The Office of the Third Sector has withdrawn its £750,000 Campaigning Research Programme, just weeks after it promised the funding to 32 grassroots campaigning groups.

The OTS announced last Friday (13th November) that it had decided to divert the funding into its Hardship Fund. A campaign against the decision has been started up, and you can join in the debate through Twitter, using the search term '#otscampaign’. The OTS has admitted that the decision breached the principles of the Compact, which is an agreement between the public and voluntary sectors about how they work together.

You can also sign the petition at NCVO’s Louder website.

You can read more about the issue on the Third Sector website and read the Directory of Social Change's analysis here.