The voluntary and community sector (VCS) makes a significant
contribution to the quality of life of local people through direct
community-based action, filling the space between public and
private providers and offering a voice for local people, especially
the most disadvantaged. NAVCA believes that the sector's role in
the governance of public services and the development of social
capital are essential elements of delivering high quality public
services that focus on the needs of the individual citizen.
Our submission to the Treasury Review calls for:
- Government support for VCS infrastructure services
in areas of greatest weakness, to be matched by local
public bodies.
- Continued Government investment in VCS
infrastructure.
- A functioning Compact to be an essential element of every
Local Area Agreement.
- A Community Micro Grants fund to develop social
capital and build community capacity.
- Community empowerment funding to be
directed through the local VCS as it was in the
past.
- Funding to support more effective community engagement in
Local Area Agreements.
- Funding to support and build both greater understanding
of the local VCS amongst local government commissioning and
procurement officers and improved bidding capacity in the local
VCS.
NAVCA's response to Comprehensive Spending Review: the future role
of the third sector (Word, 148 KB)
NAVCA and the Community Foundation Network have made a
joint submission to the review (Word, 990 KB), seeking a
Government investment so that 50 Community Foundations across
England can grow their endowment funds. NAVCA sees this as the best
way of increasing small grants for the local VCS in the future.
The
Infrastructure National Partnership's response to the review is
also on our website (Word, 128
KB).