Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support fundraising mentoring in the charitable sector.

Government is committed to building the resilience and independence of smaller charities. Through our ongoing dialogue with representatives from across the sector, we know that small charities can struggle to raise the resources they need.

In recognition of this, the Office for Civil Society in England are providing a multi-year programme of fundraising training and support. In addition to face-to-face training, intensive one-to-one advice sessions and webinars, the programme includes skilled volunteer mentoring, connecting small charities with experienced fundraisers to provide longer term support. The training and support will be provided at little or no cost and the providers will also develop and share fundraising training resources and toolkits to support small charities who might not be able to attend training.

Our vision is of a confident and capable sector, with the ability to raise funds from diverse sources. By increasing their long term sustainability, small charities can continue their vital role in helping to build a stronger society.