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With growing interest in social enterprise in the UK, evidence on the scale of their activity is required to show their contribution to the economy. The figure of 62,000 social enterprises has been regularly based on a minimum three year rolling average of the Annual Small Business Survey between 20...
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With growing interest in social enterprise in the UK, evidence on the scale of their activity is required to show their contribution to the economy. The figure of 62,000 social enterprises has been regularly based on a minimum three year rolling average of the Annual Small Business Survey between 2005 and 2007. In this paper we show that different surveys have been based upon samples drawn from widely disparate populations. The Annual Small Business Survey is shown to be dominated by private enterprises (Companies Limited by Share, Partnerships and Sole Proprietors) while other surveys such as the National Survey of Third Sector Organisations, have only looked at particular elements of civil society. By understanding the origins of each source of data, a better evidence base can be developed that draws on the different data sources. While there is still on-going debate about the definitions of social enterprise, careful presentation of data sources can allow those using the data to be clearer about what they are including or excluding. We show how different definitions of social enterprise result in widely differing estimations of the population. Estimations of social enterprise activity may be more reliable as the definitions are more consistently applied. This working paper aims to present data and seeks feedback from the social enterprise community and researchers as part of improving the evidence base.

‘The Big Society’ has become a key element of the Coalition’s Government policy platform, not only on the delivery of public services by the formal and funded voluntary sector but also in terms of communities, more informal third sector activities and individual citizens. Whilst the term itself is r...
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‘The Big Society’ has become a key element of the Coalition’s Government policy platform, not only on the delivery of public services by the formal and funded voluntary sector but also in terms of communities, more informal third sector activities and individual citizens. Whilst the term itself is recent, and accompanied by the ‘new language’ of social action, there are continuities between the current Coalition policy objectives and those of the previous New Labour administration: the devolution of powers to the local level, the reconfiguration of services and promotion of community engagement, empowerment and active citizenship. This working paper explores the debates about, ‘below the radar’ (BTR) community groups and their assumed role in delivering ‘big society’. It argues that the motivators for community action are, and have been, ill understood in policy circles. Further, there is and has been little systematic analysis of the power relationship between the state (both locally and nationally) communities and neighbourhoods which can inform meaningful debate on devolution and localism. The paper examines the implications of the ‘new’ policy environment for small community groups and asks can such activity, which has often been independent of, and operated outside the state, be co-opted to deliver particular government policy objectives?

This paper examines the experiences of a single social enterprise that grew rapidly but ended in failure. Over more than 8 years, the author conducted intensive field research during the social enterprise’s life and held detailed post-mortems with key players after its death. This material is part o...
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This paper examines the experiences of a single social enterprise that grew rapidly but ended in failure. Over more than 8 years, the author conducted intensive field research during the social enterprise’s life and held detailed post-mortems with key players after its death. This material is part of longitudinal research on social enterprise activity in the voluntary and community sectors, (Pharoah, Scott and Fisher, 2004; Russell and Scott, 2007). It is complemented by a review of five studies of social enterprise failure, together with some wider reflections about reporting on various ‘troubles’ (e.g. error, failure and scandal). The primary emphasis is upon problems involved in ‘making sense’, but is illustrated with reference to the experiences of this case study and the limited literature relating to social enterprise failure.

This paper is designed to ‘problematise’ the business/third sector boundary in order to inform future research into third sector theorising or policy development. It sets out some of the reasons behind the development of the concepts of the ‘third sector’ and ‘social enterprise’ in the UK, and brief...
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This paper is designed to ‘problematise’ the business/third sector boundary in order to inform future research into third sector theorising or policy development. It sets out some of the reasons behind the development of the concepts of the ‘third sector’ and ‘social enterprise’ in the UK, and briefly shows the scope and limits of the different theories underpinning European and US-influenced research and practice. It also illustrates some of the many dimensions, motivations and values of the kinds of organisations to be found in this cross-over space, as well as the challenges and opportunities which this diversity creates for any future research or policy creation.

This paper examines the potential impact of social enterprise on exclusion. The case study research involved participant observation over a two year period. Selection of cases was based on a preliminary typology for social enterprise. Exclusion was conceptualised as multi-dimensional and relative to...
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This paper examines the potential impact of social enterprise on exclusion. The case study research involved participant observation over a two year period. Selection of cases was based on a preliminary typology for social enterprise. Exclusion was conceptualised as multi-dimensional and relative to the standards of the society in which a person lives. The research literature suggests that the aggregate impact of social enterprise on economic dimensions of exclusion is marginal. This is a consequence of a mismatch between policy expectations and what is happening in the field. This study found that different forms of social enterprise impacted on exclusion in different ways. People could become included within a group, but remain excluded by the standards of the society they lived in. This paper outlines these different impacts in order to open up a more balanced perspective on the potential and limitation of social enterprise in combating area based exclusion.

Discussion about, and analysis of, the question of definition and the third sector and civil society more generally has developed to a significant degree in recent years. This paper can be located in a new phase of conceptual research, which seeks to attend to the historical, cultural and politicall...
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Discussion about, and analysis of, the question of definition and the third sector and civil society more generally has developed to a significant degree in recent years. This paper can be located in a new phase of conceptual research, which seeks to attend to the historical, cultural and politically contingent nature of this domain’s boundaries. The process of constructing, adapting and shifting the positioning of boundaries, and movement across those evolving boundaries comes especially into focus. It takes England as a case study, drawing on evidence and argument assembled by the authors in recent and ongoing research efforts, variously conducted with the support of the Third Sector Research Centre (TSRC) and the European Commission. The paper proceeds by discussing relevant literature; describing recent patterns of policy institutionalisation; and then tries to draw out more analytically how this process has indeed not been associated with a stable and consistent set of definitions and constructs, but rather with unstable and changing formulations, which reflect the playing out of a dual process of decontestation and contention.

Since the end of the last century the United Kingdom has been a less united country than it was. In 1999 a separate Scottish Executive (from 2007 the Scottish Government) and Welsh Assembly Government were established, followed later by a new Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly, based on a power...
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Since the end of the last century the United Kingdom has been a less united country than it was. In 1999 a separate Scottish Executive (from 2007 the Scottish Government) and Welsh Assembly Government were established, followed later by a new Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly, based on a power sharing agreement known from its date in 1998 as the ‘Good Friday Agreement’. A number of key policy making powers were devolved from Westminster to these new administrations; these include policy on and support for third sector activity in the different countries. Since 2000 therefore there have in effect been four separate policy regimes within the UK focused on the activity and organisation of third sector organisations, although, compared to the greater levels of regional devolution existing in many other developed industrial nations, the UK remains a largely centralised state in both political and policy terms. This paper explores some of the key implications of this recent devolution and examines the extent to which it has led to a divergence in policy development and delivery – asking the question, to what extent has devolution led to a divergence in third sector policy regimes across the UK?

This paper takes both a practical and critical view of economic analysis in relation to the third sector. It argues that there is no one kind of economic analysis but that a certain form of such thinking, and associated techniques, has become dominant in thinking and practice. That mainstream approa...
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This paper takes both a practical and critical view of economic analysis in relation to the third sector. It argues that there is no one kind of economic analysis but that a certain form of such thinking, and associated techniques, has become dominant in thinking and practice. That mainstream approach is appropriate for certain functions and understandings but can also act to funnel or prioritise certain dimensions of third sector activity, ignoring others. It is important therefore in any economic analytic work on the third sector to engage with different forms of economic theory and practice (such as ecological, or institutional economics) as well as cross-disciplinary approaches (such as geographical or socio-economics). Economic analysis may often just apply to the relative impact of the third sector on accepted statistical dimensions of the economy, such as employment or GDP. This paper argues that this approach misses the many and complex ways in which different parts of the third sector may impact on economic activity in the UK. Ultimately, the aim of this paper is to range over issues of both practical and conceptual importance, in order to enable a more informed and contextualised sense of options, priorities, and possibilities for further in-depth work in the economic analysis of the third sector.

This paper explores different dimensions of below the radar (BTR) activity and some of the key variables that need to be considered. It seeks to define what we mean by ‘below the radar’ activity and identify different radars that might form the focus of research. It is clear from discussion aroun...
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This paper explores different dimensions of below the radar (BTR) activity and some of the key variables that need to be considered. It seeks to define what we mean by ‘below the radar’ activity and identify different radars that might form the focus of research. It is clear from discussion around BTR activity, that it is necessary to move beyond simplistic definitions that focus on registration to a more sophisticated approach encompassing a range of different radars. Similarly, there is a need to move away from a deficit model, which makes negative assumptions about what it means to be ‘below the radar’. We have tried to develop a sampling frame to differentiate BTR activity from more mainstream activities being researched by other work streams. We want to ensure that small community based actions are also included in the economic/impact, service delivery and social enterprise elements of TSRC research. Our exploration of the characteristics of below the radar activity culminates in a series of issues to be researched further, rather than reaching definitive conclusions. Our understanding, and classification, of such activity will evolve, as we use theoretical and empirical knowledge to inform our thinking. Thus, while we have outlined our initial thoughts around defining BTR activity, we expect this thinking to be influenced by the findings from our fieldwork. The next step for the BTR work stream is to develop a methodology to explore the full range of BTR activity sketched out in this paper.

‘Real Times’ is the Third Sector Research Centre’s qualitative longitudinal study of third sector organisations, groups and activities. Over a three year period the study is following the fortunes, strategies, challenges and performance of a diverse set of fifteen ‘core’ case studies of third sector...
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‘Real Times’ is the Third Sector Research Centre’s qualitative longitudinal study of third sector organisations, groups and activities. Over a three year period the study is following the fortunes, strategies, challenges and performance of a diverse set of fifteen ‘core’ case studies of third sector activity, and their relations with a number ‘complementary’ case studies. This report introduces the core case studies through summary sketches, and provides a descriptive account of the research up to the end of the first wave of fieldwork.

Housing associations (HAs) could be regarded as the ‘distant uncle’ of the third sector in England. Their experience of 40 years of capacity building, struggles around combining public service delivery while preserving some independence and shifting from charity to social entrepreneurial models has ...
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Housing associations (HAs) could be regarded as the ‘distant uncle’ of the third sector in England. Their experience of 40 years of capacity building, struggles around combining public service delivery while preserving some independence and shifting from charity to social entrepreneurial models has considerable relevance for other third sector organisations. Their hybrid financial model places housing associations squarely between the state and the market. While the core activities of associations in constructing and managing affordable housing is a crucial contribution to society, greater attention is often given to their social investment and neighbourhood activities when considering their added value. While larger associations are sometimes seen as having grown away from third sector roots, the importance of generating a social as well as a financial return and the impact of successful neighbourhoods on their business results is generally recognised. Recent policy and regulation issues have included a legal challenge to the non-public status of housing associations, a major review of regulation and adjustments responding to the credit crisis and recession and most recently responding to the Coalition Government, including public expenditure reductions and the Big Society agenda. While the housing association field was, for 40 years, tightly structured around a single dedicated funding and regulatory body, the Housing Corporation, since 2008 it has had separate regulatory and funding bodies each of which relate to other social landlords as well. This looser field structure may have important implications for the future evolution and identity of housing associations. Further research on the sector could address the adaptation of the housing association sector to the new government, localism, neighbourhood focus and social investment impacts, mergers and alliances and responding to efficiency and accountability agendas.

There is much current policy and practitioner enthusiasm for using social enterprise to tackle the problems of the homeless population, particularly those in the most acute housing need such as rough sleepers, hostel users and those in other forms of temporary accommodation. This paper brings togeth...
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There is much current policy and practitioner enthusiasm for using social enterprise to tackle the problems of the homeless population, particularly those in the most acute housing need such as rough sleepers, hostel users and those in other forms of temporary accommodation. This paper brings together two sets of research literature on social enterprise and homelessness to address the question ‘how does social enterprise respond to the needs of homeless people?’ The paper provides an overview of the current policy context before identifying different ways in which social enterprise responds to those homeless people in the most acute housing need. The research literature demonstrates that social enterprise involves balancing a tension between social and economic objectives. This poses challenges for social enterprises in the homelessness field. Existing case study research shows that social enterprises offering homeless people the opportunity to earn an income have proved unable to generate sufficient surplus to address the wider social support needs of their client group. Social enterprises contracted to deliver state services may face pressure to abandon those clients with the most complex needs as they prove unprofitable to work with. However social enterprise would appear to offer opportunities to those homeless people with less acute needs, particularly in conjunction with other Third Sector Organisations.

This paper reports on research to develop and implement an innovative methodology to find and map what lies beneath the third sector radar. By using and adapting tools used in the 1990s for the well-recognised work of LOVAS (Local Voluntary Activity Surveys) we sought to identify all community activ...
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This paper reports on research to develop and implement an innovative methodology to find and map what lies beneath the third sector radar. By using and adapting tools used in the 1990s for the well-recognised work of LOVAS (Local Voluntary Activity Surveys) we sought to identify all community activities in two small local areas of England. This revealed a diverse range of 58 self-organised activities going on in and around 11 streets of England – groups that do not appear on regulatory listings and thus tend not be included in wider statistical trend analyses on the third sector. Six ‘types’ of below-groups were identified from the study. Most were embedded into their local community and operated within a very specific socio-cultural context delivering services to their immediate local communities. Our findings also revealed a combination of ways in which groups obtain resources from their own users by ‘tapping in’, and obtaining resources from others, ‘tapping out’. In addition, the work shows that several of these groups are also distributing resources to others, ‘giving out’. The findings also highlight the importance of the opportunities arising from publically shared-spaces and the support from paid and unpaid staff operating in the buildings that they use.

This paper explores how the different voices and interests of the third sector, political parties and media have shaped and reflected the policy agenda over the course of the 2010 general election campaign and into the early post-election period. Using research methods which combined documentary ana...
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This paper explores how the different voices and interests of the third sector, political parties and media have shaped and reflected the policy agenda over the course of the 2010 general election campaign and into the early post-election period. Using research methods which combined documentary analysis with qualitative interviews with key policy actors in the third sector, we examine the relative success of different campaigning methods in an election that was unique both in its uncertain electoral outcome and in terms of the relative consensus that political parties expressed at the outset towards the third sector. A range of third sector and political manifestos are considered, highlighting the ideological significance of the language employed and assessing the impact of one against the other. Attention is drawn to the raised profile achieved by the third sector early in the election campaign and reflected in its coverage in the three main political parties’ manifestos. This was followed by a relative lack of substantive sectoral discussion during the unusual period of the election and purdah, when the sector concentrated upon a consolidation and commentary role. The Conservative’s Big Society agenda lost momentum during the election, and the Citizens UK ‘fourth debate’ prompted an unexpected late surge of media interest in the sector. The new political realities of the post-election period have seen refocus on policy development and rebranding, return to third sector campaigning and realignment in sectoral–state relations in the context of a (revived) Big Society politics.

The focus of this paper is on the changing policy environment for voluntary action under the new Labour governments at the turn of the twenty-first century. This was a period of rapid policy change with a rise in the profile of voluntary action to rival, if not outstrip, that at any point in the pre...
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The focus of this paper is on the changing policy environment for voluntary action under the new Labour governments at the turn of the twenty-first century. This was a period of rapid policy change with a rise in the profile of voluntary action to rival, if not outstrip, that at any point in the previous century. This rising profile was also accompanied by terminological change, and debate, in effect the creation of a new entity – the third sector. The paper reviews the institutional and policy changes introduced by the Labour governments between 1997 and 2010, setting these in the context of previous political and policy development of the sector. It concludes by assessing the extent to which this constituted a new and distinctive policy regime, characterised by the notions of partnership and mainstreaming, and speculates on the future prospects for this in changing economic and political circumstances.

Much has been written about personalisation and the potential that this agenda holds for change within welfare services. Although carers have been identified as an important group in translating personalisation into practice we know very little about how the third sector might support carers in orde...
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Much has been written about personalisation and the potential that this agenda holds for change within welfare services. Although carers have been identified as an important group in translating personalisation into practice we know very little about how the third sector might support carers in order to make personalisation effective. In this paper we examine the literature to identify the existing evidence base available to examine the impact of personalisation on carers. We find that this evidence is limited at best and therefore set out those areas of further research which we argue are required to inform third sector practice. We illustrate these areas of further research via some real-life case studies in order to root these examples in everyday practice.

There has been a rapidly growing interest in longitudinal research methods and dynamic analysis in recent decades. A longitudinal research gaze offers the promise of seeing things differently, and of understanding the dynamic processes involved in social change, of what happens next and why. This pa...
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There has been a rapidly growing interest in longitudinal research methods and dynamic analysis in recent decades. A longitudinal research gaze offers the promise of seeing things differently, and of understanding the dynamic processes involved in social change, of what happens next and why. This paper explores the potential of qualitative longitudinal research for developing understanding of the dynamics of the third sector. The Third Sector Research Centre has embarked upon a qualitative longitudinal study of third sector activities called ‘Real Times’. The paper sets out the thinking behind the study. As well as providing a basic description of the rationale, design and structure of ‘Real Times’, the paper discusses the methodological interest in qualitative longitudinal research in the third sector, the substantive contextual issues the third sector is experiencing as the study takes place, and some of the theoretical thinking involved in the study. In particular it discusses three theoretical ‘imaginings’ which inform the research: the different temporalities involved in the third sector; a ‘relational’ account of the third sector as a contested field; and lastly the idea of strategic action in context.

Self-help housing ‘involves groups of local people bringing back into use empty properties that are in limbo, awaiting decisions about their future use, or their redevelopment. It differs from self-build housing which involves constructing permanent homes from scratch’. It responds to the bigger pic...
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Self-help housing ‘involves groups of local people bringing back into use empty properties that are in limbo, awaiting decisions about their future use, or their redevelopment. It differs from self-build housing which involves constructing permanent homes from scratch’. It responds to the bigger picture of entrenched problems in society today including homelessness and unmet housing needs, empty homes, unemployment and low levels of construction skills, planning blight, neighbourhood dereliction and fear of crime, and low levels of local economic activity and enterprise. Yet despite these potential benefits self-help housing remains a small scale and largely unrecognised part of the housing third sector. TSRC research has been exploring the reasons for this limited and the ways in which its potential could be harnessed by local groups and key partners and the types of policies that might enable this. This case study report is one of a series of outputs from TSRC research on self-help housing. It was produced to present evidence drawn from eight case studies of a variety of models of self-help housing in different local contexts to inform a consultation with policy makers, funders, umbrella groups and self-help housing projects held at St George’s House, Windsor in December 2010. The report describes the case study projects and potential benefits of self-help housing in meeting a variety of public policy outcomes, and presents evidence on the barriers and enablers and critical success factors found in the case studies. It raises a number of questions that were explored further in the Consultation event leading to policy recommendations. It is published here to provide wider access to the TSRC research data on which the Consultation report to be published by BSHF draws. The TSRC working paper that preceded this work (Mullins, 2010) and a separate briefing paper on implications for tackling homelessness (Teasdale et al, 2011) can be downloaded from the TSRC website.

Self-help housing ‘involves local people bringing back into use empty properties for their use, organising whatever repairs are necessary to make them habitable’ (http://self-help-housing.org/). This is usually based on a time-limited licence or lease, but sometimes on a permanent basis, and there a...
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Self-help housing ‘involves local people bringing back into use empty properties for their use, organising whatever repairs are necessary to make them habitable’ (http://self-help-housing.org/). This is usually based on a time-limited licence or lease, but sometimes on a permanent basis, and there are possibilities for asset transfer. Models of self-help housing range from informal community housing projects, to social enterprises that also involve construction skills and other training for homeless people, young people, refugees and other disadvantaged groups as part of a more holistic approach to providing housing and employment. Self-help housing constitutes a small part of the housing-related Third Sector. However it epitomises a form of bottom-up organisation that once played a more important role, particularly in the late 1970s when municipal housing schemes were delayed by public spending cuts, leaving empty properties which had already been acquired, and were then brought into use by ‘short-life groups’. Now there would appear to be a similar opportunity in the context of reductions in public expenditure and policy support for self-help. Self-help housing seems to tick all the right boxes in offering a low-cost approach to meeting community housing needs (particularly for single people and couples who are not usually given priority for social housing), and maintaining some momentum in regeneration programmes while offering work training and experience to those participating. However, while there are a number of successful self-help projects, these are generally small scale and ‘below the radar’. To be successful, self-help housing organisations need to secure a supply of properties, funding, volunteers and residents. Further research is required to identify how these success conditions can be met, drawing on the experience of self-help housing projects from the different organisational models identified above in different local contexts. It will be important to relate these experiences to contemporary policy and financial drivers and to use the research to engage with policy makers, property owners and funders and with self-help models in other service areas.

The ‘Right to Request’ initiative was introduced by the Labour Government in 2008 as a process through which NHS clinicians and managers working in England could seek to develop a social enterprise to deliver Community Health Services. Building on the experiences of the Social Enterprise Pathfinder ...
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The ‘Right to Request’ initiative was introduced by the Labour Government in 2008 as a process through which NHS clinicians and managers working in England could seek to develop a social enterprise to deliver Community Health Services. Building on the experiences of the Social Enterprise Pathfinder Programme it addressed key barriers that had been identified such as NHS staff transferring their current pension entitlements and security over the initial contract lengths. It also provided access to the Social Enterprise Investment Fund which could be used to support staff groups in completing their business cases and bringing in external consultancy and support. The Coalition Government continued the scheme, and it is estimated that approximately 10% of the community health services currently provided by Primary Care Trusts are in the process of completing their business cases or have already launched as social enterprises. The University of Birmingham have been supporting managers and clinicians within the West Midlands who are seeking to develop a social enterprise. In this paper we reflect on their experiences and the response of the local health systems in which they work. We identify that there have been a number of barriers to staff who were keen to pursue this option, and make recommendations for what could be done to encourage and support NHS staff to set up social enterprises in the future. The findings and recommendations are also of relevance for other parts of the public sector in which a ‘right of challenge’ is being introduced.

With the growing interest in measuring the social impact of third sector activities, there have been a range of approaches developed. One of these, social return on investment (SROI) has received particular attention and is being promoted by third sector organisations, as well as public and private ...
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With the growing interest in measuring the social impact of third sector activities, there have been a range of approaches developed. One of these, social return on investment (SROI) has received particular attention and is being promoted by third sector organisations, as well as public and private bodies. This paper examines this approach in detail and identifies a series of issues that require further investigation. These include technical and methodological issues related to this adjusted cost-benefit analysis such as quantifying the value of social benefits, and attribution; the judgement involved in setting indicators; whether projects deemed successful based on an SROI analysis can provide the basis for replicability and scaling up; and the ways in which SROI is being used by stakeholders. Through examining these challenges in detail, the approaches to measuring social impact can be strengthened, standardised and made more rigorous. While the issues raised here are essential to developing SROI further, they are also valid for more general discussions regarding the proving and improving of the value added by the UK third sector.

Contributing towards building a foundation of knowledge on the black minority ethnic (BME) third sector, this paper offers an introductory resource on research in this field. The paper begins with discussion on the (contested) concept of a BME third sector (BME TS) and the existing narrative of dist...
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Contributing towards building a foundation of knowledge on the black minority ethnic (BME) third sector, this paper offers an introductory resource on research in this field. The paper begins with discussion on the (contested) concept of a BME third sector (BME TS) and the existing narrative of distinctiveness; it then goes on to highlight the importance of robust comparative analyses to identify empirical trends of difference between subsectors in order to examine the policy implications for the different subsectors. In an attempt to bring together a disparate collection of material on the BME third sector the remaining section of the paper provides brief overviews of material about different types of organisation that might constitute the BME TS in the broadest sense of the term. These include: refugee and asylum seeker organisations (RCOs), faith based organisations, diasporic immigrant community organisations, black organisations, gypsy and traveller organisations and multicultural organisations. In closing, the paper identifies gaps in the current research base that will be of interest to the wider research community and will inform TSRC's cross-cutting equality research programme.

This paper demonstrates that social enterprises can exhibit multiple faces to different stakeholders in order to access resources. The research involved a longitudinal case study of a group of Kurdish refugees and asylum seekers producing a theatrical play based upon their collective experiences. Pa...
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This paper demonstrates that social enterprises can exhibit multiple faces to different stakeholders in order to access resources. The research involved a longitudinal case study of a group of Kurdish refugees and asylum seekers producing a theatrical play based upon their collective experiences. Participant observation enabled a deeper understanding of the phenomena under investigation. The approach to analysis was inductive, drawing out themes for further investigation. This paper focuses upon one particular theme: the role of organisational impression management in resource acquisition. Key findings are that the social enterprise is seen and presented in different ways by different internal stakeholders; social enterprises can use organisational impression management to demonstrate multiple faces to different resource holders in order to acquire resources; however the resource holders are not passive recipients of impression management. Each has a strategic interest in the social enterprise being presented in a particular way and the social enterprise needs to be seen to conform to these impressions.

Much has been written about the reasons for and impact of marketisation on charities, their clients, and wider civil society. A central component of the marketisation thesis is that charities are substituting grants and donations with commercial revenue. However there is no consensus in the existing...
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Much has been written about the reasons for and impact of marketisation on charities, their clients, and wider civil society. A central component of the marketisation thesis is that charities are substituting grants and donations with commercial revenue. However there is no consensus in the existing literature as to whether the two sources of revenue are substitutes or complementary. This paper shows that between 2003 and 2007 there was a significant increase in the proportion of overall revenue attracted from commercial sources by charities in England and Wales. Using our preferred Generalised Method of Moments (GMM) estimation model we show that the annual persistence of commercial revenue over time was 44%. In particular, a +10% change in grants and donations was associated with a -3.1% change in commercial revenue. Thus commercial revenue is an inelastic substitute for grants and donations. We therefore conclude that charities are succumbing to market forces.

Personalisation has been identified as being ‘a cornerstone of the modernisation of public services’ (Department of Health, 2008: p. 4) and much interest in this concept has arisen recently. However, there is a high degree of confusion over what personalisation is and the types of changes that will ...
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Personalisation has been identified as being ‘a cornerstone of the modernisation of public services’ (Department of Health, 2008: p. 4) and much interest in this concept has arisen recently. However, there is a high degree of confusion over what personalisation is and the types of changes that will be associated with this agenda. There are many ways in which the concept of personalisation might be interpreted, all of which have different implications for service users and service providers, particularly in terms of the mechanisms which have been introduced to try and facilitate these changes. Personalisation has a considerable history and has the potential to offer very different services to those that have been delivered in the past. Moreover, the underpinning philosophy of the personalisation movement is aligned with the types of values which a number of third sector organisations have been advocating for some time. Personalisation is more than a passing political fad and third sector organisations need to think carefully about how they will respond and shape the many changes which have already started to happen and that will increase in momentum over the coming months. This paper sets out the major features of the personalisation agenda and drawing on existing evidence sets out the key research, policy and practice implications of this for the third sector. Personalisation offers the potential for much improvement in terms of the way in which individuals with care needs are supported, but might also potentially mean significant changes for providers involved in the delivery of welfare services. It is important that third sector bodies understand these implications and are able to respond to these appropriately or else risk losing out in this change process.

Over 2009-2010, the Third Sector Research Centre (TSRC) undertook work to identify the current state of knowledge on small, below the radar, community groups and activities. This highlighted the lack of research into the contribution of grass-roots or amateur arts organisations make in communities....
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Over 2009-2010, the Third Sector Research Centre (TSRC) undertook work to identify the current state of knowledge on small, below the radar, community groups and activities. This highlighted the lack of research into the contribution of grass-roots or amateur arts organisations make in communities. This gap in knowledge is substantial, given that there are an estimated 49,000 such groups in England. In partnership with the Universities of Exeter and Glamorgan as well as Voluntary Arts, and with financial support from the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s Connected Communities programme, the Centre undertook a scoping study to assess the lessons from the academic and grey literature across the arts, social sciences and voluntary sector. This identified a range of different impacts and outcomes in terms of amateur arts groups. For individuals, participation in arts based activities ‘for their own sake’ could promote their mental health and wellbeing. Some involved, particularly young people, made the transition from amateur arts to paid employment in the creative industries. Improvements in educational attainment and functioning in the work-place were also reported as positive outcomes in some of the literature. Claims were also made about the economic role such activities play in communities: through the hire of village halls, the management of local assets, equipment hire or the employment of professional artists in, for example, preparing for performances. However in this, and other areas, there was a lack of empirical evidence exploring or quantifying the exact nature of impact. The measurement of the impact of amateur arts was explored further with members of grass-roots arts networks at a day conference in October 2011 at Cecil Sharp House (Conference Report – Growing the Grassroots: the contribution of amateur arts to communities). It is the hope of the current partners that further research can be undertaken over 2012 to develop a practical toolkit for assessing the outcomes of amateur arts activities in communities.

This paper examines research evidence, argument and policy development on the third sector and public service delivery over the last five to ten years. Forty-eight separate pieces of research published between 2004 and 2010 on the themes of public service delivery, commissioning and procurement are ...
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This paper examines research evidence, argument and policy development on the third sector and public service delivery over the last five to ten years. Forty-eight separate pieces of research published between 2004 and 2010 on the themes of public service delivery, commissioning and procurement are reviewed. This body of literature represents the research response to the new third sector public sector delivery landscape which has developed out of the UK Labour government’s interest in promoting the sector’s role in service delivery. The review examines four themes developed from the literature: emerging commissioning and procurement practices; the experiences of third sector organisations in the new service delivery landscape; the support needs of third sector organisations, and the impact of the new service delivery landscape on third sector organisations. By examining what we think we know and suggesting priorities for ongoing research, the paper aims to contribute to the ongoing discussion of the sector’s role in service delivery. The third sector’s experience of the new service delivery landscape has been somewhat mixed and varied. But new questions will be asked about the sector’s experience in an era marked by public finance retrenchment and under different political and ideological priorities. As a ‘stock-take’ and a baseline for a new economic and political context, the review indicates where research attention has been focused, and where it hasn’t. Overall greater attention appears to have been given to the voices and concerns of staff involved in TSOs, rather than other stakeholders such as trustees, volunteers and particularly TSO members and service users. By contrast, far less research attention has been given to the nature of the services commissioned, whether new commissioning processes are leading to service improvement, and fundamentally what difference services make.

This paper explores the development of the UK Gypsy and Traveller third sector and details factors which have impeded development. This includes a lack of resources and skills but also illustrates how in recent years important progress has been made in community development. The paper concludes that...
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This paper explores the development of the UK Gypsy and Traveller third sector and details factors which have impeded development. This includes a lack of resources and skills but also illustrates how in recent years important progress has been made in community development. The paper concludes that the current cutbacks and reduction in resources for community development, combined with new policies that Gypsies and Travellers perceive as being hostile towards them, could undermine progress made. The paper argues that ’positive action’ combined with greater community involvement in service delivery could strengthen the Gypsy and Traveller third sector and foster intercultural dialogue and promote inclusion. Processes evident in other branches of the third sector (McCabe et al., 2010). The paper is relevant to a number of TSRC work streams, particularly ’Below the Radar’ which explores the role, function, impact and experiences of small community action groups or organisations.

‘Below the radar’ has become a short-hand term for small community groups who are either not registered with the Charity Commission or other regulatory bodies and or are registered but lack a regular, substantial annual income. Much of the existing research into the Third Sector has focused on forma...
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‘Below the radar’ has become a short-hand term for small community groups who are either not registered with the Charity Commission or other regulatory bodies and or are registered but lack a regular, substantial annual income. Much of the existing research into the Third Sector has focused on formal, larger, organisations leaving gaps in the knowledge base around the nature and function of small groups and more informal activities which happen at a community level. The following working paper is based on interviews with representatives from national community sector organisations, development agencies, members of policy fora and academics with a background in community based research. It explores the scale, scope and functions of ‘below the radar’ activity in the Third Sector, why people become active within their community and the factors which both help and hinder community based action. Finally the paper explores the strengths and weaknesses of ‘below the radar’ action, issues of accountability and asks the question – are their features that make more informal community organisation and activity distinctive.

This paper provides a broad sweep across the ideas and practices around ‘value’, and how these relate to third sector organisations and activities. It argues that the current focus on outcome-based ‘social value’ by academics and policy-makers is limited and only part of how third sector organisatio...
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This paper provides a broad sweep across the ideas and practices around ‘value’, and how these relate to third sector organisations and activities. It argues that the current focus on outcome-based ‘social value’ by academics and policy-makers is limited and only part of how third sector organisations operate, why they exist, or how they contribute to society. It also shows how the new measurement approaches, predicated on ideas of blended value, open up opportunities for resources and impact but may downplay the inevitable conflicts in outcomes, stakeholder concerns, and ignore moral values or processes. These new measurement approaches also attempt to add together outcomes which cannot always be easily combined. The paper suggests ideas for a research agenda that begins to fill gaps in current understanding, and reweights policy and practice to better ‘value’ and support diverse third sector activity.

Much attention has been paid globally to the concept of social enterprise. However, beyond the notion of trading for a social purpose, there is little consensus as to what a social enterprise is or does. Existing academic literature provides a bewildering array of definitions and explanations for th...
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Much attention has been paid globally to the concept of social enterprise. However, beyond the notion of trading for a social purpose, there is little consensus as to what a social enterprise is or does. Existing academic literature provides a bewildering array of definitions and explanations for their emergence. This is because the label social enterprise means different things to different people across different contexts and at different points in time. This conceptual confusion is mirrored among practitioners. A wide variety of organisational types have had the label attributed to them or have tried to claim the label for themselves. Using the example of the United Kingdom, where social enterprise has been heavily promoted and supported as a site for policy intervention, this paper provides an in-depth analysis of how the meanings of social enterprise have evolved and expanded over time. This enhances understanding of a fluid and contested concept constructed by different actors promoting different discourses connected to different organisational forms.

The term ‘below, or under, the radar’ has become a short-hand term often applied to describe small voluntary organisations, community groups and more informal or semi-formal activities in the third sector. This paper presents the findings of a literature review which explores understandings of th...
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The term ‘below, or under, the radar’ has become a short-hand term often applied to describe small voluntary organisations, community groups and more informal or semi-formal activities in the third sector. This paper presents the findings of a literature review which explores understandings of the term ‘below the radar’ and its usefulness in thinking about community based organisations and activities. The paper also uses the literature to explore the nature, role, and focus of small scale organisations and activities, as well as the challenges they face. It draws on a wide range of materials and an academic literature which has tended to focus on either concepts of ‘organisation’ rather than more informal community activity, or particular ‘sub-sections’ of the third sector; Black and Minority Ethnic groups, Refugee and Migrant Organisations, arts and cultural groups; rather than the small scale sector as whole. Finally, it identifies gaps in the current literature and contentious questions relating to our knowledge of ‘below the radar’ community groups and activities.

‘Below the radar’, community organisations and activities, Black and Minority Ethnic groups, Refugee and Migrant Organisations, rural community action, faith communities, arts and cultural identity, A...
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‘Below the radar’, community organisations and activities, Black and Minority Ethnic groups, Refugee and Migrant Organisations, rural community action, faith communities, arts and cultural identity, Angus McCabe, Jenny Phillimore, Lucy Mayblin.