Stand up for Communities

Stand up for Communities Campaign Logo

For the past year local voluntary groups have been dealing with the new reality of spending cuts.

VAL has been helping groups understand what the cuts will mean for them and providing them with advice and support. We have been lobbying on behalf of the sector to help decision makers understand the impact of cuts on communities and the disproportionate effect they have on smaller projects and groups.

Why do funding cuts matter so much?

Funding cuts to the voluntary sector are actually funding cuts to communities and the services they receive. Often these services help vulnerable people, such as the elderly or disabled, so when funding is removed the vital support they need is removed too.

VAL's Recommendations

We want funders to:

Understand the impact of cuts on local people: Before deciding to cut services, funders must be aware of the effect it will have on communities, particularly more marginalised groups.
Offer practical support to help maintain services: Where funding is threatened, appropriate other support should be made available such as rent-free office space or IT equipment.
Prioritise reinvestment to areas where there has been disproportionate harm to people and communities: where funding cuts are unavoidable funders must state what steps they will take to reinvigorate communities with longer term initiatives.