Charitable and Voluntary Sector

Baroness Massey of Darwen Excerpts

Thursday 30th April 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Massey of Darwen (Lab)]

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Addington, for securing this important debate. I pay tribute to the vast number of charity workers and volunteers. They are often the cement that holds society together.

The Government’s emergency support fund is, of course, hugely welcome, but it cannot resolve the long-term effects of Covid-19, which may go on for years. All the charities I have spoken to emphasise the need to be able to plan strategically and maintain their structures. This is often not built into funding, and funding is becoming scarcer while demand increases. Legacy and direct debit funding are going down, donations are hard to come by and large organisations fear damage from the impact of Covid-19 on the Stock Exchange.

I want to mention two local charities feeling the effects of Covid-19. I have two friends who work as volunteers in a food bank, Fitzjohn’s in Lewes. Volunteer numbers have had to be reduced due to social distancing, but there are constant requests for more help. They are managing vulnerable people, some with complex needs who may find it difficult to cope with applying for support. The main income is from local fundraising and the yearly council grant.

The other organisation, of which I am a patron, is the Maya Centre in north London. It is a small women’s counselling centre and 60% of its cases involve domestic violence. There are increasing requests for counselling from women who have been bereaved and are traumatised. New funding has to be found for online working. A big problem for the charity is that many funders, including the Big Lottery Fund, deal only with new applications, so the Maya Centre no longer qualifies. What will our society look like without local charities such as food banks and women’s centres? How much long-term damage might be done to vulnerable people and who will pick up the pieces, often at great cost? How will the Government assess local needs and respond?