Regions Reject Ringfenced Funds for Voluntary Sector

Controversial plans for a ringfenced fund for voluntary and community groups within regional development agencies’ ‘single pot’ have been dropped. The plan for a 10% fund was originally proposed by Urban Forum, an umbrella body for the voluntary and community sector, as a way of ensuring RDAs gave adequate resources to the sector as single regeneration budget funds came to an end. RDAs resisted the move, arguing ringfencing would not be in the spirit of a ‘single’ pot. Many of them insisted support to the sector already exceeded 10% of their budgets. But opposition also came from within the sector itself. Some felt it would ‘ghettoise’ voluntary and community groups and in some cases could lead to a reduction in resources.
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