State of the Leeds Third Sector
Nifty has played a key role in co-designing, developing and delivering the important State of the Sector research since this work began in 2020.
We worked closely with Forum Central, Voluntary Action Leeds and partners, to develop a methodology that uses publicly available data to understand the shape, size, impacts and people of the rich third sector in Leeds. This had not been done at the city scale before. The resulting State of the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector reports for Leeds, with a particular focus on health and wellbeing, are regularly used by third sector advocates, infrastructure bodies, policy makers, funders and commissioners to support decision making.
Through each of the bi-annual reports and infographics, we celebrate the work of approximately 3,500 organisations that make up the third sector. We showcase how, together, these organisations are working with people of all ages throughout their lives and focusing on all the different aspects that impact health from the environment through to primary care provision. We explore the value of the sector in tackling inequalities and in connecting communities with health care provision, as well as the challenges faced in times of limited funding opportunities, the Covid-19 pandemic, austerity and the ongoing cost of living crisis.
The latest State of the Third Sector in Leeds update has been co-funded and co-produced by Forum Central and Voluntary Action Leeds and produced by Nifty Sustainability CIC in collaboration with MyCake.
This refresh builds on previous work published in 2020 and 2023, bringing together the most current 2024 data to provide an updated picture of the size, reach and make-up of Leeds’ third sector. It offers a clearer understanding of how the sector has changed in recent years, and the pressures and opportunities facing organisations across the city.
The findings show a large and diverse Third Sector, contributing across many areas of work and supporting a wide range of communities. They also highlight ongoing challenges, with increased demand, rising complexity and financial pressures affecting organisations of every size.
For the latest biannual infographic update (2024/25), we worked closely with MyCake to adapt the State of the Sector methodology and make the most of the additional financial data they are able to access. You can find the latest infographic here.
We’d love to hear what you think about the State of the Sector research. Have you used or shared it? Has anything surprised you about the findings? What would you like to see more of? If you would like to share your thoughts or have a chat with Claire who leads on the work for Nifty, please get in touch [email protected]
We worked closely with Forum Central, Voluntary Action Leeds and partners, to develop a methodology that uses publicly available data to understand the shape, size, impacts and people of the rich third sector in Leeds. This had not been done at the city scale before. The resulting State of the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector reports for Leeds, with a particular focus on health and wellbeing, are regularly used by third sector advocates, infrastructure bodies, policy makers, funders and commissioners to support decision making.
Through each of the bi-annual reports and infographics, we celebrate the work of approximately 3,500 organisations that make up the third sector. We showcase how, together, these organisations are working with people of all ages throughout their lives and focusing on all the different aspects that impact health from the environment through to primary care provision. We explore the value of the sector in tackling inequalities and in connecting communities with health care provision, as well as the challenges faced in times of limited funding opportunities, the Covid-19 pandemic, austerity and the ongoing cost of living crisis.
The latest State of the Third Sector in Leeds update has been co-funded and co-produced by Forum Central and Voluntary Action Leeds and produced by Nifty Sustainability CIC in collaboration with MyCake.
This refresh builds on previous work published in 2020 and 2023, bringing together the most current 2024 data to provide an updated picture of the size, reach and make-up of Leeds’ third sector. It offers a clearer understanding of how the sector has changed in recent years, and the pressures and opportunities facing organisations across the city.
The findings show a large and diverse Third Sector, contributing across many areas of work and supporting a wide range of communities. They also highlight ongoing challenges, with increased demand, rising complexity and financial pressures affecting organisations of every size.
For the latest biannual infographic update (2024/25), we worked closely with MyCake to adapt the State of the Sector methodology and make the most of the additional financial data they are able to access. You can find the latest infographic here.
We’d love to hear what you think about the State of the Sector research. Have you used or shared it? Has anything surprised you about the findings? What would you like to see more of? If you would like to share your thoughts or have a chat with Claire who leads on the work for Nifty, please get in touch [email protected]
