1. What support is the Welsh Government providing to the voluntary sector in light of the coronavirus pandemic? OQ55337

On 6 April, I announced £24 million in Welsh Government funding for the voluntary sector in Wales, providing three elements of support: direct support for the sector's response to the crisis, support for organisations struggling to survive due to loss of fundraising income, and additional support for the Welsh voluntary sector infrastructure.

Presiding Officer, can I point out that I'm an officer of the Order of St John? Minister, you will know that St John Cymru has, for 100 years, provided essential services in the field of health and social care and first aid. It's a very familiar sight at our national events, and, like many other very significant voluntary organisations, it has shown remarkable strength over those years, but has now lost one of its major pillars of income, and a business model is under threat as a result—in its case, its training income, which has more or less dried up overnight from its highly successful level. Do you agree with me that the considerable and welcome support given by the Welsh Government to date will likely need to continue if we're to see our main voluntary sector providers of strength and well-being for the people of Wales be a part of that recovery and remain as active as possible in the recovery phase?

Well, I would like to thank David Melding for that question, and also it gives me the opportunity to thank and congratulate St John Ambulance—the Order of St John, of which you are an officer. St John Ambulance, of course, provides such fantastic volunteer support, and also the work with its young people. You've exposed and you've revealed today, of course, the pressures on St John Ambulance Cymru in terms of their current situation, but I can tell you that this is part of our discussions with the third sector partnership council in terms of how we can support the third sector in Wales out of the immediate impact of the coronavirus pandemic into recovery. They have such an important part to play, and we will seek to find the resources to support them through that journey.

Minister, to add to what David was saying, I think we all know the response of volunteers during the crisis has been incredible, right across the whole of Ogmore, but across the whole of Wales, as well, supporting communities with food and prescriptions, dog walking, deliveries and just social contact and a friendly face to see, albeit socially distanced. It's been amazing. But, Minister, can I ask you what discussions you are having with the Wales Council for Voluntary Action, which has been considering what the lessons are from this crisis for the voluntary sector, for retaining the voluntary effort and enthusiasm, for financial sustainability and for the profile and the vulnerability, I have to say, of a volunteer profile in response to pandemics like this, but also the longer term place of the third sector in being an integral part of local planning not just for emergencies, but for general community resilience? What sort of discussions are you having with the WCVA on this?

Well, thank you very much, Huw Irranca-Davies. And again, can we pay tribute to the volunteers? We did a few weeks ago in volunteering week, but as of 19 June, Volunteering Wales had 31,714 registered volunteers—over 18,000 registered since the lockdown, and in Bridgend and Ogmore and all those volunteers who have come forward, providing support. It's reflected across the whole of Wales.

So, we are now looking, with the third sector partnership council, because obviously the WCVA plays a key role in this, at ways in which we can sustain that level of volunteering and commitment. Some of those are young volunteers who've come forward, and some are going to be going back into the workplace but want to continue to volunteer, so we're looking at that very carefully. But they are meeting some of the needs for some of the most disadvantaged people in Wales as well. I also think that this is where the other voluntary sector key working with local authorities has been clear. So, the Welsh Local Government Association is meeting with all of the councils of voluntary action in every county of Wales. We have actually a very robust infrastructure in Wales, and that working relationship—local government, health boards, strategically with the voluntary sector—that's got to continue, and we can learn from it.