Blunkett pledges support for voluntary sector at ACEVO’s annual conference

David Blunkett pledged his continuing support to the voluntary
sector in his new role as work and pensions secretary at the ACEVO
conference today.

Speaking at the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary
Sector Organisations annual forum, Blunkett said the government
and
voluntary sector needed to look “imaginatively” at the
delivery of public services.

He said ACEVO’s manifesto for the third sector launched
today was “crucial” for showing the government the
“preparedness” of the voluntary sector in taking on
more public service delivery.

Blunkett said he would work to engage the department for work
and pensions in supporting the voluntary sector, particularly on
the issue of ageing.

He expressed his frustration that some government departments
did not work together enough on “cross-cutting” issues,
and criticised departments that viewed such issues as
“someone else’s business”.

Blunkett told the audience of 150 chief executives that he would
ask Paul Goggins, the new minister with responsibility for the
voluntary sector, to look at reducing the “burden” of
paperwork and audit trails for organisations that “clearly
demonstrated their competence and probity”.