SCVO/TSI Scotland Network letter to Angela Rayner, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities & Local Government

Thursday 5 September 2024

Dear Secretary of State,

Over the past couple of years, we have closely worked with partners in Scotland and with previous UK Ministers on the design and delivery of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). From the publication of the Levelling Up White Paper, we have consistently stressed the importance of engagement with the voluntary sector in Scotland across the three UKSPF investment priorities.

While the future of the UKSPF was not mentioned in the Chancellor's recent statement, we believe it is now urgent to provide clarity on the future of these funds. The impending loss of funding will have a significant impact on people and communities in Scotland with most organisations likely to consider ending projects, with resulting redundancies, in the absence of certainty regarding the future of Levelling Up funds.

There is an opportunity in the coming months to co-design a new programme that can enable the strengths of the voluntary sector across the UK to fully contribute to bringing growth, equality and wellbeing to all our communities. As Sir Keir Starmer acknowledged earlier this year ‘for too long, [the] voice [of civil society] has been ignored between the shouts of the market and the state’ and ‘the relationship between government and civil society needs a reset’. This new programme must be designed in partnership with our sector. It must recognise the value of voluntary organisations, and their expertise, by involving them directly in the design and decision-making processes from the start.

While such discussions take place, the UK Government must also ensure that the transition is well-managed. We believe that a one-year extension to existing funded projects would help support the sector and ensure that data on the impact of UKSPF can be fully analysed, shared and used by all partners to design a new scheme.

Engagement with our sector encourages more innovative ways of working as well as reaching into the heart of local communities. In Scotland, the best way to do that is through the appropriate Third Sector Interface (TSI). We are very clear that partnership working is the only way for the UKSPF, and other similar future funds, to make a positive difference for communities.

We would also like to see a clear commitment from the UK Government to longer term funding so that more strategic and sustainable programmes can be put in place. Multi-year, longer term funding enables both stability and ambition in designing and delivering programmes. It is impossible to over-emphasise what a difference this makes to the quality and outcomes of the sector’s work, not least because of the ability to recruit and retain skilled staff.

The voluntary sector plays a fundamental role in the economy, in helping to mitigate and tackle the impacts of poverty and inequality that are such a drain on economic and societal wellbeing. While there are many challenges facing us all today, there are also many opportunities for innovation, investment and partnership working. We are keen to build new relationships with you and your officials and would therefore welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss your priorities further.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,
Anna Fowlie
Chief Executive
Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO)

Lesley Kelly
Chief Officer,
Midlothian Voluntary Action on behalf of TSI Scotland Network