Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the amount of funding for voluntary and community organisations lost since the start of the covid-19 outbreak; and what comparative assessment he has made of the level of funding for those organisations in (a) 2017, (b) 2018, (c) 2019 and (d) 2020.
A complete picture of the impact of covid-19 outbreak on the finances of the voluntary and community sector is not available at this time. However, we recognise that many charities are experiencing pressures as a result of Covid-19, including having to adapt usual forms of income generation, such as fundraising and trading.
Government’s £750 million sector funding package is allowing charities and social enterprises to continue their vital work and support our national response to the pandemic. This was in addition to the unprecedented package of support available across the economy to enable organisations to get through the months ahead. This includes the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which continues to be a lifeline to a multitude of organisations, as well as grants to support those operating premises that have been required to close due to national restrictions.
We continue to work closely with the voluntary and community sector to assess the impact of the crisis and their emerging needs.