State of the Sector Conference 2010
Following on from the Northern Rock Foundation’s groundbreaking research into the state of the sector, the December 9th Conference examined the implications of the research findings in the current economic environment.
In the face of the 2010 Comprehensive Spending Review and the debates about what Big Society looks like in practice the conference provided a timely opportunity for voluntary and community sector organisations to:
- Step back and understand how their organisation fits with others in the region
- Anticipate and plan for the future based on the best current analysis
- Share experience with other leading players in the region
- Decide what you could do now to make sure the impact on your beneficiaries is secured and improved in the next three years
It also provided an opportunity for funders and policy makers to:
- Get an accurate understanding of the scale and capability of the sector in the region
- Understand the detail of a complex and diverse sector that is often too quickly considered as a single similar set of organisations
- Share views with others in determining how best to support different bits of the sector
The conference was chaired by Julia Unwin CBE, Chief Executive of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Speakers included:
- Kevin Curley, Chief Executive of NAVCA the National Association for Voluntary and Community Action) who is currently a member of the Treasury Spending Review Independent Challenge Group
- Andrew Lewis, Director of Policy, Strategy and Communication at Newcastle City Council
- Professor Tony Chapman, University of Teesside and Professor John Mohan, University of Southampton (leaders of the research teams)