Joint letter urges Chancellor to support sector in the Budget

We have written a joint letter along with other leading voluntary sector organisations to ask the Chancellor to put in place a set of simple measures to help the sector weather the current financial storm, ahead of his budget statement on 21 March.

The letter reminds the Chancellor of the important contribution voluntary organisations and social enterprises make to the UK economy and our society, and expresses concern that organisations are still being hit disproportionately by the worsening financial climate and the speed and scale of cuts in public expenditure:

"In terms of the voluntary sector workforce, it is concerning that jobs are being at shed at twice the rate of the public sector with a loss of over 70,000 jobs in the last 12 months. These losses will set back your plans for the recovery of the UK economy and be felt most keenly in our disadvantaged communities."

The letter recommends a number of simple measures designed to enable the sector to continue to contribute to the growth of the UK economy and the Government's vision for the Big Society:

1. A second wave of transition funding, focusing on the most deprived areas
2. Support for social investment
3. Address the issues of investment readiness 
4. Make giving easier

Read the letter in full (PDF, 164KB).