Volunteer Centres continue to excel in supporting volunteers and tackling pressing social issues despite a sharp decline in funding from local government, says a new report.

The Annual Return for Volunteer Centres, conducted by the Institute for Volunteering Research at Volunteering England, found that funding from local government across the network declined on average by 12 per cent between 2009-10 and 2010-11.

This decline comes at a time when almost half of all Volunteer Centre enquiries are from people who are unemployed and Government is promoting volunteering as a route back into employment.

Volunteer Centres also continue to be particularly effective at engaging with other sections of society that are targeted by key Government policies, such as young people (27 per cent of enquiries).

In response to this crisis in funding Volunteer Centres have diversified their income, with 6 per cent more charging for the services they provide and income from grant making bodies being increased by 12 per cent.

Justin Davis Smith, chief executive of Volunteering England, said: "These figures demonstrate that at a time when volunteering is higher on the political agenda than ever, the funding unfortunately does not match the rhetoric.

"The vital work of Volunteer Centres continues to be delivered on limited resources, on average two full time and four part time staff, whilst their services are in demand from Work Programme providers and Government agencies who are clearly convinced of the role of volunteering in helping people into work.

"We know that volunteering works but it doesn’t come for free. If we are to increase the already significant role of volunteering in our society in the future, it is crucial we invest now in the local support services that help make it happen."

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