This Small Charity Week we're writing a joint letter to Rishi Sunak to speak out about the support and recognition small charities and communities need right now.
Many small charities have told us they need more help to deal with the rise in demand for their services while financial pressures continue to mount.
We want as many small charity leaders to sign our joint letter so we can make our voices heard in No.10 when we deliver it this Thursday! You can read the letter below and sign your name using the form at the bottom of this page. If you want your signature to be included in our letter to the Prime Minister the deadline is midnight (23:59) on Wednesday 21 June 2023.
Dear Prime Minister,
We are representatives from small charities and the voluntary sector in the UK.
In the spring budget your government committed £100 million to voluntary organisations working at the front line of the cost of living crisis. While the money is yet to get out to organisations, we welcome this boost to the sector. But there is much more to do.
During this Small Charity Week, we want to highlight the critical role which small charities are playing in communities and encourage you to further demonstrate your support for these vital organisations.
In recent years we have encountered crisis after crisis - from Covid-19, to supporting refugees fleeing conflict, to now helping with cost-of-living pressures. We have stepped up and stepped in, filling gaps in public services or using our specialist local knowledge, to ensure that communities are safe, supported and reassured. Small, local charities are deeply embedded in their communities and form lasting relationships which have far-reaching positive outcomes.
We are keen to work with government at all levels to meet our shared goals of driving down inequalities and strengthening local communities. But if small charities aren’t supported through these difficult times, we risk losing a crucial national asset. Every day, small charities are closing or reducing services. We are exhausted, burnt out and the mental health of our staff and volunteers is suffering.
Unlike businesses, charities cannot increase prices to cover financial challenges. The tide of demand threatens to overwhelm small charities which make up 96% of voluntary organisations in the UK.
We truly hope that one day many of us will not be needed. And that we will proudly close our doors for the right reasons, knowing we have achieved our visions.
In the meantime, we do not want platitudes, we want to be heard, especially as your government continues to make important spending decisions. We invite you, as Prime Minister, to visit small charities so you can fully understand the critical role these organisations play. We also call on you to agree to meet with the Small Charities Advisory Panel so we can discuss sustainable solutions to ensure we can continue offering lifesaving and life-enhancing support to the people your government serves.
Yours faithfully,
The undersigned