An "army of volunteers" should be used to deliver public services, Martyn Lewis, the chair of the NCVO, said today.

Lewis, the former BBC broadcaster, told The Telegraph today that it was “crazy” not to involve volunteers in delivering publicly funded services, particularly in social care.

He told The Telegraph: “We need to persuade local government organisations that when they award contracts they should tap into local charities that are doing good work and are very close to the ground.

“They have a high degree of expertise and local knowledge. If you look at social care, for example, there are many charities that are helping people to get the right sort of care, and organisations like that need to be supported.”

According to the figures in the 2014 Civil Society Almanac, published by NCVO, 15.2 million people volunteer once a month in the UK.

Lewis argued that this “army of volunteers” could help local government deliver services they are legally obligated to provide.

“Councils can also get far better value out of the voluntary sector,” he said. “NCVO has been lobbying the Government over this, and I think they are keen to do something.”

Lewis was speaking following the publication today of the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, which recognise volunteer organisations for their contributions to local communities.