Public faith in charities is declining

A new report from the Charities Aid Foundation has found that half of the general public don't think charities create a vibrant community life. It also revealed a big difference in the way politicians and the public in general view the trustworthiness of the voluntary sector. 73 per cent of the MPs surveyed thought charities were trustworthy and acted in the public interest, compared with only 57 per cent of the public.

The research (based on a ComRes survey of 150 MPs and more than 2,000 adults carried out online between 12 and 14 June), found that the majority of the public (60 per cent) agreed that money given to charities by the government to run public services should not be a focus for spending cuts, compared with 45 per cent of MPs. 

Turn2us commented, "It is important that charities share the value of the work that they do and it is encouraging that this is seen to be having an impact in parliament. It is increasingly hard for the sector to get their message out to those that need our support, as well as those who would like to support out work, but this report shows that now is the time to ensure that we get our message across. It is important that charitable activity is never left to take up the slack from the state, and to that end we must all work together to ensure that our work as charities is recognised and supported by government.”

Read the full report: Under the Microscope – Examining The Future of Charities in Britain.