Barnet Council acknowledges the voluntary sector role amidst rising costs
The Barnet Together partnership recently wrote to our colleagues at Barnet Council, highlighting the impact of changes to National Insurance contributions from April 2025 on the voluntary sector. We asked if they could advocate on behalf of the sector, highlighting to the government the devastating impact that these increases would have. We asked them to advocate for charities to be included in the list of NIC exemptions.
“The increased NIC costs threaten the very existence of some organisations, forcing others to make redundancies. It is crucial that our sector’s voices are heard. As Barnet Together, we will advocate on behalf of the sector whenever necessary,”
Janet Matthewson, CEO Young Barnet Foundation
In response, Barnet Council carried a motion – Supporting Small Businesses and the Charity Sector in Barnet: Proposer: Councillor Peter Zinkin, as amended by Councillor Barry Rawlings and agreed at Full Council. Council Resolves to: Instruct the Leader of the Council to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to explore further ways to support small businesses and the charity sector in the face of rising costs.
“As Barnet Together, we encourage organisations to maintain open dialogue with individual funders and to continue to support the NCVO’s national campaign advocating on this matter. If you wish to share your concerns, please email us.”
Janet Matthewson, CEO Young Barnet Foundation
Whilst the issue of NIC exemption is unresolved at the national level, Barnet Together is encouraged that our concerns as a sector have been recognised locally, and we will continue to inform discussions with Government ministers. On behalf of our members/the sector, a letter has also been sent to all our local MPs.
Future-proofing the sector
The Barnet Together Partnership wrote to the council on another matter and that was future proofing the sector in terms of delivery and operational space. We have heard from many members that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find space to operate or deliver to residents. The space available is often too expensive and out of the price range of many charities and community groups. We have asked the council to ensure that thought and planning regarding this issue is at the forefront of their minds when working on regeneration plans.
We asked that they ensure that community groups are not left without a space to operate by
- Ensuring community use is a priority in all new leases and regeneration projects, properly specified so that the term community use is not abused – renting space commercially to the community is not the same as social inclusion provision for those in need within our communities. This is where equity of access is assessed.
- Providing affordable office and delivery space for voluntary organisations, will in turn attract more funding to the Borough.
- Engaging with Barnet Together and our community groups to understand the needs and incorporate their feedback into planning and development processes.
- Consider the Right-to-Buy options if the council have to dispose of community assets for economic reasons.
- Work with us to future proof the sector.
The council response
We are committed to facilitating access to community space wherever possible and will engage with the sector at every opportunity to ensure we are getting it right.
Community leases / assets
We have developed a new approach to our community assets that will encourage a fairer distribution of our designated community spaces that are eligible for a rental discount on a lease agreement. We are encouraging shared use of assets, to maximise the space available and will develop an approach that supports joint submissions from more than one group.
The Council does not offer discounted rents on commercial units. Any commercial units that we own and are not applicable for rental discount will be tendered to the market who are able to pay a market rent and be offered a commercial lease. We do not have a Right-to-Buy scheme on commercial properties, if we choose to sell a commercial asset, we must adhere to Section 123 of the Local Government Act to secure best value, which normally involves marketing the property and inviting offers from any interested party.
We fully understand that this process may pose challenges for the voluntary sector, as it can limit access to affordable spaces for some community organisations. However, we are committed to exploring alternative ways to support the voluntary sector in securing suitable premises, whether through our community assets, or providing support to find funding opportunities.
We thank the leader of the council, Cllr Barry Rawlings and Cllr Zhara Beg for their response and we look forward to continue to work with them on important issues and also helping the Borough to find solutions.
Barnet Together will continue to support, represent and advocate for the VCFSE across Barnet, please get in touch if you feel we can help you/your organisation.