Last month the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland launched the final report from Third Sector Trends 2022 at The Mercers Hall in London.
Attendees were welcomed by Adam Fenwick, Master Mercer of The Mercers’ Company which generously hosted the evening.
Third Sector Trends is the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland’s ground-breaking study of the scale, dynamics and needs of the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector. It started in the North East and Cumbria 15 years ago and has expanded into other regions. Now, for the first time, the 2022 data covers the whole of England and Wales.
Building on the four Third Sector Trends 2022 reports released to date, Prof Tony Chapman began by outlining the longevity of Third Sector Trends. Since it began it has covered the 2008 financial crisis, austerity, covid-19 and now the cost-of-living crisis. Over that period the sector has largely proved to be resilient. The sector came out of the pandemic quite well financially with funders offering more unrestricted funds than ever. However he noted there are problems of staff and volunteer recruitment and retention diminishing the sector’s’ energy’.
He went on to compare the dynamics in richer and poorer areas, the role of grant funders and how a mixture of innovative practice and solid, steady work based on the sector’s local knowledge, skills and experience helps to keep communities going.
Prof Chapman’s presentation was followed by a panel discussion on the findings chaired by Patrick Butler, Social policy editor, at The Guardian. The panellists included
- Jane Ide, Chief Executive, ACEVO
- Dame Sara Llewelyn DBE, Chief Executive, Barrow Cadbury Trust
- Stephen Miller, Director of Delivery and Impact, Power to Change and,
- Rob Williamson DL, Chief Executive, Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland
The panel highlighted and discussed a range of issues form the report including diversity, pay, recruitment and the impact of regulation on campaigning on the sector.
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