Communities secretary Eric Pickles has today told councils not to ‘pull up the drawbridge on the voluntary sector by passing on disproportionate savings'.

The admonition follows publication of an opinion poll showing nearly three quarters (72%) of voters don't want councils to cut funding to charities by more than they cut other services.

Nearly seven in 10 people fear their communities would suffer if local authorities make cutbacks in funding to charities and two thirds said they were worried they would personally be affected by such cutbacks - according to the survey of 2,012 adults commissioned by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF).

A majority of those polled (73%) said charities do valuable work in their local area and a similar number (77%) thought charities' not-for-profit status make them well placed to deliver local services.

Publication of the results comes as the CAF has taken the lead role in the ‘Back Britain's Charities' campaign – which is urging councillors to ensure charities do not face disproportionate cuts.

A report issued last December by Compact Voice showed around half of local authorities are cutting grant funding to the voluntary sector disproportionately, compared with their own budget cutbacks.

‘Charities play an essential role in our communities and do an excellent job providing services for local government,' said John Low, chief executive of the CAF.

‘In these tough economic times, many of these services are facing even greater demand and charities are struggling to do more with less, without having their funding disproportionately cut by local authorities.'

Eric Pickles said: ‘Councils have to prioritise how they spend taxpayers money, but they must resist any temptation to pull up the drawbridge on the voluntary sector by passing on disproportionate savings. 

‘We have set out clear expectations for councils. The best councils are those that work with their local voluntary and community partners in the interests of local people whilst managing to balance the books.'