Dear Colleagues,
As you know, from September to November 2024, we ran a Wolverhampton Voluntary, Community, Social Enterprise, and Faith (VCSEF) Sector Survey which was completed by 109 not-for-profit organisations based in and/or operating in Wolverhampton.
We ran the survey because not only does the sector play a vital role in Wolverhampton, providing invaluable services and support to our communities but we wanted to get a better understanding of the breadth and impact of the work carried out by VCSEF organisations across the city.
The aim of the survey was to create a comprehensive picture and to showcase the vital contributions of the VCSEF sector, uncover opportunities for growth and collaboration, and to ensure that the voices of organisations are heard and valued.
We presented an overview of highlights and findings at the VCSEF Alliance on 22nd January 2025 which were well received. The full survey report has taken us a bit longer, but we are pleased to let you know that we are planning to share the full survey report next week.
We often highlight the importance of volunteering and one of the statistics that has come out of the survey is that in Wolverhampton over one year, if agencies had to pay volunteers the minimum wage, the wage bill would be £4 million – and that is just based on the 109 organisations who responded to the survey – so what is the real cost and the real value?
NCVO has done a lot of work on this nationally and noted that between 2021 and 2022, around 14.2 million people in the UK volunteered formally through a club, organisation, or group. Their contribution was valued at approximately £18 billion, or 0.8% of the UK’s GDP.
In spite of these stark figures, we know that volunteering is on the decline. It is in all of our interests to invest in volunteers and volunteering opportunities, from recruitment to training to support with clear pathways after volunteering that can lead into work or other areas depending on what people want.
Thank you,
Sharon Nanan-Sen
Chief Executive Officer