Civil Society update series
This series brings together all documents relating to Civil Society update series
A series of papers from the Office for Civil Society intended to provide the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector with an update on our work so far in specific areas of policy and our priorities for the coming months.
Our work to support Civil Society has three strands:
1.Making it easier to run a civil society organisation, such as a charity, social enterprise or voluntary organisation
2.Getting more resources into the sector - both time and money
3.Making it easier for civil society organisations to participate in public service delivery
1. Making it easier to run a charity, social enterprise or voluntary organisation
This document is a stocktake on progress in delivering on the first strand. In the last two years, we have undertaken a comprehensive review of the regulation that affects the sector. We are also investing more than £39 million in the infrastructure that exists to help civil society do more. In this paper we focus on opportunities to:
- Further improve regulation and strip out frustrating bureaucracy
- Improve the support that front line charities and social enterprises receive
- Develop the sector skills and leadership needed to manage new opportunities and risks
2. Getting more resources into the sector
Growing the Social Investment Market: Progress update
This document sets out key achievements since the publication of our original vision and strategy for growing the social investment market. It also highlights wider developments in the market as well as current priorities focusing on supporting the development of a strong pipeline of viable social investment opportunities and clearing away unnecessary and unhelpful barriers to social investment.
Giving White Paper: One Year On
This document reviews progress one year on from the Giving White Paper and sets Government priorities for the next 12 months. The new initiatives announced include moves to:
- Encourage more grassroots social action – with a further £40 million allocated over three years for social action and social innovation
- Continue to encourage giving as a social norm – encouraging closer connections between business and charity, get serious about payroll giving, encourage legacy giving and the next generation of givers, whilst doing more to value those who give
- Continue to support the providers of opportunities – by helping them embrace innovation and demonstrate their impact
3. Making it easier for civil society organisations to participate in public service delivery
This document is a stocktake of progress toward the Coalition Government commitment to ‘… support the creation and expansion of mutuals, co-operatives, charities and social enterprises, and enable these groups to have much greater involvement in the running of public services. In this paper, we focus on:
- New opportunities for civil society, as public services are opened up
- Working with commissioners to ensure that new contract opportunities are as open as possible
- Helping the sector become more competitive in this emerging landscape