Volunteering
Thursday, 12 November 2026
Contributions
Liz Twist (Blaydon and Consett) (Lab)Labour
9. What steps her Department is taking to support volunteering.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Vicky Foxcroft)Labour
I thank my hon. Friend for her support for volunteers who strengthen communities like Blaydon and Consett, and I pay tribute to her first-hand experience as a Samaritan. This year we provided £300,000 for the Big Help Out, promoting nearly 5 million volunteering opportunities across the country. We extended the know your neighbourhood fund, providing an additional £4.5 million to voluntary organisations. We also worked with the Open Data Institute and civil society partners to create a simpler system for advertising opportunities across a range of platforms.
In two weeks’ time, I will hold my annual red kite awards, ensuring that volunteers in Blaydon and Consett know the value of their work—they go above and beyond to help save lives and support whole communities. But for many voluntary organisations rising costs and reduced funding are making that good work ever more difficult. What steps are the Government taking to support voluntary groups and ensure that they are able to continue that vital support?
First, I congratulate my hon. Friend on all the work she does to ensure that the red kite awards take place. This Government are backing a strong and sustainable voluntary sector, as outlined in the civil society covenant, through VAT reliefs on donated goods, updating charity thresholds, which will save £47 million annually, and the £2 million better commissioning pathways programme. We are supporting voluntary organisations to build resilience and deliver vital support.
Tom Gordon (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (LD)Liberal Democrat
This year, Harrogate International Festivals is celebrating its 60th anniversary. It relies on a small army of volunteers to make it happen, with the fantastic leadership of Sharon Canavar as chief executive and Fiona Movley as chair of the board. Increasingly, arts festivals like Harrogate International Festivals are coming under strain, and we need to do more to make sure that we recruit the next generation of volunteers so that it is there for the future. Will the Minister meet me to discuss what more we can do to ensure that the festivals have another 60 years and beyond?
I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on all the work he is doing to celebrate the 60th anniversary of his local festivals. I would be more than happy to meet with him to discuss it further.
Source: UK Parliament Hansard API. Debate ID: 5436635.