Making it Happen: new report highlights VCS role in Y&NY economy

New report highlights VCS role in Y&NY economy

A new report has just been published which highlights a number of ways in which voluntary sector organisations and social enterprises contribute to economic development in York and North Yorkshire. Research undertaken by the Institute of Public Policy Research (ippr north) reveals that VCS organisations:
• helped as many as 7,500 jobless people find work in York and North Yorkshire last year
• helped nearly 4,700 people achieve formal training qualifications
• supported 76 new charity and social enterprise start-ups

The ippr research also estimates that:
• the voluntary sector employs 7 per cent of North Yorkshire's workforce. This is more than the energy and water sector and is comparable to the agriculture and fishing, transport and communications and construction industries
• nearly 140,000 volunteers are working in VCS organisations and, if their time was charged at the national minimum wage, this would have a value of £116m per year

The report was commissioned by the York and North Yorkshire Partnership Unit, North Yorkshire and York Forum and Your Consortium Ltd. The research assesses the economic impact of the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector and its relationship to the priorities of the new, government-backed Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) for York and North Yorkshire.

Katie Schmuecker from ippr north will lead a seminar/workshop on the report's findings at the NYYF–York CVS annual conference on November 2nd. The chair of the Y&NY LEP, Barry Dodd, will also be a guest speaker at the conference.

The full report “Making it happen – the contribution of the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector to LEP objectives” is available for download. Hard copies of the report are available by request from the North Yorkshire and York Forum.

The report is also published on the ippr north and Your Consortium websites:
www.yourconsortium.org/
www.ippr.org/north