Surrey County Council Must Not Cut Support to Surrey's Voluntary Sector.

Speech by County Councillor Fiona White delivered to Surrey County Council on Tue 7th Mar 2006

Surrey County Council gets at least £10 return for every £1 of grant paid to the voluntary organisations

This Motion to Council is not an attempt to ignore the financial situation in which we find ourselves. Rather, it is a recognition of that situation and the need to get the best possible returns for the investment of the Council's money. Let me ask councillors a question. What sort of return do you think we get for every one pound given in grant to a voluntary organisation? Is it three pounds, six pounds, ten pounds? The information which I have gleaned leads me to believe that it is ten pounds or above; if so, the effect of the cuts will be more than £8 million in service provision. I think that any business would be delighted to have such a return on their investment and within a very short space of time.

I have not been able to get a list of the organisations which are likely to be affected by the decision to cut the grants. It seems that the organisations are also somewhat in limbo about the proposals. As you all know, nature abhors a vacuum and speculation is beginning to fill in the details which are not available. Some of the organisations in Guildford who get grant funding believe that they will be affected. They provide help with a very wide range of needs including independent living, lunch clubs and advocacy for older people, mental health issues, support to carers including respite care, people with disabilities, helpline for parents, day centre facilities for people with young children and a furniture recycling scheme and homestart schemes to help pre-school children and their families. You all know I could go on for a very long time with this list and all of you have organisations within your divisions which provide equally good services for your residents.

I would lay very good odds that the councillors in this chamber stood for election because they wanted primarily to work for their own communities and also to provide good services for the residents of Surrey and not for the somewhat dubious honour of putting the title councillor in front of their names. None of us are happy with the idea that those services should be cut or provided to a lower standard. In times of financial hardship we must make sure that what money is available is used most effectively. At the end of the day, ticking the boxes to meet Government targets is less important than making sure that our residents get the best value for the money we can spend.

Surrey Welfare Rights Unit have provided a lot of information about the sort of returns which can be achieved from a targeted campaign by voluntary organisations to increase the take up in benefits. For instance, a campaign in Waverley & Woking showed a return of £20.41 in benefits for every £1 invested, in Epsom & Ewell the return was £20.43 per £1, in Walton £22.82 for every £1 and in Guildford £58.85. Not only does that sort of investment make good financial sense, but think of the effect on the people who received the additional benefits. I know that the way in which rate support grant is calculated means that we no longer get additional grant based on the amount of benefits paid in Surrey. Someone in SCC (I can't remember who) said that there is no benefit to Surrey County Council in the additional take up. In my view, the fact that there is an improvement in the lives of residents is a benefit to Surrey if not directly to this Council.

Finally, I would like to repeat a couple of quotes to you: "We're all in this together - government, business, the voluntary sector, families and individuals. We have a shared responsibility for our future". Who said that? Clem Attlee? Nye Bevan? William Beveridge? Let me give you a further clue: "There is such a thing as society". Yes, David Cameron. So I beg the members of this Council to reconsider the decision to cut the grants. They are the best possible value for money and the effect on the most needy of our residents is almost incalculable.

I commend the Motion to you.

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The Motion read:

"That the Council takes note and,

1. recognises that Surrey voluntary organisations provide very cost-effective support services and information to Surrey residents,

2. agrees to maintain funding for Surrey voluntary organisations in the 2006/07 financial year and not to implement the £838,000 funding reduction contained in the budget and;

3. will take account of this adjustment at the County Council meeting on the 11 April."