BVSC has launched a 2020 State of the Sector Survey that aims to find out how the Pandemic has affected charities and groups across Birmingham.

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen exceptional upheaval and loss across the world; changing the way that people live, work and socialise.

We know that in Birmingham, and indeed across the UK, the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sectors have been key partners in leading the local, regional and national response to the pandemic, responding to the existing and emerging needs of our most vulnerable citizens.

At BVSC we want to understand how the sector in Birmingham has responded, but importantly we need to also understand what the short and long term implications are for the sector’s future in a post-COVID recovery landscape. So we have launched our latest State of the Sector survey, and we need your input!

This survey seeks to provide data that will enable us to understand what is happening across Birmingham’s VCFSE sector and share, at a strategic city-wide level:

  • The way in which services have responded and adapted as a result of Covid19 to meet the needs of service users;
  • The immediate impact of Covid19 on the VCFSE sector in terms of income, staffing levels and volunteers;
  • The current capacity of the sector in the wake of Covid19;
  • The anticipated longer-term impacts of Covid19 in relation to capacity, service delivery and longer-term sustainability;
  • The anticipated support needs of the sector as we move into recovery and beyond.

The information gathered will be fed back to all participants and to policymakers at city, regional and national level, and will be used to frame BVSC’s sector support offer in the months ahead.

The survey takes around 15 minutes to complete and will remain open until the end of August. Please encourage organisations you work with to take part.

Complete the survey

Picture: "Workers and volunteers with The Active Wellbeing Society organising the collection and distribution of food and other essentials at Ladywood Health and Community Centre for delivery to vulnerable people across the city during the coronavirus crisis. The centre was a central distribution hub for #BrumTogether - a coalition of voluntary, community and faith groups set up to respond to the crisis.” Photo: Ian Cuthbert / www.cuthbertdesign.com