Political parties were yesterday urged to ensure new ways of supporting and enhancing volunteer and community work are included in the next programme for government.
The Wheel, an organisation that provides support to hundreds of community and voluntary groups, issued a manifesto that sets out 14 practical steps that would help sustain activity in the voluntary sector. An estimated two million adults participate in some way in the community or voluntary activity. Deirdre Garvey, the Wheel's chief executive officer, said the Government needed to provide a more supportive and enabling environment for such volunteer work.
She suggested the next government could ensure support similar to those available to businesses is available to the community and voluntary sector.
The recommendations include:
• Introduce a VAT refund scheme for charities;
• Involve communities and empowering people in decision-making processes;
• Incentivise philanthropy and private giving through extending tax relief on donations;
• Provide a new framework for funding community and voluntary organisations;
• Provide a space for dialogue between the community and voluntary sector and the State;
• Address the insurance requirements of community and voluntary organisations.
Ms Garvey said: "Like all organisations, whether public or private, community and voluntary organisations need to be able to plan ahead and need some security of income to do this.
"The next government needs to establish a new framework for funding the sector to make sure that all State funds are provided on a multi-annual basis and that they are index-linked to the pay commitments in the national agreement so that organisations can pay their staff fairly."