True value of charity work

NEARLY every man or woman in Yorkshire has been touched by the work of the region's many charities. It's not just the people who are in direct receipt of their help, but the staff, volunteers and donors who all find genuine satisfaction in helping those less fortunate. The state also benefits, because the burden of its own work is eased.

So when the third sector is under threat, it is not just the elderly or infirm who should care. The public sector cuts, which will force a reduction in the value of grants handed out, will hit charities undeniably hard. Organisations like Voluntary Action Kirklees, which has been in existence for 35 years, and the hundreds of people who use its services, will be left in an uncertain position if support disappears.

Such an austere climate does not have to mean the end of dozens of charities in this region, however, as working closer together can reduce back-office costs. Simplifying the means by which grants are allocated could also save cash. Administering public money also uses public money and, while there has to be some kind of oversight, it is inevitable that this will be slimmed down.

As George Osborne works on the Comprehensive Spending Review, he must bear in mind how many of the old and the sick, the homeless and those with addictions, are helped by bodies which rely on a mix of state funding and private donations.

Preventing charities from doing their work will only allow more social problems to flourish and create a greater long-term cost for the taxpayer, when growth in jobs is well below expectations.

The coalition's attitude to third sector funding will present a vital test of David Cameron's pledge to create a "Big Society". If he can cut the cost of the state without impinging upon social justice, then this will help his administration to claim the mantle of radical reformer which it so covets.