HC Deb 11 December 2003 vol 415 cc90-1WS
The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. David Blunkett)

I am pleased to announce that arrangements for the implementation of the futurebuilders fund for voluntary and community sector have now been completed. The fund will be transferred to the active communities unit in the Home Office from HM Treasury. Futurebuilders is a £125 million investment over three years, mainly for one-off investment funding. We expect funding to come on stream towards the end of this financial year. The vast majority of the funds will be available in the next two financial years. The availability of funding will be publicised and organisations will be able to apply.

The fund will be aimed at helping individual voluntary and community sector organisations strengthen the scale and scope of their contribution to the delivery of public services. This fund complements the £80 million already being made available to support the implementation of a strategy for the development and support of voluntary and community organisations being jointly developed by government and the sector. Over £200 million is therefore being invested between now and 2006 to building capacity within communities.

This fits with our wider strategy to promote and develop volunteering and mentoring for all ages. We will shortly be investing funding in a number of volunteering initiatives including work with older volunteers.

This will strengthen our communities and help ensure that they are better able to shape and deliver the services they need and to engage in volunteering and mentoring.