Government support needed elsewhere, sector told

Charities have been warned to expect less government support following the vote to leave the EU, a report says.

David Emerson, chief executive of the Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF) has told the voluntary sector that the increasing demands on the government will lead to less time and fewer resources directed at charities.

Speaking at the Directory of Social Change Brexit seminar, he told delegates that the strain of leaving the EU would divert attention to more pressing matters such as rewriting laws and negotiating trade deals.

In reference to Rob Wilson, the Minister for Civil Society, Mr. Emerson said: “We might have had some reservations about the minister before, but now we have some reservations about his capacity and his timing. How is he going to be able to devote as much time to charities?

“He said that all government departments would be forced to spend ministerial time on removing EU legislation and deciding what should replace it, leaving a ‘kind of paralysis”.

Mr Emerson added: “I can’t see we’re going to get a lead from government. I can’t see that there’s going to be any capacity or scope, so we’re going to be left much more to sort out how we can do things between ourselves.”

In February this year, the ‘Britain Stronger in Europe’ campaign claimed that the not-for-profit sector would lose more than £200million in funding each year if the UK voted to leave Europe.

For help regarding your charity finances and advice following the vote to leave the EU, please contact Moore Thompson. Our detailed knowledge of the technical requirements of the accounting regime affecting charities means we are in the best possible position to offer you advice.