This report produces statistical analysis of the situation of the local voluntary, community and social enterprise sector (VCSE) in Devon and Cornwall. This research is set in the context of the clustering of Integrated Care Board (ICB) areas of Devon and Cornwall & Scilly Isles in September 2025. This forms part of a longer-term national initiative to reduce the number of ICBs from 42 to 26 clusters across England.
As this report draws upon comparative data for the whole of South West England, evidence from two other ICBs is also included: Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (formerly two ICBS) and Somerset, Dorset and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire (previously three ICBs).]
Devon is going through the process of local government reorganisation. This has involved a period of consultations about a series of five proposals from existing unitary councils, Devon County Council and county council Districts.] As no Ministerial decision has yet been made about local government reorganisation in Devon, this report retains the current administrative geography of Devon for analytical purposes.
The focus of the local VCSE sector reflects its purpose and practices. In more rural areas, voluntary organisations tend to concentrate their attention at neighbourhood or village level while in larger urban areas, they are more likely to work across a wider spatial area – often crossing district and local authority boundaries.
The report shows that the VCSE sector in Devon and Cornwall is large and productive. There are about 8,400 registered voluntary organisations in the county, that is about 4.7 per 1,000 resident population county wide. The density of voluntary organisations is much higher, however, in the county’s most affluent areas such as South Hams is approaching 8 VCSE organisations per 1,000 residents while in Plymouth and Torbay it is around 3 per 1,000 residents.
In these more social advantaged and less urbanised districts, there tends to be a greater concentration on micro and small organisations than in less affluent urban areas where the proportion of larger organisations is more evident and many more of them focus on critical and pernicious social needs.
It is estimated that the total value of sector energy expended in Devon and Cornwall was about £2.07bn in 2025 and that it produced about £3.2bn in fiscal, economic and use value for the county. When intangible aspects of social value are added into the equation, it is estimated that total sector contribution was £7.36bn which represents about £4.1m per 1,000 resident population.
In this report, which was funded by NHS Devon, data are drawn from a combined register of all currently active voluntary organisations England and Wales. The report also uses survey data from Third Sector Trends in 2025 and provides comparative evidence to highlight those activities and achievements of the VCSE sector in Devon and Cornwall & Isles of Scilly that are distinctive, effective or particularly challenging. The analysis builds upon findings from a series of national reports from the 2025 Third Sector Trends study.
The report by Tony Chapman and Jonathan Wistow is available here: The contribution of voluntary organisations to place: A study of Devon and Cornwall in comparative context
All other reports from Third Sector Trends, including detailed technical papers on analytical techniques and research methodology can be located here.