In areas like the Upper Calder Valley where I live there is already a long history of community voluntary work which improves the communities without the need of any centralised quango imposing targets and quotas.

There is a serious danger that introduction of a ‘national’ voluntary service could see many small groups being pushed aside by regional managers who think they know best and ignoring the needs of communities.

The direction of resources must be determined at community level otherwise such a scheme will end up as just a Tory election gimmick which I suspect it is anyway.