Report – Impact of Covid-19 on the VCSE
A survey of VCSE organisations
in Brighton, Hove, Adur and Worthing
between June and July 2020
Full Report | Executive Summary (9 pages) | Mini-summary (3 pages)
Our message of thanks
Throughout the response to Covid-19, we have been, and continue to, work alongside our members, new and emerging groups, national initiatives and bodies, and our statutory services. This joint working has linked the extraordinary wealth of expertise held within the VCSE across all levels, and across systems.
In so doing, we’ve witnessed first-hand the enormous scale of the response by all sectors. We have been particularly struck by the collective strength and connectedness of the layers of the VCSE, working to and building on each other’s strengths, generously sharing expertise and resources with each other, and the public sector to ensure no one was left behind. The innovation, agility and resilience of our sector has been drawn upon, recognised, and highlighted through the lens of Covid-19.
Above all, this has been possible because of the passion, commitment, dedication and sheer determination of staff and volunteers across our sector doing ‘what we do’, ‘setting aside team identities’ and working tirelessly to deliver what has been needed. Thank you!
About the report
This report has been informed by the online survey we launched in June 2020 to enable us to learn how the VCSE responded in the initial months of the Covid-19 pandemic and to explore the opportunities and learning that might inform the development of future working. 174 responses form the basis of this report and we were able to undertake a quantitative analysis of closed questions and a thematic analysis of over 600 qualitative comments.
The key message
The key message coming through the sectors response is that the VCSE sector has helped save lives, reduced loneliness and isolation, and complemented the provision of statutory services, thus preventing the ‘system’ from becoming overwhelmed with ever increasing need. The desire for continued closer working and collaborative approaches with local systems as our communities, economy and statutory services recover from the pandemic and to address the wider entrenched inequalities within our society was most strongly felt.
Case Studies
Community Works calls on its partners within the VCSE, our statutory
services and the private sector to work with us and each other to develop
actions that urgently tackle the priorities identified within this report.
Full Report | Executive Summary (9 pages) | Mini-summary (3 pages)
