Concern as community groups use up their ‘savings’ (From York Press)

Concern as community groups use up their ‘savings’

8:09am Thursday 6th September 2012 in News

VOLUNTARY and community-sector organisations are using up reserves of cash this year.

Research carried out by Involve Yorkshire and Humber showed 30 per cent of voluntary and community groups were using savings, which had been set aside for unexpected problems, to keep up their activities.

In addition, 24 per cent said they might use their savings, and another 17 per cent reported they had no reserves to draw upon at all.

Involve Yorkshire and Humber, which supports the voluntary and community sector in the region, said this was a worrying sign that charities were struggling to cope in an environment of increasingly scarce resources Judy Robinson, chief executive, said: “Having some money put by for a rainy day is important not just for individuals but for organisations too – especially when those organisations are charities providing vital services to the elderly or other vulnerable people in Yorkshire.

“We need the Government to listen to what is happening in the voluntary sector, value what we do and invest in us.”