I am always hugely impressed by the contribution that London's voluntary sector makes to the economy, society and culture in the capital. From theatre and dance events through to retraining schemes or support for victims of domestic violence, the voluntary sector often makes contributions that no-one else is so well equipped to make. Certainly, many local authorities run their own grants schemes to benefit their local communities. Our own one in London provides a total of £26m in grants to voluntary and third sector groups in the capital on behalf of all of the London boroughs. In this time of recession, supporting these groups is critical, as their services are increasingly in demand. We need to be mindful, however, that in times like these, grants schemes, such as the European Social Fund (ESF), can provide a very real and much-needed boost to get people back into the workforce. The fund was set up to improve employment opportunities in the European Union, and help raise standards of living. The most recent programme has a total budget of £4.6bn nationally, of which £2.3bn comes from ESF with the rest being matched by other providers. It is testament to the commitment that local authorities have to getting people back to work that many act as co-financers in the programme. Last month, London Councils launched its third round of ESF funding and projects, with the aim of helping some of the most disadvantaged groups in the capital, including disabled parents, people with mental health needs, and the homeless. Invitations to apply for £7.3m worth of funding have been issued. And we've also been working to promote London's voluntary sector with the launch of a new website aimed at promoting our grants to a wider community – both to increase awareness of the available funding and to give examples of the services they provide for Londoners. The work of these groups speaks for itself – we have simply given them an additional platform to help that message be clearly heard. Difficult economic times bring difficult financial choices. All sections will be hit by that reality. But the third sector and voluntary groups across local areas – whether they are funded by local authorities or not – have a critical role to play. John O' Brien is chief executive of London Councils
