Leicester's voluntary and community organisations make a huge contribution to our city. It would be impossible to list all the fantastic work they do in this column, but it includes.

Helping struggling new families and those trying to find work.

Providing advice and services for young people.

Supporting people with long-term health conditions and their carers.

Running activities for older people who are vulnerable or live alone.

I recently met with voluntary and community groups in my constituency, along with Voluntary Action Leicester – the umbrella organisation for charities in the city.

They all told me they face a bleak future because of cuts to public spending.

For example, Menphys, a charity for disabled children and their families, is set to lose 70 per cent of its funding for nought to five-year-old children because the Government is cutting Leicester's Early Intervention Grant by more than £5 million.

Lighthouse learning, which provides skills and training for young people, is facing devastating cuts because the Government has abolished the Working Neighbourhoods Fund, which Labour set up to help reduce joblessness in deprived areas.

These cuts make a mockery of the Government's claim it wants to create a "Big Society".

The Conservatives say they want to roll back the "Big State" so that charities can expand and thrive.

I'm a long-standing champion of the voluntary sector.

As a former director of the Maternity Alliance, I know that charities can often offer more effective services than the traditional public sector because of their experience and expertise, particularly in working with the most disadvantaged and excluded groups in society.

In reality, many voluntary organisations depend on money from central and local government to fund their work.

The charities and community groups I met are realistic.

They know they can't be immune from public spending cuts and are prepared to do their bit.

But many of them told me the speed and severity of the cuts meant that unless alternative funding could be found, they would have no choice but to close.

The Government said it has recognised this problem and provided transitional funding to help struggling charities.

However, the organisations I spoke to told me this money is only available to charities that are "undergoing change" – for example merging – and not to fund existing work, salaries or rent.

If charities such as Street Vibe, which runs hugely popular activities and services for young people, are forced to shut it would be a terrible loss to the communities I represent.

That's why I'm urging the council to see if any funding can be found to help them.

In the longer term, I'd like to see the council, NHS and other public bodies do more to help voluntary and community groups play their full role in delivering services.

Leicester's third sector is a huge asset and resource for our city. We must fight to protect and nurture it – now and for future generations.

If You would like to contact Liz Kendall MP, telephone 0116 204 4980.

You can e-mail her at:

liz.kendall.mp@parliament.co.uk