Regional Voices: Responding to Recession

June 26th, 2009

Each of the nine regional voluntary sector networks has done some work around the impact of economic recession on voluntary and community organisations in their region – example activities are shown below.

In the South East, RAISE conducts a regular quarterly survey of members which has found that two thirds of respondents (66%) are finding demand for services increasing, a 10 % raise on figures from the previous quarter. This is having a varied impact on organisations; from challenges of maintaining quality through to ensuring availability of services to those in need.

Over one in eight of RAISE members have already had to make staff redundant due to the current financial crisis and lack of jobs continues to be the major challenge facing communities in the South East.

http://www.raise-networks.org.uk

In the West Midlands RAWM is working with Social Enterprise West Midland and West Midlands European Network on responses to the recession. Together they have developed a Third Sector Economic Manifesto from the first ever West Midlands Third Sector Economic Summit which they are asking all voluntary groups in the West Midlands to sign-up to.

Click here to link to RAWM manifesto

London Voluntary Service Council (LVSC) is running the Big Squeeze campaign. A worrying 94% of respondents to LVSC’s recession survey have said that the recession is already affecting the communities they work with. 81% are not confident of being able to meet demand, both now and in the future. Based on these findings they will be calling on key public agencies to reaffirm their support for the work of the sector in Phase 2 of the Big Squeeze Campaign.

http://www.lvsc.org.uk/Templates/information.asp?NodeID=100050

Yorkshire and the Humber Regional Forum has conducted a ‘Health of the Sector’ survey and found that 14% of voluntary and community groups are not sure if they will survive over the next financial year, and staff levels were not keeping pace with levels of demand. The Forum has also recently published a VCS Manifesto for their region. It includes 18 commitments the sector are seeking from politicians in the run up to a general election, covering; retention of grants as a funding mechanism; use of the 8 intelligent commissioning principles; continued funding for advice centres; a community programme to create new jobs in the VCS for unemployed people.

14% of voluntary and community groups are not sure if they will survive over the next financial year

http://www.yhregforum.org.uk

South West Forum (SWF) has produced Community Crunch, a review which highlights that the current downturn comes on top of an already fragile situation for voluntary and community groups in the region. Its report argues that voluntary and community sector must be fully involved and represented in regional task groups and other structures established to respond to the downturn. It also proposes that Government should consider establishing a dedicated £10m fund in each English region to enable voluntary organisations to respond effectively to the increased demand for their services.

SWF have also published ‘When it matters: voluntary and community action in the South West’ , a case-study document that shows how voluntary organisations in the frontline are responding to increased demand as a result of recession.

Both documents are available to download from the home-page at www.southwestforum.org.uk

‘Surviving NOT Thriving’ is the verdict of VONNE’s (Voluntary Organisations Network North East) recent members survey. Survey results show over half of respondents reporting a negative impact on funding, with a quarter predicting job losses and some already operating on reserves. Charities and community groups that offer support when people are most in need are themselves in danger of folding as the recession deepens. Find out more at http://www.vonne.org.uk/vine/index.php

Organisations that work with the most vulnerable people in the North East are facing the squeeze of a decrease in funds at a time when demand for their services has never been higher.

Voluntary Sector North West (VSNW), are campaigning for an adequately resourced advice sector, as well as working for increased VCS engagement in tackling worklessness, the Train to Gain programme, and the economic agenda of local strategic partnerships and sub-regional economic partnerships. VSNW are also conducting scoping exercises to assess VCS potential for apprenticeships, the Future Jobs Fund, and improved strategic use of volunteering. More information on activities in the North West can be found at Voluntary Sector North West http://www.vsnw.org.uk/recession.

Hard times: the recession and the voluntary and community sector in the East of England is published by Cover, the Community and Voluntary Sector Forum for the East of England.

Based on a survey of its members, it concludes that

“The VCS in the East of England is underfunded.

The recession is having a twin impact on the sector:

• Demand for VCS services, particularly advice and support services, is rising.

• Income is falling or flat (which in itself is a cut as fixed costs such wages and bills still have to be paid) for over 70% of VCS organisations responding to our survey.”

The full survey report can be found at http://www.cover-east.org.

One East Midlands have published research commissioned by the East Midlands Infrastructure Steering Group (EMISG) which investigates the impact of the recession on a sample of VCS organisations in the East Midlands.

The biggest impact that was being felt by all respondents was greater uncertainty. The main areas of impact were on the potential of further funding and the impact on volunteers and recruitment and retention of staff.

On funding the key points related to:

Difficulty in quantifying impact due to uncertainty over the availability of future contracts;
Increased competition was expected, whatever contracts became available;
Period of concern was really the next 12/18 months;
Reduced income from fundraising efforts.