The State of the Sector 2021 report examines trends, changes, opportunities and challenges within the landscape of Birmingham’s Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector. Read more
BVSC Research and Birmingham City University are pleased to present our recently published report, Community based responses to Covid-19 in Birmingham: Insights and experiences. Read more
It is undoubtable that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector. From lockdowns, health and safety concerns, rising levels of demand and ongoing change and uncertainty, the pandemic transformed much of organisational life. Read more
BVSC Research is currently hosting a national network of colleagues from VCFSE infrastructure support organisations. We wanted to bring together colleagues who were working across the UK, providing support to the sector, who have a specific interest in research, evaluation and policy development which is focussed on, about or for the sector. Read more
Our Director of Research, Sophie is a Trustee and Steering Group Member of the Voluntary Sector Studies Network (VSSN), which promotes understanding of the UK voluntary sector through research and provides a voice and a meeting place for voluntary sector researchers in the UK. Read more
Conducted during March - June 2021 on behalf of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Mental Health Listening Exercise. It was intended to inform the WMCA’s upcoming Mental Health Commission: ensuring that people and people’s voices were at the heart of, and the foundation for, the Commission and its recommendations. Read more
Repository is the largest observatory for what works for communities across the UK. A curated collection of over 300 research reports, case studies and other publications from Institute for Community Studies. Read more
BVSC Research, in conjunction with the Institute for Community Research and Development at Wolverhampton University, and Revolving Doors Agency, have written a report about vaccine uptake amongst people experiencing multiple disadvantage in Birmingham. Read more
A community based research on the thoughts, feelings and impact of COVID-19 and the lockdown on Black african diaspora communities in Sandwell, West Birmingham and the wider West Midlands. Read more
The charity sector has a problem with racial and ethnic diversity. Black, Asian and Minoritised Ethnic (BAME) people are under-represented in the sector and those who are in charities can be subject to racism and antagonism not faced by white colleagues. Read more
As a result of COVID-19, civil society infrastructure - the structures and systems for supporting civil society – appears to have become fashionable again after years of neglect. Read more
This is the second report by the New Policy Institute about the state of ‘economic justice’ in Birmingham and the four local authority areas of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton that make up the Black Country. It sets out how different groups are experiencing economic wealth and opportunity, and the ongoing systemic and structural barriers faced by many in achieving financial resilience. Read more
BVSC Research was commissioned by Birmingham City Council to conduct an impact assessment of the Birmingham Neighbourhood Network Scheme (BNNS) to underpin a business case for continued investment in the BNNS. Read more
BVSC have produced a series of organisational reflections from senior leaders in Birmingham that highlight and commemorate the vital part the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector in Birmingham has played in the pandemic and how it has impacted their organisation, staff, volunteers and the communities and individuals they serve. Read more
This report brings together the learning and insight gained from a review of the civil society and social economy response across the West Midlands Combined Authority area. Read more
New Research study will assess the impact Covid-19 is having on the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector. The investigation will run for 15 months and results publicly updated monthly. By responding to the survey, you will be able to view what is happening with your organisation and others within the sector. Read more
Manchester Community Central (Macc) is Manchester’s equivalent to BVSC. They have recently published a fascinating report, entitled No Going Back, in which Chief Executives from 22 VCS organisations reflect on their experiences of Covid-19. Read more
National and regional evidence shows that COVID-19 has widened existing health inequalities, both through the direct impacts of the virus, and the indirect impacts of the control measures imposed. While underlying health conditions have increased the risk of serious consequences from infection, the economic and social response to COVID-19 has exacerbated inequalities in physical and mental health and the wider determinants of health: the conditions in which we are born, grow, live, work and age. Read more
Two State of the Sector reports have been published so far. The 2017 report, commissioned by GMCVO and 10GM, provides a snapshot of the VCSE sector across the city region and illustrates what has changed since the first report in 2013. Data collection for the 2020 update is about to begin. Read more
The Ambition for Ageing Equalities Board team reviewed the programme from an equalities perspective in 2019 and produced a briefing and a workbook looking at a new spatial model of working with marginalised communities. The model considers the size and geographical distribution of different communities as a way of engaging them in group activities. While this model was developed before COVID-19, targeting and inclusion approaches can also be considered when developing distanced services. Read more
A small pot of money can generate change within neighbourhoods. With the right environment and support to provide guidance, mediation, and oversight, these changes can have a significant impact. GMCVO-led project Ambition for Ageing reflected on the experience of 5 years of delivering microfunding to publish a suite of documents looking at the conditions needed to get microfunding right. Read more
Up to half of unemployed young people in Greater Manchester are missing out on valuable support in finding work due to being ‘hidden’. This report published by Greater Manchester Talent Match, a GMCVO-led partnership programme, explores the unique issues encountered by young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) and not in receipt of benefits to help service providers understand why they are not engaging with welfare support services. Read more
GMCVO-led project Ambition for Ageing worked with Sophie Yarker, a research fellow based in the Manchester Institute for Collaborative Research on Ageing at the University of Manchester to explore the role of social infrastructure in communities. The report argues that to reduce social isolation we need a diversity of social infrastructure to ensure chance social encounters with a variety of people. Read more
Ambition for Ageing, a programme led by GMCVO, consulted with over 3,000 older people to find out what makes an age-friendly neighbourhood in Greater Manchester. The findings have been released as a report and two briefings. Read more