Information from the VCSE Observatory
VCSE Barometer Report
Treatment for the charity sector’s unhealthy status quo: An analysis of the VCSE Sector Barometer, in partnership with NTU National VCSE Data and Insights Observatory.
Summary
Recent riots have put the instability of the UK’s communities in the spotlight. And as night follows day, they have also highlighted the communities’ strengths: the people who freely give their time and money to respond to need, the leaders who reach across divides, and the organisations which coordinate, build partnerships and ensure this action
can take place at scale.
As the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has rightly recognised, charities and community groups are often those crucial organisations.
They are essential to the immediate response and the long-term rebuild and restoration of communities nationwide.
Charities and civil society continue to be at the centre of building resilient communities
Although the conversation on community resilience is not new, the riots that took place across England early this month have thrown local resilience into even sharper focus. Civil society organisations quickly mobilised to support vulnerable communities, counter hatred and promote unity. Local charities were key in providing immediate relief and fostering dialogue.
The commitment and need for the sector were immediately recognised, with Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, writing to sector leaders that their “continued efforts, at both a national and local level, are so crucial, particularly where people who are already vulnerable are put at even greater risk.”
The response to the riots, like the pandemic, was the latest example of charities responding quickly and effectively to crisis.
