Last week, my Liberal Democrat colleagues and I running Woking Borough Council agreed to support important community and voluntary groups that help vulnerable people.

Because of the council’s effective bankruptcy, it can no longer properly fund organisations such as Citizens Advice Woking and Woking Community Transport. It simply does not have the money to fund their running costs. However, using creative solutions we have found ways to continue to support both Bustler and Citizens Advice.

The council has agreed a deal with Woking Community Transport to provide them with free office accommodation, which in turn means they can run a limited Dial-a-Ride service in the borough and ensure the elderly can access the council’s day care services for our borough’s pensioners.

As the Lib Dem council knows what a vital service Citizens Advice provides, last week it agreed a £229,000 package of support for our local advice charity.

However, as I appreciate they need more money than this – which Woking council cannot provide for obvious reasons – I amended the council’s budget to ensure that the council will ask residents, especially those in the most expensive Band H council tax group, to voluntarily contribute to the Woking Community Fund to support our voluntary sector.

This fund already exists and is managed by the amazing charity Community Foundation for Surrey on behalf of the council and has a great record of giving out grants. As residents donate, they will be able to choose whether their money goes to hardship advice, like that run by Citizens Advice, or community transport, such as Bustler, or other good causes. This type of scheme has worked elsewhere and raised significant sums.

Fairness is a fundamental British value and it is a fundamental liberal value, I think it is only fair that those with the broadest shoulders, such as those that live in Band H houses, are asked to support our vulnerable residents and top up the support Woking council can offer.

Given the dire financial situation the council is in, as a result of a risky investment strategy and poor financial management by the previous administration, this represents a really good outcome for Citizens Advice Woking, one of our most valued organisations.

Since Woking’s Section 114 notice last year, the council is operating under significant financial controls imposed by central government, but I am delighted that we have put together a comprehensive support package, from a variety of funds, that will enable Citizens Advice to transition to a different funding model whilst continuing to protect the most vulnerable residents in our borough.

I know as a life-long Woking resident, former Mayor and the council’s portfolio holder for the voluntary sector, how the sector ensures our borough thrives and fills the gaps left by the state.

But the council’s support for the voluntary sector was always down to be cut following Woking’s bankruptcy as that help is deemed non-statutory and non-essential.

I completely disagree with that. There are many non-statutory services that should be made statutory and properly funded – like meals on wheels and swimming pools – but Parliament and Woking’s MP has sadly not changed that.

What’s happening is a result of heartless national rules and the legacy of bankruptcy from the former administration on the council. Thankfully, voters have changed those running Woking Borough Council over the past few years by electing the Lib Dem team and I to clean up the mess.

It’s now time for change in Westminster too.