Last Sunday our Chief Executive, Elise Stewart, spoke on BBC’s Politics Wales programme about the financial challenges facing the voluntary sector and her fears for the communities we serve. WCVA’s Matthew Brown highlighted the multiple extraordinary pressures faced by charities across Wales.

Here is a transcription of the feature on Politics Wales:

Charities are expecting the Welsh Government’s budget later this month to be brutal; there have already been cuts this year.

The Factory in Porth is owned by the charity Valleys Kids, which provides services to young and old in the Rhondda.  On the day we visited, they were certainly hitting the right notes (scene of the community choir singing Christmas carols).

Choir members said:

“I look forward all week to come.  It’s socialisation, it’s really feeling good and enjoying singing.”

“It’s more than some community choir, it’s known as a really friendly, supportive group.  It’s a great social support network actually.”

But the mood music for Wales’ charity sector is more discordant.

Elise Stewart, Chief Executive of Valleys Kids said:

“I can’t tell you about the knots in my stomach and the butterflies.  Of course I’m scared.  I’m scared for the communities, for the people who use our services, for the organisations that provide those services across the board, yes, of course, you know, and I shouldn’t be the only one who is scared.”

Trying to help the helpers is Matthew Brown.  He said the UK Government’s autumn statement was no saviour, but is clear what he wants Welsh Government to do.

Matthew Brown, Wales Council for Voluntary Action, said:

“They’ve really got to think about their decisions.  We’ve really got to be spending on preventative agendas.  We’ve got to stop people turning up in crisis, whether that’s our hospitals, our police stations, and we’ve got to be investing in the voluntary sector and charitable activities to stop those crises happening wherever we can.”

Elise Stewart said:

“Preventative services meet the needs of communities on the ground. If they’re not there, then the problems don’t go away, they get bigger, require much higher intervention at a later date that’s probably more costly and less effective.  It’s a simple equation.”

To view the segment on Politics Wales about the challenges facing the third sector, click here and view from minute 22:32

To view the section transcribed above, go to minute 25:34.