Big society could hit small charities hard
Andy Hillier
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Will small and medium-sized youth charities be among the biggest losers of the coalition government? It seems an odd question to ask given the now youth minister Tim Loughton's comments before the election that he would make it a personal priority to find new ways of supporting the voluntary youth sector.
But with the arrival of the coalition government has come the big society concept: a vision where the state takes a step back and members of the public take more responsibility for running services in their area.
The problem for small and medium-sized youth charities is that the big society steps firmly on their toes. Now where the state once paid them to deliver youth services, well-meaning members of the public could well be expected to step in and deliver activities for little or no cost. And projects that do require funding will have to provide comprehensive - and no doubt very expensive - evidence to support their claims, playing into the hands of the larger charities with deeper pockets.
Add to this the fact that the estimated £300m to £400m in unclaimed assets now looks unlikely to be spent solely on youth projects, and smaller youth charities could be hit in a range of ways.
Youth charities can seek to diversify their funding by approaching grant-making bodies, companies and the public for money but they will be forced to compete with emotive causes like disability and even animal welfare charities.
Unless something happens quickly, our smaller youth charities could be in for a bumpy ride.
Howard Williamson column
I'm delighted to announce that Howard Williamson will now write a monthly column for Youth Work Now. Williamson has written for Children & Young People Now and its predecessor Young People Now since 1988 and brings a wealth of experience to the magazine.
Andy Hillier, editor, Youth Work Now
