How can the ‘microbiome’ of the smallest, often unregistered, voluntary and community groups be supported in the new landscape of public service design and delivery in England?
This is a key question which NAVCA, alongside the University of Exeter‘s Social Innovation Group, are shedding light on with new ground-breaking research.
The research has estimated that there could be “335,000 unregistered voluntary and community groups in England, in addition to 132,000 registered charities and 30,000 social enterprises,” with the VCFSE as a whole representing what they have termed the “microbiome” of the sector, “essential to community health and wellbeing, just as the human microbiome is essential to our individual health.”
However, “the voluntary sector microbiome often goes unseen and unrecognised, despite playing an essential role in communities.” Community CVS is keen to celebrate the wonderful contributions made by the small-scale voluntary organisations delivering community activities.
If you represent one of these unsung heroes, or know of any unregistered groups doing great work at a grassroots level, in Lancashire and Cumbria, we would love to have your input in our State of the Sector Survey, which is currently live.
