Repository: volunteers

Third Sector Trends in England and Wales 2022: Full suite of reports

Published: 2023

Third Sector Trends has been running since 2008. The study has been surveying the sector every three years since 2010 and as such is the largest survey of the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector in England and Wales.

In 2022, 6,071 responses were received across England and Wales (an average of ~600 responses in each region). Des…

Young People in Community Business: A legacy report from the #iwill programme

Published: 2023

This report is the legacy of the #iwill project, funded by the Dulverton Trust in partnership with the #iwill Fund (a joint investment between The National Lottery Community Fund and Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport), and delivered by the Plunkett Foundation from 2022 to 2023 – to help community businesses engage, involve and …

The Civic Journey: introducing the idea

Published: 2023

The Civic Journey is a transformational two-year youth-led programme that was launched in September 2021. Against a backdrop of increasing evidence concerning social polarisation and community fragmentation, the programme focuses on illuminating and unleashing the civic potential of young people to reinvigorate communities, identify innovative …

Volunteering Journeys

Published: 2022

A rapid evidence review from the Institute for Community Studies, commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to explore young people’s experiences of, and attitudes to, volunteering.

Volunteering Journeys examines how young people perceive and experience the UK’s current volunteering ‘offer’, and how it cou…

Volunteering and Big Local: Who volunteers in Big Local communities, what they do, and why

Published: 2022

Big Local is a resident-led funding programme providing groups of people in 150 areas in England with £1.15m each, to spend across 10 to 15 years to bring about lasting change in their neighbourhoods. In Big Local areas, resident-led partnerships identify local priorities and decide how the money will be spent in their areas.

This report is a…

Models of Value that Community Organising Generates for its Adopters

Published: 2022

Over recent years, the principles and practice of community organising have proliferated across a range of organisations and sectors. Keen to understand the impact of community organising and its potential as a tool for communities to tackle local issues, Power to Change commissioned a piece of research in 2020 looking in-depth at the experienc…

The Power of Community: Learning from Bristol’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic

Published: 2022

During 2021, Voscur worked with academics and students from the University of Bristol to investigate how the sector had adapted to ensure delivery of vital services during Covid-19.

With many in our sector unable to deliver vital services by established means, we wanted to find out how our colleagues from across the sector had continued to ful…

Case Study: Windmill Hill City Farm

Published: 2021

Windmill Hill City Farm was set up in the 1970s and is an important community hub in south Bristol. In addition to a community farm, it has a café, day care nursery and outdoor play areas, and an education department to welcome school visits.

The role of volunteers in community businesses

Published: 2021

This study examined the structure and role of voluntary labour for community businesses. Four chapters discuss the profile and working patterns of volunteers, how volunteers are recruited and employed, how volunteers’ skills are utilised, factors covering their training and professional development and the wider motivations to volunteer.

Case Study: Target Football

Published: 2021

Target Football is based in Toxteth, Liverpool, and runs sporting programmes and grassroots football across the city. It was set up in 2010 and currently has seven employed staff and about 15 volunteers. Volunteers are integral to Target Football’s continued success, ensuring football coaching and matches take place and pitches and grounds ar…

Case Study: Star and Shadow Cinema

Published: 2021

Star and Shadow Cinema is a community hub in Newcastle upon Tyne set up in 2006. It has multiple facilities including a cinema, music venue, café, bar, meeting rooms, dark room and a community garden. It offers a unique space for grassroots community organisations, independent artists and members of the public to promote cultural ideas through…

Case Study: Seadream Education CIC

Published: 2021

Seadream Education CIC is a not-for-profit organisation based in Devon, delivering science and engineering activities to instil an interest and understanding about the natural world with a particular focus on the marine environment. Its activities include creating and teaching national curriculum-related science resource kits in schools, traini…