Civil society groups in Ealing have been successful in persuading the local council and primary care trust to substantially recast their original proposals for cutting local sector funding.
Proposed budget cuts of 30 per cent and 35 per cent in the first two years have now been reduced to 11 per cent and 21 per cent. This will rise to 30 per cent for 2013/14 but subject to a further review in summer 2012 in light of local and national circumstances.
London Borough of Ealing Council has also agreed to ringfence £527,000 of returned London Councils grant funding for use by the local voluntary sector this financial year, meaning there will actually be an increase in local sector funding in 2011/12 or around 8 per cent.
The Ealing Community Network (ECN), a coalition of more than 450 local voluntary sector groups chaired by the chief executive of Ealing CVS, got on the case early, producing a manifesto as long ago as February 2010 and circulating it to local politicians.
The manifesto contained commitments that cuts to the voluntary sector should be no greater than cuts to the overall council and PCT budgets; that all sector funding streams must be considered, not just direct grants, and that in future commissioning the council and PCT should prioritise groups with a base in the borough and with a long-term commitment to Ealing.
A joint ECN/Council/PCT cuts panel was established last September and at each stage the sector negotiating position was brought back and discussed democratically at ECN meetings which were open to all local organisations.
Sector was a 'responsible partner'
Andy Roper, vice-chair of ECN, said the starting point for the ECN was to recognise the difficult financial position facing the statutory authorities and to be a responsible partner in accepting cuts to the same level as the overall statutory budgets.
It also accepted that the models of funding would change, and that sector groups would have to adapt to less direct local authority and PCT funding and look to new ways of generating income.
And it sought to maintain a core of solid local services delivered by the sector, that can be built up again when the external funding environment improves.
In addition, said Roper, ECN has agreed with the council and PCT that all future grant commissions will include greater use of volunteers and the development of equality access plans and environmental action plans. ECN will also review with the council areas where the sector could deliver more public services – initially in offender management and library services.
Kevin Curley, chief executive of Navca, described the Ealing case as “a good news story where a strong CVS has protected the local sector from the worst of the cuts”.
