At the start of 2026, we wanted to share a short ‘year in review’ looking back on 2025, and to say thank you to everyone who contributed to VSSN’s work over the past year, whether you joined an event, presented research, shared opportunities, supported others in the community, or simply stayed connected. VSSN exists to […]
All posts by Meg Wright
VSSN Small Grant 2023-24: Impact management: exploring and sharing the learning
In her role at Derbyshire Voluntary Action, Jennifer Raschbauer became very aware of the challenge many charities and community organisations face when trying to demonstrate the impact of their work. She realised that the challenge was becoming more critical as, in the face of budget cuts and growing demand for their services, statutory health and […]
VSSN Trustee Elections 2025
Voting is now open for the election of new members to the VSSN Board of Trustees. The election runs from 7th to 21st November 2025 and is open to all current members of VSSN. If you are a member, you will receive an email invitation to vote via a SmartSurvey link. There are 5 candidates […]
VSSN Small Grant Scheme
Announcing the 2025 Funding Call The latest call for VSSN Small Grant applications is now open. The deadline for applications is 21 November 2025. Through this annual call, VSSN funds projects which support and develop an idea or activity that will benefit voluntary sector studies in the UK. For example, the grants can be used […]
Board Opportunities
The recruitment is launching today to nominate yourself to join the Editorial Management Board and/or the Board of VSSN. I hope that many of you will consider nominating yourself for either or both. These opportunities give you a real chance to shape the future of VSSN and support the work of the journal. You will be […]
Help shape VSSN’s New Researchers Online Sessions
The New Researchers Network at VSSN is currently gathering feedback to help improve and develop our New Researchers Online Sessions. These sessions provide a space for new researchers working in or around the voluntary sector to connect, discuss shared challenges, and explore key academic and professional development topics. Whether you attend regularly or have only […]
VSSN Plenary Sessions from the September 2025 Annual Conference
Recordings of the plenary sessions at the September 2025 Conference at Bayes Business School in London can be found here and here.
Perspectives on Scotland’s third sector impact
Perspectives on Scotland’s third sector impact By Jane Cullingworth The impact event On June 11 2025, over 70 people from a diversity of backgrounds came together to talk third sector impact at the University of Glasgow. The leadership for the day was provided by VSSN, working with an enthusiastic steering group of representatives from the […]
Empowering Charities to Campaign: Navigating Legal Challenges in the Third Sector. By Tilly Clough (Queen’s University, Belfast)
In today’s world, charities play a vital role not only in providing services but also in raising their voices to advocate for societal change. However, this essential role is often complicated by legal constraints. For many charities, the fear of crossing legal lines – sometimes unclear or inconsistently enforced – creates a “chilling effect” on […]
