Community and voluntary sector needs funding not cuts

I welcomed the opportunity to attend a roundtable about the community and voluntary sector, organised by Community Links and the London Voluntary Service Council (LVSC). It brought together a number of great organisations and charities to raise awareness of issues that London’s voluntary and community are facing. Together, this sector employs over 250,000 people in London, 7% of the capital’s working population, and contributes £18 billion to London’s economy.

The Community Links and the London Voluntary Service Council

This roundtable not only was a chance for me to hear how I can incorporate their proposals into my manifesto, but also to get a real understanding of the reality of the coalition government’s cuts on local services for advice, health, children and young people. In the last year, 86% of volunteer centres have seen an increase in the number of enquiries, yet their funding has been massively cut. How can they possibly manage? The answer is, without the adequate funding, they simply can’t.

Worryingly, there has been an increase in debt levels among young people and without advice on how to deal with their debt, coupled with high youth unemployment and cuts to youth services, we should all be concerned as to the future of London’s youth.

One of the key messages was that local authorities are a major funder of local services and yet, depending on the borough, the amount of money they received varied dramatically. We need a Mayor that ensures greater coordination of advice and funding across all London boroughs so that all Londoners have equal access to the advice they need. As Mayor, I would champion community development, work with front line services and charities who provide local advice and advocacy and push for more intergenerational work between old and young people.

Prevention is key, and it is better to spend more now, so we will have to pay less later. I really take my hat off to these voluntary and community organisations who are an invaluable asset to London.