The two organisations, which between them represent around 150,000 voluntary and community sector organisations, will collaborate on issues such as local government policy, particularly Local Strategic Partnerships and Local Area Agreements, regional government policies and funding arrangements. They are also to hold shared conferences and will make joint submissions such as that to the Comprehensive Spending Review – a Treasury report assessing government expenditure.

Kevin Curley, chief executive of NACVS, said: “This is a flexible arrangement which we will be able to review from time to time to ensure that the collaboration is as effective as possible.

“Closer collaboration will enable us to use our resources more efficiently while at the same time letting us speak as one, giving the organisations we represent a much more powerful voice.”