15 Apr Every penny donated can help Torbay’s communities

Image courtesy of Freepik.com

Times in the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector are tough, and they are about to get even tougher.

Sadly, the need for charities far outweighs the funding available, and as the economy shrinks, so do the grants. It is a bitter irony that in tough times, as the need for charitable work increases,  the funding sources become scarcer.

After years of cutbacks caused by austerity, VCSE organisations can only survive if they are lean and efficient, and the vast majority are now so lean that there is nothing left to cut.

Times were already hard, and now, with energy prices once again spiralling due to the war in Iran, things are about to get even harder, with the prospect of people this winter once again having to choose between heating their homes and putting food on the family table.

Luckily, summer is just around the corner, but even the optimists among us fear what Winter might bring, and many in the VCSE are braced for a repeat of what we saw a few years ago when the economy was hit by COVID and energy prices were inflated by the war in Ukraine.

Food banks became the norm for the first time for many families as they juggled with rising prices and a plummeting economy that threw many out of work, and it was down to the united efforts of the VCSE sector to support them.

Most charities survive on a combination of funding sources, enabling organisations to deliver services, support communities, and address social challenges that are often unmet by government or private enterprise. Without sustainable funding, even the most impactful charities struggle to maintain services.

There are several primary sources of charity funding, each has its own advantages and challenges.  Local authority and government funding play a significant role, particularly for charities. However, relying on this type of funding can make charities vulnerable to policy changes and budget cuts.

What is regarded as important one day can disappear from the public eye overnight, and with it goes the money that supports it.

Trusts and foundations are another important funding source. Applying for grants is highly competitive and time-consuming, requiring detailed proposals and evidence of impact. Nevertheless, successful applications can result in significant funding for projects or core costs.

For some charities, public donations are common, ranging from small individual contributions to large philanthropic gifts. These donations are often driven by emotional engagement, awareness campaigns, and trust in the organisation’s mission.

But the problem remains,  there are hundreds of charities all hoping to benefit from diminishing funding sources, which means only the strongest can survive.

It is no different at Torbay Communities, where we strive to maintain our support for the most vulnerable in society, particularly those at risk of becoming lonely and isolated, and to do that, we have to tell our story. We cannot assume that people know what we do or how much we rely on the generosity of our funders to continue.

So here goes: Torbay Communities is an umbrella organisation that works alongside dozens of other voluntary community and social enterprise organisations to provide support for thousands of mainly vulnerable and lonely people of all ages across the Bay.

We have a team of Community Builders who work in every area of the Bay. They help people to live their best lives, often reintroducing them to their own communities and watching as they blossom, forging new friendships, rekindling hobbies and interests, and giving them the confidence to get out and about again.

Then there is the Torbay Community Helpline, set up one week before COVID brought us our first lockdown. We provided a shopping and prescription collection service, facilitated telephone befrienders and recruited an army of volunteers to help their neighbours, including staffing and helping set up the vaccination centres. We have since expanded our services to include mental health, domestic abuse and sexual violence, homelessness, food support and poverty. We boast ‘One call, that’s all’, and we are busier than ever.

We provide funding advice for other organisations, as well as being responsible for Imagine This, the Torbay Citizens’ Assembly, LocalMotion Torbay, Active Lives Torbay, Torbay Together, the Torbay Timebank, People’s Parkfield, the Asylum Seekers & Refugees support team, and the Torbay Community Champion Awards.

Please support us if you can by clicking the orange “donate” button, located top right if you’re on your computer or tablet device, or if you’re on your phone, from the drop-down menu on the top left, or use this handy link: www.torbaycommunities.com/donate/