Funding local voluntary and community action

This report, published in August 2012, collates local state of the sector reports produced by NAVCA members to provide an overview of the impact of cuts on local charities and community groups. The report also includes the findings of a NAVCA members’ survey showing how cuts are also affecting the support available to local charities.

The report establishes several key trends emerging from local surveys of the sector conducted by NAVCA members:

• The majority of local charities and community groups have suffered cuts, although some areas are suffering more than others.
• Local charities and community groups are facing increased demand for their services and a significant proportion say they are unable to meet these demands.
• Children and young people’s organisations are consistently reported as being particularly affected by cuts in funding. In many areas, organisations that work with the most deprived communities have also faced significant cuts or are likely to do so in the near future.

The report also includes findings from the survey of NAVCA members themselves. This survey shows:

• Total income of NAVCA members is down by 19% between 2011 and 2012.
• 40% of NAVCA members have made or are making redundancies.
• There is an increased involvement of volunteers, partly to make up for lost capacity but partly because NAVCA members are restructuring the way they work.
• NAVCA Members are making considerable efforts to maintain services by exploring the possibility of new sources of funding, restructuring, merging, forming partnerships or adapting services. 

Download the report (pdf 650kb)