Voluntary sector services in Brent will benefit from hundreds of thousands of pounds as the council agreed to extend its grant services by another year.

Its cabinet agreed to renew £80,000 worth of funding for CVS Brent, which supports the borough’s voluntary sector.

A further £120,000 will be dedicated to the Brent Advice Fund, which is run by CVS Brent and offers financial advice to Brent residents, while the borough’s citizens’ advice branch will get just over £171,000.

The money handed to these groups will be used to cover, among other things, a home visit service, staff training and the development of advice networks between agencies.

It comes as the council plans to move to a “new model of collaboration” with the voluntary sector – this extension, which runs until March 2021, aims to “ease transition”.

A council report stated: “The council acknowledges the pivotal role played by the voluntary and community sector and recognises the significant challenges currently confronting these organisations.

“Meeting the aspirations of the people of Brent requires a close and strong partnership between the council and this sector.

“As the council reviews the support it offers, it has a unique opportunity to strengthen this partnership. In turn, and while respecting the independence of the sector, the council needs partners it can work with, that it has confidence to invest in.”

Cllr Tom Miller, responsible for community safety and engagement at Brent Council, said the overall strategy review is “underway”.

He explained that it was appropriate to “press on with funding for another year” to ensure that services do not suffer.