A district council singled out for praise by Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles in his speech to the NCVO annual conference last week has in fact been treating the local voluntary sector like a “political football”, according to its local CVS.
Pickles used his speech to an audience of civil society representatives to describe Tendring District Council as one of the progressive local authorities that grasps the government’s imperative that councils value and respect their local civil society.
“Tiny Tendring Council is completely transforming the way it works with the voluntary sector,” he said. “Instead of an annual £50,000 grant shared between a handful of groups, they are offering half a million pounds which any group with ideas and innovation can bid for.”
But Sharon Alexander, chief officer at Tendring Council for Voluntary Service (CVST), says Pickles’ upbeat depiction of the situation masks the true story.
She said the new £500,000 pot is a one-off fund open to any local entity, including schools, colleges, town and parish councils as well as civil society groups and that it is primarily designed to save the council money.
CVST received an email from the Council at 4.45pm on Friday 14 January explaining that in three weeks’ time the Cabinet would consider a recommendation to scrap the £50,000 small grants programme which CVST administered on its behalf.
The following Monday CVST staff and trustees held an emergency meeting to discuss the position and decided to go to the local media with the news.
Despite representations to the council and a demonstration outside its offices on the day of the Cabinet meeting, the recommendation to cease the small grants programme was passed. However, at the same time the council announced the new £500,000 pot that will be available to any group with an idea about how to save the council money or improve public services.
Alexander said that since then there have been numerous articles and letters in the press from supporters, local organisations, councillors and the council’s finance portfolio-holder. “We have asked individual councillors that we do not wish to be treated like a political football, but the fact is they are,” she said. “Disappointingly, this portfolio holder seems to have taken a grudge against CVST.”
Council: Move is not political
However, Richard Walker, the Council’s head of community services, refuted the accusation that the sector was being treated like a political football.
“It’s true that we are embracing the government’s Big Society idea of the local community having more engagement and taking more ownership of its area, but it’s nothing to do with politics,” he said.
The Council’s letter announcing the new funding pot had been sent to over 800 organisations, including charities, schools, church groups, sports clubs and neighbourhood watch groups, and had received a very positive response, he said. Application forms have not yet been set out but the Council won’t put any limits on the amounts able to be applied for.
Walker added that the programme was definitely not just about saving the Council money, even though it is facing a cut of £4.5m from its annual £20m budget over the next four years. “The criteria is about putting something into the community, improving services in the area,” he said. “If it can also save the Council money then that’s a bonus.”
Alexander added: “We have now taken the view that we need to work with Tendring Council’s new CEO and have already met with him twice and pitched a project which is to encourage groups to work collaboratively.
“We have the full backing from the gazette editor who has been really supportive and has even made the link this week between the council’s health and safety officer patrolling council workers’ cars for smokers at what cost whilst local groups are facing closure.”
