Oxford Food Hub say more certainty on funding needed to help small charities
They're calling for longer funding cycles to help important small charities like Oxford Food Hub.
The CEO of Oxford Food Hub has been talking to us about what small charities need from the next government.
Emily Smith from Oxford Food Hub says the next government should look to longer term funding to help organisations like theirs plan better, with current year long funding applications taking up a lot of resources for smaller charities.
She says the so called Cost of Giving Crisis is hitting charities in two ways.
"We've seen energy prices and running costs for charities going up up, at a time when people are coming to those charities more because they need support."
She says despite the generosity of businesses and groups in Oxfordshire they have seen a plateau in personal donations, at a time when running costs are rising and their services in even more demand.
Research released to mark the start of Small Charity Week by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) which is calling on whichever party forms the new government to support and fund small charities as a priority.
There are an estimated 157,400 small charities in the UK – place or issues-based organisations with an income of around £1 million – ranging from food banks to youth clubs to choir groups. Of those that used small charity services in the past year, a three in ten (32%) accessed a community-based food bank, with over a fifth (23%) having to rely on them as frequently as once a week.
The research reveals that nearly half (47%) of Brits believe the government should do more to support these organisations with over two thirds (67%) saying that their closure due to underfunding would have a detrimental impact on their local communities.
Furthermore, as a loneliness epidemic continues to grow across the nation, frequently used socially-led services like sports clubs (90 times), choir groups (89 times), and youth clubs (81 times) can provide much needed respite, with 29% of users doing so to meet new people.
Emily says more certainty around funding would help small charities who are often able to be more nimble and reactive than larger ones, and may be more closely connected with the communities they serve.