Half of those questioned said cuts were the biggest threat to their jobs

Funding cuts are the biggest threat to crucial work in the community, a new poll has displayed.

A survey by financial firm Ecclesiastical, which is owned by charity the Allchurches Trust, has shown that ongoing funding cuts are still a major concern.

From teachers to carers and volunteers, a third of people in the UK said that vital services would not be provided without these irreplaceable people stepping into the breach in their communities. And 50% of UK adults said funding cuts are the biggest threat to the work they do.

The survey revealed that the public feels these community superheroes have a crucial role to play, not only in performing their core roles, but also in helping people in the community who need extra help (23%), making people feel less lonely (17%), supporting the vulnerable (18%) and providing services that would otherwise fall by the wayside (34%).

The survey of 2,000 UK adults was carried out to identify community concerns.

David Britton, charity director for Ecclesiastical, said: "This research provides a fascinating insight into the people we would be lost without; the people going above and beyond their day to day jobs to provide vital services, support and care to some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.

"The fact that 60% of the people we surveyed said they have personally benefited from the actions of an irreplaceable person in their community sends a clear message about the value of the work carried out by this often unseen and unsung group.

"As a nation, we should not underestimate the economic, social and mental wellbeing contribution these people are making and the need to do everything we can to protect and cherish them.”