stuart Etherington, NCVO Chief Executive, publicly condemned the Government at NCVO’s Autumn Conference today (Friday 13 November) following their plans to pull the £750,000 funding for a Campaigning Research Programme to help small charities campaign and advocate for change. Their efforts were to be monitored as part of research on how small organisations can campaign effectively and how best they can be supported.
He said:
"I am appalled at the decision to withdraw this funding. Charities play a critical role in campaigning and advocating for change. Without them, the voices of marginalised people can often go unheard. Making this decision at such a late stage has resulted in a complete waste of public funds and time for all involved."
- Find out more: Action on campaign fund cuts
Comments
So where's Stephen Bubb when you need him? Given his verbal incontinence on almost any other issue that concerns the voluntary sector even if it is way beyond the remit of his organisation ACEVO (which purports to be an Association of Chief Executives - not an alternative NCVO or NAVCA) we might have expected him to have something to say about the Office of the Third Sector's disgraceful decision to cancel the Campaign Resreach Grant to 32 small VCS organisations. No such luck! Nothing on the website or anywhere else that I can find. At a time when NAVCA and NCVO are performing an honourable and vital role on behalf of the sector and the Compact, Stephen Bubb suddenly goes to ground. I suppose given his previous history we might have expected this. Ah well..... I can't say I am surprised at the many CVS and other CEOs at NAVCA's September Conference who were suggesting a mass resignation from ACEVO. Or maybe we should all turn up at ACEVO's AGM early next year?