OTS withdraws funding from Campaigning Research Programme
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16 Nov 2009
Third Sector online reports that the Office of the Third Sector has reallocated funds of £750,000 designated for small campaigning charities to the £16.7m Hardship Fund.
Third Sector online article:Government reallocates charity campaigning cash to Hardship Fund
(13 November 2009)
In response to this announcement by Angela Smith MP, Minister for the Third Sector, Richard Corden, Chief Executive of the Commission for the Compact, said:
"Ministers are of course free to decide what programmes public money is spent on, and to change their decisions sometimes. But the whole point of Government Compact commitments when withdrawing funding is to minimise the harmful and destabilising effects on third sector organisations, by giving them reasonable notice and consulting them about it. It is very disappointing indeed that this was not done in the withdrawal of the Campaigning Research Programme. I hope at the very least the Minister will ensure that any applicant who has already incurred costs or liabilities has their costs covered so that they don't lose out financially."
NAVCAs Chief Executive, Kevin Curley, has written to Angela Smith asking her to reconsider. The letter can be viewed at: www.navca.org.uk/news/crpcancellation
Stuart Etherington, Chief Executive of NCVO, has condemned the decision which appeared to breach the Compact. www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/news/funding/sector-leader-condemns-government-decision-cut-campaigning-fund
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