Dr Rebecca Edwards,Research Fellow, Third Sector Research Centre, University of Southampton(and Pokesdown resident)
Background in geography > social housing > public space
Led me to community based regeneration
Now exploring the role of third sector
Core theme of the action of local people and community based organisations
And now I’m local to the Bourne Spring Trust
A bit about the Third Sector Research Centre (TSRC)
Some of the TSRC’s findings
Environment and the Third Sector◦ Mainstreaming the
environment◦ Innovating low carbon
practices A health warning
What is the TSRC? Why was the TSRC set up? Could the money be better spent…? Some
ways in which the centre supports third sector organisations (we hope!)
Huge range of topics…◦ Role of community based organisations in the ‘Big
Society’◦ How to demonstrate impact◦ Third sector dependency on public funding◦ Lots more… and we are interested to hear what we
should be researching
Three year programme of work ◦ Mapping the
environmental third sector
◦ Mainstreaming the environment in the third sector
◦ Third sector promotion of low carbon lifestyles
Government pushing for Third Sector to take a key role in tackling climate change
Stephen Hale suggests that:◦ ‘In the UK, the third sector holds the key to creating
a new politics of climate change. The environmental community has been the dominant actor within the sector to date. But this is not simply an environmental issue. We must now unleash the full power of the sector…. The continuing trend towards less interventionist government and transferring responsibilities to individuals and communities makes new approaches even more imperative. This trend is apparent across the political spectrum’ (Hale, 2009: 23)
Alongside government,◦ Funders e.g. Baring Foundation
and City Bridge Trust◦ New Charity Commission advice◦ Umbrella organisations e.g. NCVO
and ACEVO◦ Major charities e.g. British Red
Cross, National Trust… Therefore, we have sought to
investigate impacts of this: phase 1 = interviews and documentary analysis
Early results◦ Organisations are beginning to
incorporate the environment ◦ Difficult for third sector organisations
to meet the challenge◦ Lack of grassroots action◦ Unclear direction of government policy◦ Very likely that all sectors will have to
respond – third sector can set agenda◦ Baring Foundation advocating that
charities come together to tackle government policy. Is there scope to do that locally?
About the research so far….◦ Exploring how TSOs are helping people live in a
more environmentally sustainable way◦ A first stage of 20-30 organisations interviewed◦ Will move to case study work with around 5
organisations using an ethnographic approach
Some (very) early findings and thoughts…◦ Third sector organisations are innovating some
projects that might just help, or hold the key to moving to a low carbon society
◦ Tackle social structures, not just individual behaviour through community and societal level action
◦ Tensions about how/if these should be scale up◦ And not always valued…
Huge immediate challenges for the third sector Longer term, one challenge for all organisations
will be how climate change impacts:◦ How organisations operate◦ The needs of beneficiaries◦ How TSOs advocate collectively
Third sector is likely to play a key part in how we tackle the most pressing environmental concerns
Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any queries… or if you are a member of an organisation that might like to take part in our research.
Becca:◦ [email protected]◦ 07779 791661
Really useful documents (contact me for links and more suggestions):
An Unexamined Truth, the Baring FoundationNCVO’s pages on climate change
There are many more! Please do get in touch