Charity Safety Net Stretched to Breaking Point cont..

The Financial Times last Friday published an article on the voluntary sector filling in the gaps of austerity in which I was quoted.  Having recently blogged about ACEVO's new research that warned the charity safety net is a breaking point, I wrote to the FT in response. 

Here is the letter, which also appeared in the Times. 

Sir, As you report, charities are increasingly acting as the “safety net” for the most vulnerable in our society. A new survey released by the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (Acevo) this week shows that this role is coming under increasing pressure; 88 per cent of charities have seen an increase in demand for services over the past year, and 89 per cent expect further increases in the year to come.

However, fewer than a third of charities feel confident that they will be able to meet this demand. In an environment of spiralling costs and diminishing funds, the government must intervene to ensure that charities retain the capacity and capability to support our most disadvantaged communities.