Where do organisations like CABx and Age Concern stand?
We do not support the routine services that are normally delivered by agencies that are part of or affiliated to a wider network such as Age Concern, CABx, Mind. To that list, we would add volunteer centres and council of voluntary service agencies. We make occasional exceptions to this rule where the proposal is clearly for pioneering work that is likely to have a wider impact. For example, we funded Oxford Citizens Advice Bureau, to pilot a project that trained serving prisoners as volunteer advice workers, building skills and increasing confidence. Some went on to work in the advice sector on their release. Another innovative criminal justice project, Blue Sky Development and Regeneration was originally set up as a Thames Valley Groundwork initiative and justified the exception by creating dozens of jobs for ex-offenders while becoming close to self-sustaining.
