Chairs of GMCVO, the GM VCSE Leadership Group, the GM BAME Network and GM BAME SE Network and the GM Social Enterprise Network have written to the Chancellor, the Rt. Hon. Rishi Sunak asking for more support for voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations. Action Together is a member of the GM VCSE Leadership Group and helped to develop this letter.
The response of our local voluntary organisations, charities, community groups and social enterprises to the current crisis has been genuinely inspirational. The letter explains just how vital they are to people in need, and how important they are to ‘building back better’. But their future has never been less certain, with every income stream disappearing at once.
So far we have had very little help for our local organisations from national government. Of course we welcome the funding recently announced, but it is just not enough. In Greater Manchester alone we need an additional £19.5 million. Meanwhile the job retention scheme is unhelpful when organisations need to stay open and keep staff working. And they have had no access to the small business grants offered to other SMEs.
Without urgent action from the UK government to provide support, we are afraid that many of our members will soon be gone – just when they are needed most.
#nevermoreneeded
#buildbackbetter