For immediate release
Commenting on the Government response to the Commission on the Future of Volunteering, Justin Davis Smith, Chief Executive of Volunteering England, said:
“Volunteering England is very pleased with this evidence that Government has taken the message to “place volunteering in the DNA of our society” to heart and has listened on so many levels to the views of the sector and the general public.
“We welcome its commitment to removing barriers through the establishment of a pilot Access to Volunteering fund to increase opportunities for disabled people to volunteer, and through the extension of the Volunteering for All and Goldstar programmes. We also welcome the £4 million investment in training for volunteers and their managers and look forward to sharing our expertise in the strategic development of the project
“We are delighted that the Office of the Third Sector acknowledges its leadership role and look forward to a more joined up approach to volunteering across Government departments. We are, however, disappointed that they have ignored the Commission’s call for a £5 million matched fund for the strategic development and modernisation of volunteering infrastructure. We have campaigned for sustainable funding for Volunteer Centres and other volunteering development agencies for many years and we would welcome further clarification from Government as to why they are consistently neglecting this key area upon which the success of future volunteering initiatives will depend
“Volunteering England has already started the process of consulting with our members and identifying practical ways in which we can take forward some of the Commission’s recommendations. As we will be holding Government to account on its commitments, so will we take seriously our own leadership role within the volunteering sector and will be working with our members and partner organisations to create an environment in which volunteering can truly thrive.”
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Notes to editors
