Natural partners

摘要

Historically, local authorities have been major funders of the local voluntary and community sector. They have recognised the importance of the sector and their contribution to local wellbeing, offered grants and contracts in return for the delivery of public services, and often, councillors have served as trustees on their boards. However, over the last few years, these relations have become tense and sometimes, tragically, have completely broken down. Some local authorities have ended their grants programmes - replacing them with contracts with specified outputs and outcomes which effectively restrict the sector's capacity to be innovative and responsive.