Voluntary Groups Cry Foul Over Local Funding Switch

Voluntary organisations have criticised radical plans to devolve local funding allocations, saying the scheme excludes them from decision-making.
\

\
Under a pilot programme that comes into force in 2005/06, nine English local authority areas will allocate funding through streamlined processes known as local area agreements.
\

\
But Urban Forum, a leading voluntary sector umbrella group, claimed the plans were ‘a seismic shift’ from previous government initiatives that emphasised the need to engage the sector in decision-making.
\

\
The pilot local area agreements (LAAs) will be structured around three themes - children and young people, safer and stronger communities and health and older people. Authorities and partner agencies will negotiate targets for these areas with central government, but will have the freedom to decide how to achieve them.
\

\