National Assembly for Wales: Funding Of Voluntary Sector Organisations

Inquiry

As Director of Wales Council for the Blind, I would like the opportunity to submit evidence to the Communities and Culture Committee.

I would like the opportunity to make a presentation to the Committee to explain the following points in greater detail and to help the Committee to examine the validity of these points.

1. Current Assembly funding arrangements

1.1 Funding period

We appreciate the fact that funding is now far less often allocated on an annual basis. We would like to suggest that further steps in this direction are considered i.e. five year funding, funding on a rolling programme. The reasons for this are that :

it would facilitate programme planning
it would facilitate grant applications from other sources
it would aid sustainability
it would improve employment conditions for both employer and employee

1.2 Subject areas

For many of us, the concept of Wellbeing was welcomed enthusiastically because it embodied what we had known from our experience for many years - the inter-action of different policy areas on the citizen. It remains for the Assembly to take this fully on board in its funding of the voluntary sector. It is urgent that cross-section funding be established and that there are opportunities for both funder and fundee to plan work realistically and sensibly. This could be achieved by more joint working by the Divisions within the Assembly or by more flexibility or by a special pot of funding.

1.3 Work on Equality issues

The place of work on Equality issues and on rights and entitlements has not yet been properly seated in Assembly funding. Through the V.S.P.C., requests have been made for an open and transparent grant scheme both core and project for work in this area of for contributions to work of which this is an element. So far this has resulted in the excellent Disadvantaged Groups scheme but this travels through local authorities so fulfills only a part of the need. When we are considering capacity building with disadvantaged groups, especially where they are low incidence, focusing on new or unpopular issues, the support and development work is often provided by organisations at a Wales level. The question then is how we provide that service without increased capacity ourselves and how we can sustain that role.

1.4 European funding

Whilst this source of funding provides a much needed boost in some areas of Wales, the issues dealt with by the voluntary organisations are not confined to areas of multiple deprivation or to Objective I areas. In some cases they may be as bad or more difficult to reach in less deprived areas. We may also be working as does the Assembly to ensure that all areas of Wales get equal attention.

This funding can skew our programmes unless there is some ability to match it with other Assembly funding.

1.5 Timing

This autumn has been a good - or a bad - example of the funding timetable. The deadlines of several large funding applications fell close together and another small scheme was notified at very short notice. It would help enormously if this could be addressed imaginatively so as to spread the load and yet to work within the constraints of the Assembly's own timetable.

2. Wales Council for the Blind's funding

2.1 Working at strategic level

We have had the benefit of core funding under Section 64 for many years but have always endeavoured to increase the proportion of funding from other sources.

The importance of core funding from the Assembly lies in the fact that we together with other all-Wales organisations work at a strategic level and in our experience it is extremely difficult to attract funding for strategic work from most other sources. If the Assembly needs organisations in the third sector working effectively at strategic level, this fact needs to be recognised.

2.2 Wales and devolved organisations

Whilst both independent Wales organisations and those that are branches of UK organisations contribute and justify funding from the Assembly, independent organisations have less funding opportunities for seeking funding; UK organisations can draw on larger pots of money. The proportion of money coming to Wales from UK Trusts is far less than the population proportion. Therefore the Assembly needs to think through how to deliver fair, equitable and effective funding taking into account performance, funding opportunities and the networks that have been established.

2.3 Local authority funding

This is a major source of funding for voluntary organisations. However funding that travels through local authorities suffers from its own problems. Applying to 22 L.A.s is not efficient and often not effective for all-Wales organisations. Sometimes it makes inadequate reference to national strategies and standards. We understand the point of view of the L.A.s but that doesn't help us when it comes to obtaining funding from this major alternative source of funding.

3. The relationship between the Assembly and the voluntary sector

From a personal standpoint, making funding applications to the Assembly still feels like a very old-fashioned process or like a Dutch auction. It does not reflect the changes that have taken place in the political relationship between the Assembly and the voluntary sector.

Since we co-operate successfully on developing policy and consultation, it does not make sense for us to be making closed bids for programmes which we should be discussing with the politicians and officers. One of the main purposes of our existence is to be close to services users and to represent the interests of particular sectors. Whilst the Assembly uses us in this valuable role in developing strategy and policy, it should be using it in decisions on allocating grant-aid so that it gets the best out of the sector and the best for its money.

I look forward to a time when funding for the voluntary sector is a matter of negotiation, taking into account:

what would and would not be likely to obtain funding from elsewhere
what tackles the Assembly's priorities and what tackles other priorities of the service users
the range of funding schemes available from within the Assembly
what could be obtained from elsewhere with support from the Assembly
etc.

and for this to form part of a negotiation process.

Ideally there would be a special unit to act as a broker. The Assembly would need to make the political decision as to where this unit would be best placed - within the Assembly, within the voluntary sector or as an independent body.