- Conference
- 2024 National Community Conference and Seminar
- Date
- 14 November 2023
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) campaign for contracts and grants from government and public bodies to be uplifted to cover the true cost of delivery.
Conference further notes that the voluntary sector delivers over £11 billion worth of public services every year.
These are services that are critical to communities, including services in social care, health, culture and recreation, law and advocacy, employment and training, housing, and education and delivered by UNISON members.
Conference knows that these services have been underfunded for many years – and that the cost of living crisis has made it even more difficult for many organisations to continue delivering them, as both costs and demand for support have increased exponentially.
Conference additionally notes that more than 600 charity leaders across the United Kingdom were surveyed by the Charities Aid Foundation in May 2023. The results of this consultation shows that charities have entered a protracted period of rising demand, increased costs and falling donation income.
Four-fifths (81%) of charities say that demand for their services has increased compared to a year ago, while fewer than two-fifths (38%) of charities have high levels of confidence that they can afford to meet the current demand for their services and only half (55%) of charities are confident they can meet their current overheads, including energy, rent and supplies.
Staffing is emerging as a major issue for many charities with three in five (60%) struggling to recruit or retain suitably qualified candidates or volunteers and 70% of charities now say that the rising cost of living is affecting workforce morale, compared to 53% at the start of 2023.
Conference believes that these findings also reflect the experience of UNISON Community members in England and across our nations/regions as service deliverers and charity employees.
Conference therefore calls on the Community Service Group Executive (SGE) to:
a) Work with the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) in England and other appropriate overarching sector bodies in Scotland, Cymru/Wales and Northern Ireland to campaign for the uplifting of public body grants and contracts.
b) Work with UNISON Labour Link, the National Executive Council and other stakeholders including lobbying political parties in positions of power and influence in Scotland, Cymru/Wales and Northern Ireland to highlight the issue of uplifting grants and contracts from public bodies and the impact this has on the survival of the charity sector, Community members and the services we provide.
