# VSNTO faces closure

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2003/08/12/vsnto-faces-closure/
- Published: 2003-08-12T23:00:00+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

The Voluntary Sector National Training Organisation (VSNTO) faces closure next month,
threatening the strategic development of learning and training for voluntary sector
organisations.
For the last 18 months the VSNTO has been operating on very short
funding periods of just of 5 months, 7 months and 6 months. Current funding runs
out at the end of September 2003, and staff have been issued with redundancy notices.
If the VSNTO does close it will deprive the voluntary sector of the only UK organisation
to take a strategic approach to skills development in the sector.

The organisation was instrumental, for example, in drawing up National Occupational
Standards for fundraisers. These will form the basis of S/NVQs at levels 2,3 and
4 for fundraising assistants, fundraisers and managers of fundraisers.

NCVO and its sister councils in Scotland and Wales which host the VSNTO have rejected
the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA)’s offer of yet another short term funding
contract. Instead they say they will accept nothing less for the sector than a long
term strategic funding commitment from the SSDA. The SSDA have yet to accept this
proposal.

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The possible demise of VSNTO comes after some warm words from the Treasury in its
review of voluntary sector delivery of public services. Stuart Etherington, chief
executive of NCVO, said that the closure of the VSNTO will “drive a stake through
the heart of the government’s plans to reform public services with help from voluntary
organisation.”

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