Well, what a fortnight, ‘things are coming fast!’ The government has announced a merger of functions of the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England. The major reforms aim to reduce bureaucracy and duplication, make savings and empower NHS staff to deliver better care for patients with more resources being put back into frontline services.
This week Sharon is celebrating International Women’s Day, unveiling our VCSEF Survey Report and also discusses the Government’s announcement regarding its new Plan for Neighbourhoods, which is a £1.5 billion program aimed at investing in 75 areas over the next 10 years, including Bilston.
Financially, these are challenging times. The Council has announced that it has reduced the amount it needs to save over the next two years from £32.6 million to £17.2 million by 2026/2027 and that it has set a balanced budget going forward.
We often highlight the importance of volunteering and one of the statistics that has come out of the survey is that in Wolverhampton over one year, if agencies had to pay volunteers the minimum wage, the wage bill would be £4 million – and that is just based on the 109 organisations who responded to the survey – so what is the real cost and the real value?
I always say that the VCSEF sector is in a constant state of renewal and development despite many challenges, which is great for our communities and citizens. This week we had the January VCSEF Alliance meeting. There was good engagement and interaction, and it was great to see so many new faces at the meeting.
As we look forward to 2025, we know that the VCSEF sector makes a vital contribution to the economy, keeping local wealth local, supporting people into work and creating jobs. However, sustainability is always a key issue for the sector, particularly now as we operate within an environment of rising costs, decreasing funding and increasing demands from our communities and citizens.