Rachael Maskell MP has announced she will be holding weekly surgeries for voluntary and community organisations.
Responding to the many challenges facing the breadth of charities, voluntary and community organisations and social enterprises, Labour’s Shadow Minister will hold weekly surgeries with organisations in the sector staring on Tuesday 28 April 2020. To book an appointment please email rachael.maskell.mp@parliament.uk.
The surgeries will create opportunities for organisations to share their experiences of the current crisis and how they will need support to continue to provide services to their communities.
Over 20 million people dedicate time to volunteer each year, they are the glue that hold our society together. Each volunteer is supported by one of 168,000 different organisations without the right support many charities fear that they will not be able to survive the current crisis.
It is estimated that lost fundraising, donations and trading income will cost the sector £4.3bn during the first 12 weeks of the coronavirus outbreak in the UK. The Government has so far announced £750m in support, of which most will go towards providing additional services at this time. Many organisations are not eligible for the Government’s financial packages and are therefore looking to the Government for financial support to underpin their organisations through the lockdown period and beyond. As the same time, most organisations will not be able to participate in their normal fundraising activities, many of which are scheduled for spring.
Rachael Maskell MP says:
“No matter how large or small, all charities are facing serious challenges at this time. I want to create an opportunity for organisations across the sector to talk through the challenges that confront them, how they require support from Government and wider society and their long term aspirations, and champion their work in Parliament.”
NAVCA CEO Jane Ide says:
“The Shadow Minister and I had a long conversation about the challenges facing the sector and the need for urgent support when she had been in post less than 48 hours. We’re very pleased to have had what I hope will be the first of many conversations, and to see this innovative step for engagement with organisations across the sector.”
You can read the full article on the link below:
https://navca.org.uk/news-and-views/f/shadow-minister-listens-to-vcse-sector