Durham University, in partnership with the West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) has conducted research on the roles charities have played in health and care, across West Yorkshire.
The research was conducted to analyse the role played by VCSE organisations in the 75 years since the start of the NHS and what has changed today.
What did the research find?
It found that today, charities, and voluntary and community organisations remain a key partner in health and care. In West Yorkshire we have an estimated:
- 13,987 VCSE sector organisations (registered and unregistered)
- 31,875 employees delivering 52.4 million working hours a year
- 126,000 volunteers giving at least 9 million hours of work valued at between £89 million and £126 million a year
- A direct economic value of £1.4 billon and a total estimated value of £5.4 billion when considering added and social value
A look at the grass roots organisations
In West Yorkshire, the VCSE sector has a strong local orientation. About a third of organisations confine their activity to local neighbourhoods or villages and about 70 per cent limit the range of their work to the local authority where they are based. These are the grass roots organisations that often provide a lifeline to individuals and communities. They are connected and trusted. And here in West Yorkshire, 30 per cent of VCSE organisations are based in the poorest, most deprived areas reaching population groups who may not be accessing statutory health and care services.
There’s something special about Yorkshire and Humber
The research shows that the extent to which VCSE organisations work together is stronger in Yorkshire and Humber than in all other English regions. This reflects our commitment to, and belief in, partnership working in West Yorkshire and building models of delivery where VCSE organisations of different sizes come together to deliver contracts ensuring smaller, grass roots organisations are included.
Read the report
The report and a summary of the report can be found below.
The contribution of the VCSE sector in Yorkshire and the Humber – report (108 pages)
The contribution of the VCSE sector in Yorkshire and the Humber – summary report (17 pages)
