The Office of the Third Sector has revealed that five of its strategic partners will benefit from funding of over £1m during the 2007-8 Strategic Partners Programme.

A list of the funding granted to the department’s partners was published yesterday by Phil Hope, minister for the Third Sector, (pictured) in an answer to a written parliamentary question posed by shadow charities minister Greg Clark.

Youth volunteering charity v topped the list with £2m, followed by Volunteering England with £1.5m and Community Service Volunteers and the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation which will both receive just over £1m. Other groups to benefit from over £1m in strategic funding are the NCVO and the Women’s Royal Voluntary Service.

In answer to a second parliamentary question from Clark, Hope confirmed that v would receive £39m from the government during 2007-8, up from £25.6m in 2006-7.

The Strategic Partners Programme began in April 2006 with the aim of providing strategic grant funding under three areas: to organisations providing a voice for the voluntary and community sector; those promoting the national debate around volunteering and those promoting philanthropy through charitable giving.

In June 2007 seven new social enterprise strategic partners were also added to make the programme more representative of the Office of the Third Sector’s business.

Other groups on the list include the National Association for Voluntary and Community Action, which will receive £414,394; acevo, which will receive £205,000; and the Institute of Fundraising which will receive £256,300.

A full list of funding allocated under the Strategic Partners Programme (2007-8) can be found here.