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From crisis to mixed picture to phoney war: tracing third sector discourse in the 2008/9 recession

Taylor, Rebecca and Parry, Jane and Alcock, Pete (2012) From crisis to mixed picture to phoney war: tracing third sector discourse in the 2008/9 recession. Project Report. University of Birmingham, Birmingham.

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URL of Published Version: http://tsrc.ac.uk/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=AXb9tggJp5Y%3d&tabid=500

Abstract

The recession of 2008/09 threatened a crisis for the third sector and its beneficiaries. Amidst mounting concern for the sector’s future, national and horizontal infrastructure and government worked together to minimise potential impacts. This research report, based on media scoping, literature review and key informant interviews, seeks to explore the evolving third sector policy environment and the discourses and relationships that animated it during this period. It outlines the shift from the initial rhetoric of crisis to a ‘mixed picture’ discourse which accommodated a lack of evidence for substantial impacts while providing the basis for continued infrastructure/government support. Exploring the diversity of sector interests highlighted by responses to the OTS’ third sector action plan, Real Help for Communities, suggests the continued importance of vertical and local channels of communication with and support from government for groups within the sector. Finally it traces how sector leaders talked about the recession having lagged effects or being a phoney war. They looked with trepidation to the ‘real crisis’ predicted to hit the sector in 2010/11: a period of financial uncertainty brought about by the convergence of the spending review, the end of several large public sector contracts and the impending general election.

Type of Work:Monograph (Project Report)
School/Faculty:Colleges (2008 onwards) > College of Social Sciences
Department:Third Sector Research Centre
References:

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Sector outputs - strategy documents, consultation responses, guidance, evidence reviews
BrAVA Barnard, H. (2009) Community Crunch in Brent: impact of the recession on the voluntary and community sector in Brent, London: BrAVA.
CAF/NCVO (2009) UK Giving 2009 An overview of charitable giving in the UK, 2008/09, Kent and London: Charities Aid Foundation and NCVO.
CCPR (2009) Running on Empty? Sport in a recession, CCPR's national conference May 2009.
CLG (2011) Citizenship survey (2009-10) Community action in England: A report on the 2009-10 Citizenship survey, London: CLG.
Community Sector Coalition (2009a) After the money has gone. A manifesto from the Community Sector Coalition.
Community Sector Coalition (2009b) What the recession means to us? Issues and solutions, Autumn 2009- based on notes of discussion at the CSC Members meeting (17/09/09) CSC Report.
GMCVO Issues 17 (Jan/Feb 2009) Riding the recession, Manchester: GMCVO.
Grant Thornton (2010) Modernisation Fund Grants Programme delivered by Capacitybuilders Phase One Delivery Review.
IVR (2010) Volunteering in the recession: Outline report for the Recession Summit, January 2010.
London Funders (2009) The recession: we’re all in it together, Report on cross-sector event, Mercers Hall London 11 Feb 2009.
LVSC (2009) The Big Squeeze: We’re (still) in it together: The recession, Londoners and the Voluntary and Community groups who serve them, London: LVSC.
MiNet (ROTA) (2009) The economic downturn and the black Asian and minority ethinic (BAME) third sector: An evidence based report looking at challenges and responses to the recession by London’s BAME and equality third sector, Minet, Rota and HEAR.
NAVCA (2009) Crunch Time: A report on third sector local resilience action planning activities across England, Sheffield: NAVCA.
NAVCA Curley (2008) The Third Sector and the current economic climate – NAVCA response.
NCVO (2009a) The UK civil society almanac 2009, London: NCVO.
NCVO (2009b) Support in Uncertain times: Principals for managing the recession February 2009 (with CFDG, Citizens Advice, NAVCA, Community Matters, Volunteering England, SCVO, ACEVO, CTG, and IOF).
NCVO (2009c) Initial reaction to the budget, NCVO April 2009.
NCVO Blackmore (2008) Response to the OTS consultation on the economic downturn: Proposals for an Action plan to support the voluntary and community sector, NCVO.
NCVO Carrington (2009) Funding our future challenges and opportunities in the next decade, NCVO.
NCVO Kerningham (2009) Draft proposals for actions that voluntary and community organisations and social enterprises should take themselves in response to the recession, NCVO.
NCVO/LGA (2010) Backing communities: local solutions councils and voluntary and community organisations supporting people through the recession, NCVO
NCVO Megan Griffith Gray (2009/10) Third Sector Foresight Surviving in a changing Environment: NCVO members briefing.
NCVO Wilding (2008) Economic downturns and the voluntary and community sector: A short review of the evidence, London: NCVO, www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/uploadedFiles/
NCVO Wilding (2010) Blog post, Researching the recession: so what do we know? Submitted by Karl Wilding 23rd January 2010.
NCVO Wilding and Mohan (2009) The emerging impact of the recession on the voluntary and community sector: a review of recent surveys and evidence NCVO/OTS recession summit June 2009.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), the Charity Finance Directors’ Group (CFDG) and the Institute of Fundraising (IOF) (2008) Managing in a Downturn: November 2008 survey results, analysis and key messages.
Social Enterprise Coalition (2009) State of Social Enterprise Survey 2009 SEC.
Unite (2009) Recession Charter Not for Profit sector, Unite the Union.
Voluntary Organisations’ Network North East (VONNE) (2009) Surviving not thriving: the impact of the recession on the third sector in the North East of England, VONNE.

Government bodies - White papers, policy/strategy documents, reviews/research reports
Charity Commission (2009) Charities and the economic downturn, Charity Commission September 2009.
Charity Commission (2009) The economic downturn: 15 questions charities need to ask, The Charity Commission.
HM Government (2009) Real Help for Communities: Volunteers, Charities and Social Enterprises, Office for the Third Sector, Cabinet Office.
HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office (2007) The future role of the third sector in social and economic regeneration: final report, July 2007.
Third Sector Recession Action Plan, Oral Answers to Questions — Cabinet Office House of Commons debates, 9 December 2009, 11:30 a.m.

Date:01 May 2012
Series/Collection Name:TSRC Research Report
Keywords:Third sector, voluntary sector, government, OTS, recession, downturn, economic crisis, infrastructure, policy, discourse
Subjects:H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Related URLs:
URLURL Type
http://tsrc.ac.ukOrganisation
Funders:Economic and Social Research Council, Office for Civil Society, Barrow Cadbury Trust
Copyright Holders:Third Sector Research Centre
ID Code:1780

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