Volunteering England responds to Mr Christopher Chope’s Private Member’s Bill

Friday, 10 June 2011

Chief Executive, Justin Davis Smith, said:

"Whilst we welcome the move to reduce the red tape surrounding volunteering, we do not believe the proposals in Mr Chope’s Private Member's Bill are the answer. Safeguarding is an important issue, and we hope that reforms to the current CRB system within the Protection of Freedoms Bill will strike the appropriate balance - ensuring vulnerable people are protected whilst making sure volunteers aren’t put off.

"Volunteering England has worked with Lord Hodgson’s De-Regulation Taskforce to identify the barriers to volunteering and how we can work together to overcome them. Our campaign to Free Volunteering from Red Tape is underway to make it easier for people to give their time, and we will continue to do all we can to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy."