Justin Davis Smith, chief executive of Volunteering England has warned that a new £42.5m government fund to support local volunteering infrastructure is not being implemented quickly enough to save volunteer centres already facing closure.

The recent Green Paper on Giving included details of a new fund of £42.5m across four years to support the local volunteering infrastructure.

However, the paper is under consultation until the 9th March, with no deadline yet set for implementing the fund.

Davis Smith said he has had reports from around 30 volunteer centres which fear closure as a result of local government spending cuts:

“The Green Paper on Giving brought the great news of a fund of £42.5m," he said.

“But now I am worried that exciting opportunities will be lost where volunteer centres will be closing down before the new fund comes into effect.”

Local authorities are the main source of funds for volunteer centres. Of the 250 volunteer centres in membership with Volunteering England, approximately 90 per cent receive funding directly from local government.