Kristiana Wrixon, head of policy at ACEVO said: “While he did not say it in such blunt terms, the message from DCMS secretary of state Oliver Dowden was that charities should be more appreciative of the financial package already announced. ACEVO has been clear that £750m is not going to keep enough civil society doors open. The evidence to support this statement has been shared with DCMS and the Treasury repeatedly over the last six weeks.
“I welcome the robust questioning of Mr Dowden by Julian Knight, chair of the DCMS select committee, and other committee members, who raised questions we know our members are concerned about, including the speed at which funds will be distributed and the need for accountability and transparency. ACEVO will keep working to raise these questions and to make the case for further funding by showing why civil society is needed by communities now more than ever.
“Two years ago, when the secretary of state for health and social care, Matt Hancock held the position Mr Dowden does now, he told a room full of charities that they ‘hold our society together’ and that DCMS was the ‘Department for the Things that Make Life Worth Living’. I hope that Mr Hancock is not alone in this view and that we will be able to secure more of the support needed to allow civil society to continue to serve society.”
