After another long period of ups and downs and twists and turns in the voluntary sector, Third Sector Trends is back in England and Wales to see how social, political and economic change has affected organisations like yours.

Many of you will have been helping us with this study every three years since 2010. We’re now asking you to take part again. And if you’re a new organisation, we’re just as keen to see what you do, how things are going and what you’re achieving.

Whether you’re big or small – thriving, struggling or just going along as normal – we need to hear from you. It’s quick and easy to do, interesting and really helps to build a picture about how the voluntary sector responds to change and initiates change in society.

So if you’re an amateur sports, dance or gardening club, a village hall, a carers’ group, an arts organisation, a campaigning trust; or if you deliver social or health services, care for the environment or run a hostel or food bank – whatever you do, it’s important to us.

The study is big (6,000+ responses in 2022) and runs right across England and Wales. But its focus is still very local – looking at how the voluntary sector develops and works in areas like yours – whether the interests you serve are focused in a neighbourhood/village – or span national/international boundaries.

It’s completely confidential, incredibly relevant to the voluntary sector and those who support it and only happens every three years. So please tell us how it’s going and have your say on what you think the future holds.

To take part, click here:  Third Sector Trends in England and Wales 2025  

If you want some more detail before you start,  go to this page Third Sector Trends

We’ve been busy, here’s our annual report for 2024 together with some of our plans for 2025:  Policy&Practice Annual Report 2024

Learning from collaboration research in the Scottish and English Borderlands is being applied to challenges of post-Brexit partnerships across the English Channel

Policy&Practice academics have been exploring borderland collaborations for the last two years. The work, led by Professor John Mawson of Policy&Practice and Dr David McGuinness (Northumbria University) is focusing on the development and implementation of the ten-year £500 million Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal which straddles the English-Scottish Border.

Thanks to Wolf Blur for photograph, http://wolfblur.de/index.php/zu-meiner-person

Covering an area the size of Wales, this pioneering programme is the largest rural development initiative and partnership in the UK, bringing together local authorities on either side of the border with funding support from the Scottish and UK governments.

The partners have been keen to acknowledge the significant contribution of researchers in initiating the work of the Borderlands Partnership. As policies have been developed and are being put into practice, researchers continue to explore how best to overcome the inevitable managerial, organisational and leadership challenges that must be resolved to take the Growth Deal forward.

The value of this work has been recognised more widely as understanding of the complexities of cross-border collaboration deepens. Consequently, Professor Mawson was recently invited by Kent County Council to participate in a research and consultancy project on sustaining its partnership working arrangements across the English Channel with French, Belgian and Dutch local authorities.

Kent County Council has been undertaking economic social, cultural and environmental projects with its European partners for several decades funded largely by the European Union’s Interreg Programmes. However, the UK’s decision to exit the European Union in 2021, following the Brexit referendum, has resulted in a substantive loss of funding for such endeavours.

Recognising the value of this longstanding European collaboration activity and the associated build-up of shared knowledge, experience and trust – partners were keen to pursue alternative mechanisms and funding to sustain the work. To this end a voluntary Straits Committee Partnership was established in 2020 by local authority partners on either side of the Channel and North Sea. Its priorities are determined by an executive committee involving officer and member collaboration on agreed programmes and projects including a scheme for community and voluntary sectors.

While progress has certainly been made, unforeseen obstacles have interfered with the process such as the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak, the introduction of new customs regulations, transformations in the processes underpinning passenger and freight movements amongst other things.

The loss of European Union funding has slowed progress in the implementation of the Straits Committee’s cross-border strategy. However, a change of government in the UK has led to a more positive and stronger focus on removing barriers to economic growth which means that possibilities for new collaborative initiatives are emerging – not least because of Kent’s pivotal strategic location. Furthermore, as the UK government’s Devolution agenda matures, it is anticipated that this may further strengthen Kent’s strategic and economic development capacity and help facilitate new cross-channel developments.

In the Spring of 2024, the Kent and Medway Economic Partnership published a ten year economic framework and action plan which included measures to support its European agenda. Against this background the research and consultancy project undertaken by Professor Mawson and his Birmingham University colleagues is exploring the role and challenges of the Straits Committee in revitalising cross border collaboration.

To date, over 20 interviews have been conducted with European local authority politicians and senior officers together with civil servants in various government agencies to explore these matters further. The research and initial findings were presented by the team at the Regional Studies Association winter conference in November 2024. The paper entitled Cross-Border Collaboration in the Trans Manche: Brexit – and where next? generated considerable interest particularly in the light of current political developments.

On 14th and 15th March 2024, Professor Joyce Liddle was one of the lead organisers of an international conference entitled “Leadership, Politics, & Governance in Turbulent Times: Global and Geopolitical Challenges in a Changing Europe” held in Prague, Czech Republic. This third in a series of events (earlier ones were held in Newcastle, UK and Angers, France, culminating in a final Birmingham conference in April 2025) attracted 60 academics, policy makers and senior public leaders from across Europe.

Between 2020 and 2024 a unique set of circumstances tested the capabilities of leaders across Europe. From Brexit and pandemic-related disruptions to geopolitical shifts, migration crises, energy crises, and high inflation rates, many challenges have required leaders to demonstrate resilience, adaptability, and strategic thinking. Navigating these factors requires leaders with understanding of the interdependencies between different challenges, and the ability to mobilise resources and foster collaboration among diverse stakeholders in various ‘places’. Embracing multifaceted challenges and opportunities can equip leaders with new knowledge to shape the future trajectory of their countries, as well as sustain lasting contributions to well-being and prosperity for all citizens.

A rapidly changing context of global turbulence and unprecedented crises have created complex and evolving policy challenges for leaders at multiple levels of governance across Europe, and beyond. Presentations from leading experts in the field facilitated a more comprehensive understanding of some key global. interdependent challenges and opportunities, as academics, policy makers and leaders exchanged knowledge on emerging research questions, and explored ideas for designing, developing and implementing novel policies and initiatives to mobilise sub-national resources and foster partnerships for change.

At the outset in 2022 this network had addressed issues of the changing world of sub-national and transnational cooperation and development, and some of the new and uncertain contexts and local circumstances in which leadership takes place. Later discussions highlighted the importance of networking and relationship building activities across coterminous and non-coterminous national borders. These were followed by examinations on how leadership within a two-tier Europe was playing out. Gaps were identified to illustrate why certain places were leading and others continuing to lag behind, with some excellent leadership case studies promoted across different ‘places’. From an English perspective, the research of Liddle and co-authors had identified several challenges facing sub-national leadership, including those arising from Brexit, cross-border cooperation, how to counter challenges to local democracy, and maintaining a sub-national voice across Europe. The Prague conference showcased concrete and innovative examples of good practice in local and regional leadership across Europe to demonstrate how leaders are shaping the resilience of their places in current turbulent times

Many of the contributors in this series of events are contributing to a special issue of the international journal Regional Studies which will be published in 2025/6 and edited by John Gibney, Joyce Liddle, John Shutt and Markku Sotarauta, entitled: Leadership in city and regional development: new perspectives from within and beyond borders.

Charity employers, like private sector businesses, have been facing significantly rising operating costs over the last three years. The initial shock came with dramatic increases in energy prices at the outset of war in Ukraine. The cost of living crisis followed, which affected service demand for those charities working with people on lower incomes. The cost of living crisis also had a much wider impact on payroll as employees began to demand better recompense for their work in the charity sector which, it is generally agreed, has lower pay that the public and private sectors.  As shown in the Third Sector Trends Study reports of 2022, many employers were facing significant pressures to recruit and retain staff due to low pay – it looks likely that the situation will have deteriorated further by the time the study is repeated in 2025.

Two more challenges will soon hit charity employers. The first, which is welcome on many levels, is the rise in the UK Living Wage to £12.21 an hour in April 2025.  It is not known how many charity employees are working at this level of pay and that has become an urgent research priority for charity-sector watchers to find out how much this will increase overall pay roll costs. The second challenge arises from the 2024 Budget which has increased employers  National Insurance contributions significantly. National organisations representing the sector have lobbied the government, asking for the sector to be reimbursed for the extra costs but these have been rejected by the Chancellor.

In our region, Voluntary Organisations’ Network North East (VONNE) initiated work to assess the consequences of these changes for regional charity employers.  Martin Brookes, Chief Executive of VONNE approached Professor Tony Chapman of Policy&Practice to assist in calculating the likely cost to the sector.  The rise in employer National Insurance Contributions (allowing for factors such as the higher employer allowance)  is estimated to add £ 19.5 million to the costs of the workforce in North East England  2025/26.

It is possible to break down the figures further and produce estimates for each of the region’s Combined Authority areas.  In the much larger North East Combined Authority area, the cost is estimated at £ 15.6 million, while in Tees Valley Combined Authority it is £ 3.9 million.  In the NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), the increase will be almost £22 million.

As Martin Brookes’ VONNE report states:

“An already hard-pressed sector in the North East is going to face this £ 19.5 million increase in costs with no obvious ways to pay. This should be of concern to the whole sector as well as to those who rely on the sector, such as local authorities, the North East Combined Authority (NECA) and the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA). It should also be of concern to the NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) which relies on the sector to help tackle health inequalities.”

Full details can be found in the report together with an outline of the methodology used, drawing upon Third Sector Trends Study analysis from Policy&Practice and supported financially by the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland.

Click here to read the report: https://www.vonne.org.uk/impact-higher-employer-nics-north-east-charity-sector

If you want to know more about the Third Sector Trends Study, click here: https://www.stchads.ac.uk/research/third-sector-trends-in-england-and-wales/

Professor Joyce Liddle has a distinguished academic background having worked at national and international levels in the fields of urban and regional development, public policy, entrepreneurship, leadership and management. Much of her research and consultancy work has been undertaken in North East England addressing economic and social policy issues in collaboration with local and national politicians, and public, private, voluntary and community organisations.

In December 2024, Joyce was installed as a Professorial Fellow of St Chad’s College by the Board of Governors, cementing her position as a full member of the College as well as being a member of Policy&Practice.

Joyce was educated at Durham University in politics and sociology, studied for a PhD at the Local Government Centre, Warwick University and went on to hold the position of Course Director in post graduate Management Studies at Durham Business School. Subsequently, Joyce held Professorial, management and research posts in seven UK Universities including Sunderland, Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, Teesside, Nottingham, Nottingham Trent University and in Aix-Marseille, France.

Her international reputation is reflected in advisory roles for ministers and civil servants in Italy, Finland, the West Indies and China as well as holding Visiting University Chairs in six countries. She also developed education and training programmes for public and civil servants in South Africa, Bahrain, France, Kazakhstan, Brazil and Ethiopia.

Drawing on a successful track record in securing UK Research Council and other research funding she has published over 250 articles, 45 book chapters and written and co-edited some sixteen books as well as fulfilling a number of editorial roles for journals and book series.

Joyce was a founding member and co-leader of an influential Regional Studies Association ‘Trans-border Place Leadership in Europe’ network. She is a Fellow of AcSS for services to the Academy and Society, Fellow of UK JUC/PAC for services to public policy and administration, and a Fellow of Regional Studies Association, for services to UK and international Regional policy and development, She is also a UKRI panel member, Future Leaders’ Fellowship Panel and a member of POGO, Blavatnik Business School, University of Oxford.

During her time at Northumbria (to continue as a Visiting Professor, Newcastle) she acted as Academic Director and Board Member of Insights North East, and led on Inclusive Growth. This regional partnership seeks to bridge the gap between research and place-based leadership policy involving Newcastle, Northumbria Sunderland and Durham Universities, NHS, North East Mayoral Combined Authority (NEMCA), local Councils and other regional agencies. In January 2024 she was an invited member of an Expert Advisory Panel to help to develop NEMCA Investment Planning Framework.

More widely, Joyce’s research nationally and in the North East has included a report for the NE Future Finance Commission (NELEP) on funding for regional development in the NE, a UKRI funded (4 nation state) project on Local Government Procurement under Covid 19, Levelling Up Reports widely discussed in national and international press, Devolution and regional performance in the NE, Place Leadership and Governance issues after Brexit. She was recently invited as a UK discussant at OECD Paris (May 2024), on a panel on Transforming Places: Leading Change. The report is available at OECD, Paris, publications.

Joyce is currently taking forward her work surrounding Devolution in the North East and related public policy and management issues in collaboration with members of the Policy and Practice research group.

The long running triennial Third Sector Trends survey will return in 2025 for the sixth time. While still in the early stages of developing project themes for its next round, it can now be confirmed that the project will go ahead thanks to funding provided by  our long-standing and principal partner Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland.

This is the largest and longest running study of the voluntary sector in England and Wales, culminating in six core reports on sector structure, dynamics, purpose, influencing, energy and impact in 2022-23.  Data were then explored further to look specifically at the contribution of the voluntary sector to public health in three separately funded but integrated reports in Yorkshire and Humber, Cumbria and Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West.

While negotiations continue with other potential contributors to the project, confirmation of renewed support for the study has also been secured from Millfield House Foundation for a second time to look at campaigning and influencing in the voluntary sector. To secure a strong response in Wales, support has also been provided by Wales Council for Voluntary Action and will allow for more in-depth analysis that was possible in the 2022 study.

Announcements on the participation of other partners in the project will be made in the early new year.  If you would like to see more detail on the study, its methodology and its publication of findings, please click here: Third Sector Trends in England and Wales.