The Charities Commission has decided not to investigate the troubled Volunteer South. Last week, the new board of Volunteer South indicated they would likely have to wind down the charity after discovering their “difficult” financial position, off the back of two straight years of significant losses. The board will meet on August 24 to discuss matters further, but the Charities Commission for the moment has found nothing untoward about Volunteer South. Charities Commission director Charlotte Stanley said an early examination found nothing untoward. “If Charities Services receives information that a registered charity may not be meeting its obligations under the Act, we will assess this and determine whether further inquiry or regulatory action is appropriate. “At present, we have no information concerning Volunteer South that would require further inquiry. However, we encourage anyone who has information they believe may be relevant to get in touch with us.” Trustee Alan Sommerville said the board was open to any offers of support or partnerships. In the meantime, some notable Southern organisations are keeping a close eye on Volunteer South. Central Lakes Trust, one of its biggest donors, said it was monitoring the situation. “For almost 15 years Volunteer South has been a backbone organisation in the Central Lakes area, supporting the region’s volunteer network, which is heavily relied upon,” a spokesman said. “Central Lakes Trust is disappointed to hear that the organisation is experiencing financial difficulties.” The Volunteer South Board was keeping the trust abreast of their deliberations, the spokesman said. “We hope that a pathway forward can be achieved to retain this valuable service for our community.” Age Concern Otago chief executive Mike Williams was also worried. “Volunteer South plays an important role in connecting community organisations with people who want to volunteer. “For Age Concern Otago, volunteers are central to many of our services, particularly programmes that address social isolation and support older people to remain connected to their communities.” Mr Williams said they would be concerned about any loss of infrastructure that made it harder for volunteers and community organisations to find each other. A spokesperson for the Salvation Army said while they did not have any direct association with Volunteer South, their advocacy work promoting volunteering in general would be missed. "The Volunteer South platform is a valuable community asset and helps organisations like ours recruit and support volunteers.” Volunteer South is a charitable trust supporting volunteers and community organisations across Dunedin, Coastal Otago, Central Otago, Queenstown Lakes and Southland. It grew out of the Dunedin Volunteer Centre established in 1986, and Volunteering Central established in 2011. Mr Somerville said more information on the next stage should be known on Tuesday ahead of their August 24 board meeting.
