People would prefer local charities and social enterprises to tackle issues in their communities rather than national bodies, polling has found.
Data from research by Big Society Capital shows that about six in 10 people back local groups to address problems such as homelessness and poor transport links, rising to two-thirds of adults under 34.
Just 8 per cent of the public said that work was better handled by national or international organisations.
More than 60 per cent of people agreed that government spending could not, on its own, solve issues in their local area.
BSC, the wholesale bank for the social investment market, said this suggested public support for releasing alternative sources of capital to charities and social enterprises, at a time when the government was considering how to use hundreds of millions of pounds of dormant assets funding.
Stephen Muers, chief executive of BSC, said: “Our new data shows that the UK public wants to see more support for local enterprises delivering solutions for the issues they care about the most. We could not agree more.
“That is why, together with sector partners, we are asking for further dormant assets to be allocated towards investment for community enterprises.”
Research published last year by the think tank NPC found that Covid-19 had inspired local communities to worth together more closely on social issues and said that charities, funders and government had reached a “key turning point” in deciding how to tackle local problems.
BSC is one of a coalition of groups backing the Community Enterprise Growth Plan, which would see about £500m from new dormant assets funds committed to local charities and social enterprises.