Local charities meet MPs to strengthen community support

Leaders from YMCA Burton and South Derbyshire CVS recently met with two local MPs to highlight the impact of their joint work and explore opportunities for further support across their constituencies.

Paul Laffey, CEO of YMCA Burton and Hollie Benton, CEO of South Derbyshire CVS, hosted Jacob Collier, MP for Burton and Uttoxeter and Samantha Niblett, MP for South Derbyshire, at South Derbyshire CVS.

Their meeting focused on the significant contribution both Charities make in supporting thousands of local people across the district.

Paul Laffey, CEO of YMCA Burton, said: “For many years, YMCA Burton has worked with South Derbyshire CVS in serving thousands of local people.

“I was pleased to serve as a Trustee of South Derbyshire CVS for over ten years, which allowed me to see first-hand the impact of their wonderful work.

“Hollie Benton (CEO) and I agreed to invite Jacob Collier MP and Samantha Niblett MP to meet with us jointly. We shared our combined efforts in delivering essential services across both constituencies.

We spoke about many aspects of the voluntary sector, highlighting the significant savings both of our charities are making for the public purse.

“We also discussed addressing inequalities across the district, particularly when supporting vulnerable groups. We highlighted the challenges charities are facing, including sustainability, volunteer recruitment, and much more.

“Both Jacob and Samantha are fully supportive of our work and are committed to championing both charities and the voluntary sector in their constituencies and in Parliament. We’ve agreed to meet again and follow up on a number of initiatives.”

Following the visit, Jacob Collier, MP for Burton and Uttoxeter said: “It was a pleasure to meet with YMCA Burton and speak with CEO Paul Laffey about the wide range of support they provide to local people, from tackling homelessness to helping with the cost of living and developing young people’s skills.

“I’m proud to champion their work across Burton and Uttoxeter and to be a Parliamentary Patron for YMCA England & Wales.

“We’re also fortunate to have the brilliant South Derbyshire CVS supporting residents from across the border, who do such incredible work to ensure even more people can access vital help when they need it.

“I will continue working closely with both organisations to keep these essential services strong and accessible.”

Hollie Benton, CEO of South Derbyshire CVS, said: “This was a great opportunity to showcase the work we do for communities and discuss the links that exist across our two districts. We were able to discuss the challenges faced by the voluntary sector and how we are working collaboratively to achieve the best impact.”

Pictured from left to right: Hollie Benton, Samantha Niblett, Paul Laffey, and Jacob Collier