The results of a new survey of chief officers of Councils for Voluntary Service suggests that uncertainties brought about by last year’s public spending cuts may be subsiding.

The annual survey, by umbrella body Navca, found that around 10 per cent of CVSs said they would merge in the coming year, a figure that has stayed the same for the last four years.  

But a big difference was seen in the number saying they don’t know if they will merge – down from 43 per cent last year to just 14 per cent this year.  According to Navca, “this may indicate that uncertainty brought about by major funding cuts in 2011 is subsiding”.

However, local charities and community groups are increasingly finding themselves competing with national charities for contracts.  In previous years, around a third of chief officers said they knew of a local organisation that had lost public funding in competition with a national charity for a services contract.  This year the percentage rose to 56 per cent.

Joe Irvin (pictured), Navca’s chief executive, said: “I cannot help but think that both national and local government are missing a trick by not using our network more.  This survey shows that our members are supporting the initiatives that help local charities.

“But local charities and community groups could receive much more support if government relied more on our network to deliver programmes to support local charities and community groups.”

Navca's analysis of the survey results can be found here.