Third Sector Review Report Cites VSSN

The Government's much-heralded "Third Sector Review" has published its final report entitled "The future role of the third sector in social and economic regeneration".

Issued jointly by the HM Treasury and by the Office of the Third Sector in the Cabinet Office, the report includes a section on "Building the Evidence Base" (for the work of third sector organisations). This mentions the relatively small number of academic researchers seriously interested in the third sector, and refers to the Voluntary Sector Studies Network as one of the membership bodies specifically involved (para 6.35).

Whilst the report does not commit any specific figure to research, the Foreword by the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, confirms the Government's intention to invest £500million in total through the Office of the Third Sector in support of the sector's work, over the years of the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review. Part of this investment will go towards a third sector research centre or institute.

"We've won the argument" to establish an institute of this kind, Karl Wilding, NCVO's Head of Research, claimed. He added "Resource levels are not identified in detail, but our understanding is that these will be substantive and long term."

PM Gordon Brown added "The third sector is at the heart of our society" in his forward to the report.

Further details, including links to the full downloadable report, are at http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/third_sector_review/final_report/index.asp.