Community Action Sutton and Volunteer Centre Sutton have commissioned two independent freelancers to research and report back on the ‘State of the Sector’ for Sutton’s large and diverse Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) Sector. There are over 800 VCFSE organisations in the borough, ranging from grassroots, volunteer led groups, to established charities and social enterprises who employ significant numbers of people, and have turnovers in excess of £1m.
The purpose of the project is to provide information that all members of the sector can use to support their planning, fundraising, and partnership work, and enable Community Action Sutton and Volunteer Centre Sutton to review the way they deliver support to the Sector. The report will also be useful to non VCFSE stakeholders like the Council and NHS partners, to support their understanding of the sector, it’s capacity and capabilities.
One submission per organisation please
What will the project involve?
Project activities include:
- A survey for all members of the VCFSE, of any size and composition, aiming to understand more about structures, makeup, key challenges and opportunities, running throughout September 2024.
- A series of workshops and interviews with people from across the VCFSE and other stakeholders, the majority of which will take place in October 2024. These workshops will aim to deepen understanding of the perspectives, challenges, and good practice held within Sutton’s VCFSE organisations.
- ‘Play back’ events and activity, to check with VCFSE organisations that key findings reflect their experience, and to deepen understanding of variations in feedback.
- A detailed report that sets out what has been learned and proposes concrete actions and activity for the future.
Why are you spending money on this?
This is an important piece of work to help us all to use our resources more effectively in the future. Community Action Sutton and Volunteer Centre Sutton have chosen to make this investment to support the whole VCFSE, and to ensure that our work delivers the best impact for the whole VCFSE sector. Our organisations don’t have the capacity to deliver this project without bringing in additional resources, so working with freelancers is the most cost-effective choice.
In addition to this it is vital that we get the most accurate picture of what is happening in Sutton and also about the support we are providing. By using freelancers you will be able to provide your views anonymously and when it comes to analysis their objectivity and experience of what is going on in other parts of the country will be valuable in helping us determine the best way forward.
Who is doing the work?
In July 2024, we held a competitive tender process, inviting detailed proposals, and conducted interviews with shortlisted providers. The chosen providers, Nicola Upton and Fiona Dwyer, are freelancers with substantial charity experience between them. Whilst Nicola has worked in Sutton before Fiona has not so this combination will serve to give us the best of both worlds. Both Fiona and Nicola have done various ‘state of’ pieces of research and have also worked on national charity initiatives.
How can VCSE organisations help?
We would value the support of Sutton’s VCFSE for this project. Some of the ways you can help are:
- Complete the ‘State of The Sector’ survey by the end of September
- Spread the word about the project to your network – we are keen to reach groups and organisations who haven’t yet connected with Community Action Sutton and the Volunteer Centre Sutton, and to hear as wide and diverse a range of voices and views as possible
- Commit to attending at least one workshop in October – dates will be published in early September
- Let us know what else you want to know, and how you think you can help the project – our community is our strongest asset, and we really value your views and ideas
If you want to contact Nicola and Fiona directly with your ideas and questions, their details are: nuptonconsulting@outlook.com and fiona.dwyer+ssots@gmail.com
