Gareth Johnson raises the plight of local charities in Parliament

On Tuesday (4^th September) Gareth Johnson, MP for Dartford, raised the issue of how small charities miss out under current Gift Aid arrangements in a debate on the Government’s Small Charitable Donations Bill. In his speech Gareth brought up how Arrow Riding Centre for the Disabled, which he supported at his charity cricket match, will benefit from the new arrangements.

Under the provisions of the new Bill, local charities which rely on small cash donations will be able to claim back up to £1250 per year from the Government without having to ask the donor to provide their details, as currently occurs under the Gift Aid scheme.

Gareth said, “At present we are seeing smaller charities like the Arrow Riding Centre disadvantaged because they rely on small cash donations which are not eligible for Gift Aid. The great news is that the new scheme will also apply to Community Amateur Sports Clubs, so local groups will be able to take advantage of it too.”

The Arrow Riding Centre for the Disabled is a registered charity. It relies mostly on the work of volunteers, and of its £150,000 per year running costs, around £60,000 comes from donations.

Gareth added, “I hope that people will be encouraged to donate generously in the knowledge that the money they give will be worth even more.”

The Small Charitable Donations Bill was the second of its kind to introduce a Public Reading stage, in which the public has the chance to comment on the Bill and suggest amendments before it returns to Parliament for a second reading.

ENDS