CSC applauds appointment of Minister Responsible for the Volunteer and Non-Profit Sector

The Community Services Council of Newfoundland and Labrador is delighted with the appointment of a Minister responsible for the non-profit and voluntary sector.

“Naming The Honourable Tom Hedderson, Minister Responsible for the Volunteer and Non-Profit Sector is a major step in recognizing the importance of this sector to quality of life in communities across the province,” said Penelope Rowe, CEO of the Community Services Council. “Voluntary groups exist in virtually every community and are fundamental to social, economic, cultural and environmental development at a local and regional level. Having a Minister with this responsibility will bring added, and much sought after, profile to the sector.”

“The sector is under considerable stress at the moment” said Rowe, “Our research and dialogue carried out over many years in communities across the province indicate that there are changing trends and emerging pressures for many groups. With an ageing population, changes in work patterns, out-migration and fewer younger people taking on leadership roles, many groups and individuals are experiencing burnout and are struggling to maintain community activities.”

There are numerous issues which the new Minister will have to address by working in partnership with the non-profit, voluntary sector. Rowe commented that based on CSC’s recent work, we know that priority issues are volunteer recruitment and retention, board and committee leadership, skills enhancement, the cost of volunteering, risk management and liability concerns. Many groups are facing financial instability which is affecting their capacity to meet many needs.

CSC is a leader, province-wide, in supporting training, leadership development and strengthening relationships within the sector and with governments. CSC encourages the development of local networks so organizations can work together in clusters to address local and regional issues for volunteers, leaders and organizations.

CSC looks forward to the initiation of the commitments in the government’s election platform, which stated that government will:

• formalize a policy and program framework to strengthen and support the community-based sector and to enhance the development of social economy enterprises, especially in rural regions, as means of improving services, providing additional employment
• recognize and celebrate the work of community volunteers
• through discussions with the Community Services Council and other community organizations in the volunteer sector, produce a scope of work document to set the terms for an initiative to strengthen the relationship between the government and the volunteer sector, to improve the grants process, and to identify opportunities for cooperation and collaboration.

The Community Services Council Newfoundland and Labrador is an independent, registered charitable organization whose mission is to encourage citizen engagement, to promote the integration of social and economic development and to provide leadership in shaping public policies. The corporate objectives of CSC include facilitating co-operation between the voluntary sector and governments; conducting independent research and providing a forum for individuals and groups to assist them stimulate and implement necessary social changes in the community.

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