Treasury urged to scrap VAT for youth clubs and community centres

EXCLUSIVE: Treasury urged to scrap VAT for youth clubs and community centresLabour's sister party pointed out museums and galleries are eligible for a refund on VAT to reflect their public value, while vital community buildings were forced to shell outCommentsNewsAlexander Brown Assistant Political Editor17:17, 04 Apr 2026View 3 ImagesJoe Fortune has written to the the Treasury calling for more supportCommunity centres and youth clubs across Britain are struggling to pay for repairs and upgrades due to excessive VAT costs, the Co-operative Party has claimed.‌Labour's sister party pointed out museums and galleries that offered free access are eligible for a refund on VAT to reflect their public value, while vital community buildings were forced to shell out.‌This has left buildings struggling to afford vital works, or facing more expensive prices to do so.‌READ MORE: Reform UK housing spokesman sparks outrage over Grenfell 'everyone dies' commentREAD MORE: Angela Rayner calls for alternative to renting and owning in major housing interventionView 3 ImagesBurntwood Memorial Hall needs a new boilerView 3 ImagesBaldock Community centre wants to invest in a cooling system‌General Secretary of the Co-operative Party Joe Fortune has now written to the Treasury, urging them to extend the VAT Refund Scheme. In the letter, he said: “Community centres often operate on limited budgets, relying on volunteers to keep their doors open. The inability to recover VAT on necessary repairs places an additional financial burden on these organisations, often limiting their capacity to remain open, safe, and accessible to the public.“The government has made important progress in strengthening community pride, not least through the Pride in Place programme and the measures in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill boosting community ownership. But community buildings suffered under years of austerity as well as the impacts of the pandemic, and for many re...