VS6 response to Danny Kruger’s 'Levelling Up Communities' Report

The VS6 Partnership welcomes Danny Kruger’s Report to Prime Minister Boris Johnson on supporting our communities and voluntary sector but calls for further discussion.

On Thursday 24th September, Danny Kruger MP finally released his much anticipated report entitled “Levelling up our communities: proposals for a new social covenant”. The 52 page report outlines the invaluable role that local communities and the VCFSE sector have played over the course of the pandemic and provides 20 detailed recommendations for the Government, focused on empowering communities, people and places as part of a new ‘social covenant’.

VS6 partners have welcomed the report and are pleased that it has highlighted the significance of the role of the VCFSE sector in the UK’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and beyond. Recommendations such as a more consistent and sustainable approach to funding, a focus on community empowerment, a greater role for the faith sector and a commitment to social value commissioning were encouraging.

Clare White, Chief Executive of Liverpool CVS stated that “We whole heartedly support communities being empowered and supported to tackle challenges at a local level and welcome the proposals put forward to increase funding and infrastructure to enable this to happen on the ground”.

However, whilst recognising the positive aspects of the report, VS6 partners also raised areas of concern with some of Mr Kruger’s recommendations and stressed the importance of working with existing infrastructure organisations to facilitate real and practical solutions to local issues.

Sally Yeoman, Chief Officer of Halton & St Helens VCA, appreciated the recognition of volunteering in the report, however advised that the development of a National Volunteer Reserve would need to take into account the learning from the local volunteering response to COVID-19. She said “We have seen that a locally organised volunteering offer can mobilise quicker and work much more effectively with those most in need than a national programme, with volunteers invested in their supporting their own communities, friends and family” and emphasised that a national approach to volunteering may have less impact.

One of the more controversial recommendations in the report is to “create a modern version of the local Council for Voluntary Services (CVS)”, stating that CVS’s require modernising and reviving. Whilst VS6 partners would welcome support and investment, they are keen to stress that CVS’s in the Liverpool City Region have already successfully modernised and adapted to major challenges throughout their rich history, including not only COVID-19 but throughout years of austerity.

Rachael Jones, Chief Executive Officer of One Knowsley, pointed out that some of the recommendations set out in the report are already in motion in the borough, stating that “We are delighted that we have already been able to make many of the ideas from the report a reality in Knowsley. We have a new contract and a renewed approach to procurement and would be happy to work with Mr Kruger to share our knowledge and expertise”.

Ellen Loudon, VS6 Chair, stated that “Any developments in policy for modernising CVS’s, given the huge contribution of the CVS movement in the emergency response to the COVID-19 crisis, must be done in consultation with these groups. Otherwise there is a danger of losing sight of the innovation and benefits and that were seen during the response and the successes achieved pre-COVID.”

The VS6 Partnership are keen to work closely and share learning with Mr Kruger and the Government to realise the potential of the recommendations in the report, and invite him and his partners to spend time with CVS’s in the Liverpool City Region to understand better the leadership role that CVS have in supporting our VCFSE sector and how they have successfully adapted to enormous challenges.

We will continue to read and digest the report with interest and look forward to having the conversations needed to develop and improve support for CVS and await further developments in this area.