Funding for Support Services
Impact of Spending Cuts
Organisations are turning to their local support organisation more and more. When surveyed, 61% of respondents stated there would be a moderate or considerable impact on their organisation if support services were withdrawn ('Support in a Crisis?' VONNE November 2010).
Whilst the need to support services is clear, funding for support providers is at risk. Infrastructure funding streams from national government have come to an end and funding from local authorities has been cut. When surveyed as part of 'Surviving not Thriving' November 2010, the impact of the cuts were clear:
- The majority of support and development organisations had already seen a reduction in funding (71%)
- Many had made staff redundant (42%)
When it came to forecasting the future, the picture was bleaker still:
- Almost half of respondents (46%) state the closure of the organisation is a possibility, with the same figure expecting to close services (46%) and a further 37.5% considering doing so.
- Almost all respondents (91%) reported that they may need to make staff redundant, with 63% stating redundancies would be taking place.
Past Funding Programmes
The voluntary and community sector has benefited from a number of funding programmes for support services which include ChangeUp, The Big Lottery Fund's BASIS Programe and One NorthEast's Third Sector Capacity Fund.
Third Sector Capacity Fund
One North East issued the fourth and last round of the programme, which aimed to invest in the region's third sector to engage in sustainable economic regeneration and associated activities which support the aims of the North East's Regional Economic Strategy, "Leading the Way". Successful projects included Big Society in Communities Policy Support and consultancy support to frontline organisations, both led by VONNE. To learn more about all the projects funded visit the website below.
ChangeUp
This long running funding programme (2004-11) targeted investment and support to infrastructure organisations in the third sector. Capacitybuilders managed the fund and a range of programmes were available around improving infrastructure services, targeting hard to reach groups, developing social enterprises, managing volunteers, campaigning, and developing consortia.
Read some of the key research reports produced on support services
Read more about the background to ChangeUp in the North East
BASIS
The Big Lottery Fund has previously committed £101 million to the third sector to improve the quality and extent of support services. The second round of funding is allocating a further £50 million to the sector through long term partnership projects.
