From digital shifts to new funding struggles, key trends shaping Bradford’s VCSE sector

Community Action Bradford & District's CEO on the opportunities and challenges ...

The voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector, which employs almost a million people in the UK, plays a crucial role in addressing social issues, supporting community development and providing essential services to communities. 

This is especially true in Bradford, which was ranked the 13th most deprived local authority in England in 2019. Voluntary organisations in the district work incredibly hard to ensure that residents are fed, warm and well, that their physical and mental health needs are addressed, that they’re able to have access to education, work, and healthcare, and that support is provided to get through the increasingly difficult cost of living crisis. 

As communities change and evolve, so does the VCSE sector. Understanding these trends is vital for organisations, individuals, volunteers, policymakers and others to appreciate the challenges and opportunities being presented. Here are a few that are shaping the VCSE sector in the Bradford district.  

Digital transformation: inevitable and impactful

The Covid-19 pandemic has massively accelerated the digital transformation across various sectors, and the VCSE sector is no exception. VCSE organisations, like many others, have had to adopt digital technology to enhance service delivery, engage with service users and stakeholders alike and streamline their operations.

This has worked really well in parts of the VCSE. Think delivering training and meetings via Zoom or Teams, holding virtual coffee mornings, signposting to websites and online resources, and using online platforms for fundraising.

This digital transformation has helped VCSE organisations to cut costs, deliver services more efficiently and offer flexibility to their beneficiaries. It has also enabled them to collect data, assess their impact and improve services based on real-time feedback.  

However, Bradford is an area high in poverty and some areas have an ageing population. This can make it difficult for service users to access services remotely or in a digital way.

Staff, volunteers and service users are being supported through this transformation with digital literacy programmes, but more support is needed and organisations must take into account the continued need for traditional engagement with communities where budgets stretch.

For some VCSE organisations, this digital transformation is simply advancing too quickly, and smaller/volunteer-led groups risk being left behind as the world moves online.

Increased collaboration: responding to complex issues

Another significant trend is the rise of collaborative efforts within the VCSE sector. There is a recognition that many of the societal issues that the sector addresses are complex and interconnected – so organisations are increasingly forming partnerships to share resources, knowledge and experience, as well as to maximise their impact in communities. 

This collaborative approach enhances service delivery and strengthens community links, but it is also vital in ensuring the survival of some organisations in the face of extremely tough economic turmoil.

In Bradford, there is also recognition that the district has some real community leaders and experts whose knowledge and insight can be called upon when needed. And this mutual respect and desire for change often leads to highly successful projects.

For instance, one such collaborative project is the Multi-Agency Support Team (MAST), which provides specialist and specific support around mental health, alcohol and frailty to individuals who repeatedly find themselves in emergency departments.

This collaboration, between The Cellar Trust, Project 6, Carers’ Resource, HALE and Keighley Healthy Living, Bradford Council and Bradford District and Craven Health and Care Partnership, offers interventions, signposting and referrals to services such as mental health support, homelessness teams, occupational therapy, substance abuse support and specialist social prescribing. 

By reducing the number of individuals frequently attending hospitals, the MAST helps lessen the demand on the pressure points identified in the health system. This award-winning model demonstrates how cross-sector collaboration can better support communities. 

Funding and employment: even more challenging 

Funding is always a concern for VCSE sector organisations – and recent trends indicate a need for diversifying those funding mechanisms. Traditional grants from local authorities and the government remain important, but with budget difficulties faced by many of them, and especially Bradford Council which is committed to huge cuts, these are harder to come by. 

There is a growing emphasis on trading (e.g. running a cafe,  and fundraising, though charitable giving is also decreasing due to increased pressure on household budgets. Many organisations are exploring other ways to generate income that aligns with their mission and values, such as introducing a charge for services, exploring subscriptions and memberships or selling products and merchandise. 

With funding being a constant challenge, over 50% of voluntary sector organisations are reporting problems with recruitment and turnover. Some organisations in the district have been through multiple rounds of redundancies and, unfortunately, this still isn’t enough to make up the shortfall. This puts them in an impossible position: cut services, cut staff or cut both.

This is even starker given the upcoming increase in national insurance, with three charities in the district reporting that this will lead to rises of £55,000, £80,000 and £100,000 respectively.

Fixed-term contracts, part-time employment, lower than average salaries, little access to affordable HR expertise and the looming threat of redundancy – all of this can make it difficult to attract a diverse and skilled workforce to the sector, limiting the potential for differing perspectives and innovative ideas on diversifying income streams. 

Elsewhere, funders are increasingly interested in outcomes and impact. There is a rise in local organisations utilising impact reports as not only an opportunity to understand whether their projects have been successful but also as marketing tools to attract further funding.

This increase in robust evaluation frameworks ensures they can demonstrate their effectiveness, compete for funding and sustain their operations in a challenging financial environment. 

Emphasis on diversity and inclusion: more representation, better outcomes

The VCSE sector is placing greater emphasis on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and this is especially vital in Bradford, which is the youngest city in the UK and the most ethnically diverse in the Yorkshire and Humber region, with over 150 languages spoken in the district.

As awareness of systemic inequalities grows, organisations are recognising the importance of reflecting the communities they serve in their leadership, staff, and volunteer base. But efforts to promote EDI are not just about representation – they also enhance organisational effectiveness by bringing diverse perspectives and experiences to decision-making processes.

Training programs aimed at building cultural competency, anti-racist initiatives and inclusive recruitment practices are becoming more commonplace. Organisations are also engaging with diverse communities to ensure their voices are heard in programme design and implementation, thereby fostering a more equitable approach to service delivery, with organisations like BTM, Equity Partnership, Equality Together, Carers’ Resource and more working to level the playing field. 

Volunteer engagement: powering VCSE organisations

Volunteers remain the backbone of the VCSE sector and ensuring they play an ongoing vital role is as important as it has ever been. Accordingly, there is growing recognition of the need for effective volunteer engagement and appreciation strategies.

As the demographics of volunteers change, organisations are adapting their approaches to meet the needs and preferences of a diverse volunteer base, offering increased flexibility and accessibility, as well as, through national projects like Shaping the Future with Volunteering, and even greater investment in supporting and upskilling the volunteer workforce.  

Where organisations don’t have the funding or capacity to employ paid staff, volunteers can sometimes be seen as a money-saving resource. This can lead to attempts to fill gaps with volunteers, but not necessarily in a good way, with plenty of examples of over-dependence (as staff) and burnout. This can especially be the case where volunteers are active across multiple groups and in different capacities. 

In Ilkley, for example, there is a wide volunteer base that works across multiple organisations, offering their days, evenings and weekends to the local voluntary sector. While this helps to keep vital services running, any over-reliance on key volunteers could be problematic if those crucial volunteers are unable to participate for any reason. 

Some of the organisations in this area work extremely well with their volunteers and this leads to a small but mighty voluntary ecosystem. That said, smaller local funders such as the Town Council and Rotary Clubs often do not prioritise or have funds to cover the paid, skilled volunteer managers.

Key takeaways

The VCSE sector in the Bradford district is experiencing significant transformation, influenced by a multitude of social, economic and technological factors. By adapting to these trends, the VCSE sector can continue to play a vital role in addressing societal challenges and empowering communities. 

While there are ways to address these changes at a local level, this can only happen if charities are able to keep their doors open long enough. And for this, they need funders and commissioners to take them very seriously.