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Government responds to the Commission on the Future of Volunteering with £6million new funding

7 March 2008
CAB/024/08

Phil Hope, Minister for the Third Sector, today published the Government's response to the Commission on the Future of Volunteering report, Manifesto for Change. In it the Government accepts the majority of the Commission's recommendations and backs this up with £6million new investment.

Phil Hope, Minister for the Third Sector, said:

‘The Manifesto for Change presents a compelling case for action so I am pleased to accept most of the recommendations, in some cases with more investment than asked for. The Government is committed to opening up volunteering opportunities for people in all parts of society because it gives so much to the community and so much to the volunteer. I thank the Commission on the Future of Volunteering for all their excellent work.’

The Commission's report includes recommendations for Government, the third and the private sector. Acting on the recommendations to it the Government will:

• Invest £4million in new training programmes for volunteers and volunteer managers.
• Invest £2million to create a new access to volunteering fund for disabled people.
• Produce guidance to help avoid unnecessary criminal records checks being carried out.
• Improve coordination of volunteering by civil servants.
• Support existing events to promote volunteering.

In addition, the Government will undertake further work on the viability of the recommendation to include volunteering in the inspection of public services.

The Government will not be taking forward some of the recommendations. Existing programmes are already investing in local volunteering infrastructure so the recommendation for investment in this area will not be acted on. Also there will not be a Cabinet Minister level post for Volunteering, as existing government structures already give volunteering powerful representation.

The Commission on the Future of Volunteering is chaired by Baroness Neuberger who has a separate role as the Government's independent Volunteering Champion. The Manifesto for Change was published on 25 January 2008.

Notes to Editors

1. The Government's response to the Commission on the Future of Volunteering [PDF 86KB, 11 pages] is available
2. The Commission on the Future of Volunteering is an independent body established by the England Volunteering Development Council to develop a long-term vision for volunteering in England as a legacy of the Year of the Volunteer 2005. For further information please see: http://www.volcomm.org.uk/[External website]
3. The Prime Minister appointed Baroness Neuberger to be the Government's independent volunteering champion in June 2007. She is currently undertaking work to review the role of volunteers and volunteering in public services.
4. The Office of the Third Sector (OTS) in May 2006 to drive forward the Government's role in supporting a thriving third sector, and join up sector related work across government.

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