Latest data summarising the reach, work, funding and quality of
local infrastructure organisations working for the local third
sector in England.
Infrastructure for the local third sector (pdf 1MB)
Summary of findings
There are 344 local infrastructure organisations (LIOs) in
membership of NAVCA. They were asked, between November 2006 and
September 2007, to complete a survey. This report, based on an 84%
response rate, summarises their reach, work, funding and
quality.
The main findings are:
1. NAVCA members support local voluntary and community action in
98% of district, unitary, London borough and metropolitan authority
areas in England.
2. NAVCA LIOs have a membership of 63,700 and are in contact
with 164,000 local voluntary and community groups. This
includes:
3. 92% of LIOs are a member of their (main) local strategic
partnership (LSP) board.
4. Overall, member LIO annual income fell last year by £23m,
from £195.6m (2005/06) to £172m (2006/07) - in cash terms, a fall
of 14%. Last year, 58% of LIOs suffered overall cuts in income,
while the financial circumstances of 81% of LIOs had, in at least
one specific respect, deteriorated.
5. In 2006/07, funders invested approximately £31m in the
everyday core work of NAVCA members in order to support
neighbourhood-based community groups.
6. Local authority core funding arrangements are most commonly
for one or three years:
-
44% for one year
-
44% for three years.
7. Last year, core funding for infrastructure work in 2006/07
fell by 8.6% from £87.6m in 2005/06 to £80.1m in 2006/07.
8. Median core funding to LIOs in 2006/07 was:
-
£88,200 from unitary authorities
-
£26,200 from county councils
-
£15,600 from district councils
-
£15,000 from PCTs.
9. 16% of LIOs received strategic funding from their learning
and skills council; the median received in 2006/07 was £49,800.
10. LIOs employ over 6,000 staff who work the equivalent of over
4,000 full-time posts. The median is 12 staff working the
equivalent of nine full-time posts.
11. LIOs are supported by a network of 7,000 volunteers and
3,400 trustees.
12. 80% of LIOs have achieved at least one quality standard.
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Generally speaking, the annual income of members with a
quality award is more than £100,000 greater than those members
without a quality award
-
76% of members have achieved PQASSO and/or Investors in
People.
13. 68% of LIOs provide resource centre facilities (e.g. work
space, training rooms, etc) for local third sector groups.
14. NAVCA LIOs are intimately involved in local
volunteering:
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182 members (54%) employ a volunteer centre manager
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227 members (67%) run a volunteer centre service (within their
organisation) for their members and users
-
255 members (75%) run a volunteering development or a
volunteer centre service, and
-
Members received £11.2m funding in 2006/07 for volunteer
centre infrastructure work based at, or connected to,
them.
Infrastructure for the local third sector (pdf, 1MB)
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