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North East

Active Citizenship in the 21st Century - Literature Review and Resource List

Author: North East Empowerment Partnership | Published: March 2010 | 135.13KB

Literature and Resource List to accompany the 21st Century Citizen Report.

An ICT Strategy for the VCS in the North East

Author: Stuart Thompson & Andrew Samuel | Published: March 2010 | 1.8MB

This strategy has been produced to pull together various strands of ICT support used by and made available to the Voluntary and Community Sector in the North East.

Beyond 'flat-earth' maps of the third sector

Author: Northern Rock Third Sector Trends Study | Published: February 2010 | 310.89KB

Robust, quantifiable estimates of the scope and contribution of voluntary sector organisations have underpinned public policy development at the national level for much of the last decade. However, the Foundation’s decision to commission the Third Sector Trends Study (TSTS) is a recognition of a need to develop a more nuanced understanding of variations in the resources and capacities of the third sector at the regional and local scale. The quantitative dimension of the TSTS seeks to produce such an analysis for the wider third sector in north-east England and Cumbria, making the methodology available for a parallel companion study of Yorkshire and the Humber.

The first element of the study is about producing reliable estimates of the numbers, scale and scope of third sector organisations in the region.

Beyond 'flat-earth' Maps of the third sector - summary report

Author: Northern Rock Third Sector Trends Study | Published: February 2010 | 78.25KB

This paper summarises a fuller report on research commissioned by the Northern Rock Foundation’s Third Sector Trends Study (TSTS) to assess the scale and distribution of ‘below-the-radar’ (BTR) organisations. The specific aim of this study was to provide a picture of the local third sector in North East England and Cumbria which went beyond organisations appearing on lists provided by regulatory bodies such as the Charity Commission.

Many organisations do not appear on such ‘radars’, with the result that research risks producing what one commentator described as ‘flat earth maps’ of the third sector.

Infrstructure Development Meta Plan Summary

Author: Regional Infrastructure Development Group | Published: March 2010 | 416.87KB

Charities and community groups are facing the brunt of the recession and public spending cuts and need help to get through it. Support organisations face a dilemma as demand on their services is on the rise but the future looks gloomy for their survival. Over the last 5 years there has been a significant investment from central and local government into developing and strengthening the infrastructure of the third sector.

We asked frontline groups and the support services themselves what they needed to help them through the turbulence and funding uncertainty.

Mosaic, Jigsaw or Abstract Summary Report

Author: Northern Rock Third Sector Trends | Published: June 2009 | 107.08KB

Mosaic, jigsaw or abstract: getting a big picture perspective on the third sector in North East England and Cumbria – discussion summary

Mosaic, Jigsaw or Abstract?

Author: Northern Rock Third Sector Trends Study | Published: June 2009 | 333.22KB

Northern Rock Foundation’s investment in the study of the third sector in North East England and Cumbria is intended to have a significant impact on the way the third sector is perceived by itself and by its associated stakeholders. It is also hoped that it will influence how the sector itself operates.

Most importantly, the research should help to ensure that future third sector activity better meets the needs of beneficiaries and helps to secure more positive outcomes for them.

North East Infrastructure Funding Framework

Author: Strategic Third Sector Forum | Published: July 2009 | 692.5KB

The aim of this report is to support the development of a coherent framework for the Strategic Third Sector Forum (STSF) which provides guidance on allocating support and resources to infrastructure, and evidences the benefits and value of third sector infrastructure in the north east.

The data in the report, together with the Infrastructure Development Meta plan 2008-2014,which provides evidence of funding needs across the region, will provide the foundations for the
development of coherent framework.

North East Third Sector ICT Survey 2008

Author: Paul Lancaster and Melissa Middleton | Published: March 2008 | 241.78KB

The aim of the North East Third Sector ICT Survey was to identify current ICT training needs and barriers to learning in the sector, which will help develop future training and support programmes in the region. 227 representatives of third sector organisations took part in the survey between 15th February and 3rd March 2008.

Still Surviving NOT Thriving - Responding to the Recession...but?

Author: VONNE | Published: November 2009 | 1.19MB

The aim of the "Still Surviving?; survey was to update the findings from the previous survey, "Surviving NOT Thriving (SNT), in order to provide an ongoing picture of the impact of the recession on the region's third sector. VONNE wanted to ensure that six months on from SNT we were adequately reflecting the needs of the sector in our calls for greater and more targeted support that meets the needs of the third sector in the North East.

In SNT third sector organisations were asked to predict the impact that the recession was likely to have on them as organisations and the services that they provide to their beneficiaries. It shows the sector's strength that it was able to predict the impact that the recession would have. However, the impact has been every bit as bad as we feared and the legacy is likely to be felt for months if not years to come.

Survey of VCS Representatives on NE Regional Networks

Author: VONNE | Published: July 2009 | 531.89KB

The aim of the research was to identify the support needs of VCS representatives of regional networks and how to make networks more lively and effective.

Surviving NOT Thriving

Author: VONNE | Published: May 2009 | 292.92KB

‘Surviving NOT Thriving’ aims to assess the impact of the recession on voluntary and community organisations and their beneficiaries. Early findings from a survey of the sector tell us that over half of respondents are already seeing a downturn in their funding and are predicting further decreases this year. A third are struggling to cope with increased demand, mental health charities, advice services and hostels are turning people away as demand outstrips resources. One quarter predict they will make staff redundant this year, and two thirds believe their beneficiaries are ill equipped to cope with the impact of the recession.

Tees Valley ICT Survey 2009 Feedback

Author: Maurice Olum | Published: January 2010 | 461.5KB

This survey was conducted (Commissioned by Voluntary Organisations Network North East – VONNE) to analyse and provide feedback on unmet needs in ICT support service provision, training and information requirements of third sector organisations in the Tees Valley area.

The 21st Century Citizen - Civic Activism in the North East

Author: North East Empowerment Partnership | Published: March 2010 | 1.01MB

The aim of this research was to establish why we in the north east are less likely to engage in civic activism than in the other English regions and to identify the barriers to standing for office in a political or voluntary capacity.

The research outputs will offer stakeholders an insight into public perceptions of civic participation which will help them target resources and recruitment more efficiently and effectively based on an informed understanding of the barriers to participation and a consideration of how these can be overcome.

What Makes a Third Sector Organisation Tick - summary report

Author: Northern Rock Third Sector Trends Study | Published: February 2010 | 85.81KB

This Briefing Paper summarises the findings of the second working paper from the Northern Rock Foundation Third Sector Trends Study (TSTS).

It reports on ‘TSO50’, a study of 50 Third Sector Organisations (TSOs) in North East England and Cumbria. The aim of the study is to explore how TSOs of different types change over time in response to circumstances

What makes a Third Sector Organisation Tick?

Author: Northern Rock Third Sector Trends Study | Published: February 2010 | 2.23MB

This is the second working paper from the Northern Rock Foundation Third Sector Trends Study. The TSO50 study is an exploration of how 50 third sector organisations (TSOs) change over time in response to external circumstances, the dynamics of their own organisation and changing beneficiary needs, or perceptions of need, in a complex social market.

The emphasis on studying change is an important element of the originality of this study as it has allowed us to take the time to think very carefully about how to explore the parameters of change.