Sheetal Vyas

I took the opportunity to share some wider reflections for the social/impact economy following the Labour Party Conference in this piece in Pioneers Post. Short version: - parochial, inward-facing 'sector' debates are, well, parochial and inward-facing - economic growth is the (only) priority for government - advocacy therefore has to be bold, sharp and clear on current and potential contribution of the impact economy on the *whole* economy - that contribution is about assets, productivity, infrastructure, investment, R&D, workforce, housing and prevention - scale and pace aren't words we should be scared of Would welcome any feedback or responses. https://lnkd.in/e7HgmGAH #charity #socialenterprise #impactinvestment #socialinvestment #missions #impacteconomy #economy #inclusivegrowth

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From my time at Social Enterprise UK I remember how clear it became to me the importance of the evidence base and data to inform our work - to identify the scale of the movement, key trends, and what needed to be addressed or built on. The State of Social Enterprise work continues to do so, year on year. The Impact Investing Institute has now released its second market sizing report for UK impact investment in a similar vein, and there's much of interest: - Growth of £19bn or so between 2021 and 2023 - UK representing around 8% of the global market (this report aligns itself to The Global Impact Investing Network approach) - an estimated £77bn assets under management - growing interest from institutional investors (including local authority pension funds) It's also encouraging to see the foreword from the Secretary of State Department for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy MP - "We want a new partnership with investors, businesses, and charities. All the best examples of things that are built to last are when they have been built together". Here's hoping that heralds more to come. In the meantime, as a board member and supporter, many congrats to the Impact Investing Institute team for this piece of work. https://lnkd.in/emakwfJK #impactinvestment #impactinvesting #socialinvestment #ESG

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FareShare UK has launched our pre election Manifesto shaped by business, third sector and academics. The outcome is for a healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable UK but also promises tangible benefits. If implemented, it would significantly reduce food waste, support communities in need, and foster a more sustainable food system.  The manifesto has been shaped by business, third sector and academics. https://lnkd.in/euTJ_eWC

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The future of our localities as platforms for sustainable jobs - As a #socialenterprise ourself that believes that social enterprise can be part of the solution to helping localities become thriving hubs of economic and social growth (we have written a book about how we believe this can be done - https://lnkd.in/eN9sKpuG ) I was impressed this morning to see the post by David O'Connell. Now here's an interesting approach to town centre growth through collaboration, creating a centre from scratch with social enterprise as its driver and glue - https://lnkd.in/eU8T_uXX This is the kind of 'third way' approach (i.e. public sector, private sector and social enterprise) to getting things done in 21st century #Ireland! Work, family, place are what matter most to people and at the Dargan Institute clg, Dún Laoghaire we believe that meaning in work and belonging in place will be the glue and differentiator for localities in the 21st century. While #Ireland INC is good at allocating investment to capital projects the investment in social capital needed to realise the true value of the capital investments is often neglected. This has to change in times we are now in.

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How have financial pressures facing local government shifted in recent years? How are councils responding to unprecedented fiscal pressures? New research collaboration between New Local & International Public Policy Observatory at UCL will be exploring these questions and making practical and policy recommendations. We’ll announce full details of the project shortly and how #localgov colleagues can get involved, but early findings from our recent scoping workshop are sobering. - Big structural pressures like ageing and wealth inequality have been compounded by the pandemic and cost of living crisis: councils are dealing with the consequences of this. There has been a sustained rise in demand for adult social care (working age adults are fastest rising cohort), children’s social care, SEN and homelessness. - The connection between how local government is funded and what it needs to deliver has been lost. This is the context of a few councils “going bust” and some others approaching the brink of doing so. - Layered onto this public sector funding failure, councils must deal with the consequences of an array of broken private markets – for social care placements, temporary accommodation and children’s homes. Providers are increasingly dominated by actors and people in it for profit, with weak regulation to curtail this. - The Government’s reliance on short term measures like mass capitalisations does not give confidence that the seriousness of the situation is understood at Whitehall. In terms of how this is affecting councils, some reflections: - The ongoing cost of living crisis is weakening the ability to do prevention in previous ways, such is the continuing flow of people needing support. Focused preventative work with one group might stop them tipping into acute need, but they will be fast replaced by a new cohort. - Increasingly, there is no such thing as a separate preventative service anymore: all universal services need to have a strong aspect of prevention. It is essential to do as much as possible for someone in the first contact they have with the council, to maximise that connection. - Staff are exhausted. Levels of optimism and resilience within the workforce are weakened by years of making decisions under austerity, then the pandemic response, which immediately transitioned into the cost-of-living crisis response and hasn’t let up. There are broadly two choices facing the sector: continue on trajectory of cutting back, becoming smaller and doing less, OR identify a new operating model that takes a whole system approach locally, hardwires prevention and shifts towards long term sustainability. Of course, we at New Local choose the second option and our research will explore what that direction looks like. How do these early reflections chime with the experience of other local government colleagues? We are keen to hear your experiences and insights – please get in touch if you’d like to participate in the research.

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Just a reminder that PyroTalks CIC Masterclass, Understanding Companies House for Philanthropy is now just 2 weeks away - Oct 14th! Thanks to everyone that has booked on so far, still time to join us! Overview Companies House is the official company and director register of the UK but understanding it fully is challenging. The register is vast and complex, abundant with various roles, company types, reporting levels and technical terms. Grasping this resource properly is critical when assessing UK prospects, and represents lucrative opportunities when looking for new prospects.. This Masterclass, a first of its kind, will provide an essential understanding of using and maximising Companies House for UK prospect research and fundraiser engagement for philanthropy. x6 Modules > 1. Companies House Overview > 2. Understanding Directors > 3. Understanding Owners & Controllers > 4. Holding Companies & Ultimate Owners > 5. Big Money! Sources of Transformational Wealth > 6. Due Diligence & Ethics x1 Review > Course Recap & Review Learn More and Book Here >>> https://lnkd.in/esV8Erq3 #Masterclassspecial #majorgifts #prospectresearch #philanthropy

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Update: The consultation on Invest 2035, the UK’s modern industrial strategy asks: What UK government policy solutions could best address barriers relating to people and skills? What more could be done to achieve a step change in employer investment in training in the growth-driving sectors? UK productivity growth is dependent on updating the skills of the workforce and getting millions from welfare into work. But the pace of change has overtaken the thinking of those who put bureaucratic accountability and academic values ahead of the needs of employers and students. Policy changes requiring legislation are unlikely to produce results before 2028. The role of the new intake of MPs in helping organise local skills partnerships and removing barriers to voluntary co-operation across current funding silos is therefore critical if they want to be re-elected. The round table will begin with an introduction to the consultation and there will be an opportunity afterwards to discuss submissions and follow up with the relevant officials. The format will be similar to last year when the Group hosted a round table with invitations to over 30 APPGs interested in skills and employment, including equality and diversity of access. The Round Table will therefore begin with an introduction to the consultation on the Skills stream of "Invest 2035" and end with discussion on how to input views and work together on joining up local partnerships - that will increasingly need to cross the boundaries of Welfare to Work, Skills England, Modernising Employment, Right to Work to meet the for diversity of needs of pupils, students, parents and employers (including public sector like the NHS and Central and Local Government). AI is, of course, both problem and opportunity. techUK , Better Hiring Institute (BHI), BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT , Tony Blair Institute for Global Change , Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) , Digital Policy Alliance , INCA - Independent Networks Co-operative Association , Workers Educational Association , Good Things Foundation , Digital Leaders , ISC2 , ISACA , Keith Rosser , Casey Calista ' , The Parliamentary Internet, Communications and Technology Forum (PICTFOR) , APPG on Blockchain Technologies , LCR APPG , Net Zero APPG , Healthy Homes and Buildings APPG https://lnkd.in/eV_sW-yG

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📢 Collaborator call-out! 📢 This week saw the launch of a new report from Unbound Philanthropy on the complex intersection of climate and migration in the UK context. I'm appreciating the leadership of Alice Sachrajda and Marchu Belete to bring this topic into focus, not least by being honest about the uncertainty of what we're even trying to achieve and how to tell the story. Its re-invigorated my passion (rooted in many years of partnership with UNHCR in a global context) for: - sitting with complexity at the climate-migration nexus - understanding migration as a natural adaptation strategy - defending the right to move (or to stay) - engaging citizens / communities in building welcoming narratives - modelling prototypes and demonstrating new ways of living together on a warming planet. I really think it might be time for me to take some active steps around this work - I've been doing my research and collecting my thoughts (even curating my own personal Miro Board on the topic) for months, building on many years working in contexts of migration and displacement. For a few years now, I've really believed this is THE work of the coming decades. So now its time to talk! I would love to hear from anyone who is interested to chat, collaborate, would like to commission consultancy around this theme, or is even open to partnering or resourcing new collaborative projects that convene, connect and cultivate across and beyond sectors. https://lnkd.in/gdn8DV4b Pic: screenshot from report launch presentation: "We need an explicit attempt to help organisations weigh up how politics might play out in relation to climate change and migration over the next 5-10 years. Is there any sense of consensus about what 'good' looks like or what winning looks like? Where does that shared vision sit at the moment and if it doesn't exist, how can it be helped to come to pass?"

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📣 Some big TERN news on a project we've been building over the last 12 months 💡 We have become increasingly convinced that venture capital can play a key catalytic role in creating a new generation of high-growth refugee-led companies. Companies that can drive change both within their communities and the wider narrative around refugee inclusion. However, significant structural barriers exist between the refugee business community and the venture capital community. As a result, we are seeing almost no equity capital reach refugee founders. 🚀 This fund looks to fundamentally change this reality. We are planning to back entrepreneurs with growth support and capital from day 1 through to pre-seed. We will become the friends and family that refugee entrepreneurs need to build scalable companies. And in the process prove something that should already be obvious. Refugee entrepreneurs are, and always have been, highly investable. 👋 We are now looking to bring on a Fund manager who shares this vision. You will help us bring this fund to market and execute its thesis. We think it's one of the most exciting first-time fund management opportunities out there and we are going to back someone who has lived experience of forced migration. So do check it out, share & apply if this excites you 👇

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Great opportunity to make a difference on #ClimateAction in Scotland with this new role with SCVO (Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations) working with the brilliant Beth Mukushi on Growing Climate Confidence in Scotland's third sector. Climate Development Officer, 3 days/wk, blended working with a base in Glasgow, Edinburgh or Inverness. Job purpose: - Promote and raise awareness: Using the Growing Climate Confidence brand to reach organisations to encourage action on the climate crisis and help them relate this to their organisational mission. - Support organisations to develop and implement net-zero action plans, signposting to specialist sources of support and funding opportunities. - Develop shared insights: Share the real time aggregate data generated through the net zero scorecard, along with other research, with the Funders’ Forum and net zero working group to inform wider funding and support decisions. #Vacancy #Scotland #Charities #ClimateChange https://lnkd.in/eWcAk6Z5

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Here's the latest charity sector resilience data (June 2020 to Apr 2024) from the #CharityExcellence data store. The risks we highlighted in our 2023 £1bn Funding Cuts report may now have materialised. The far left dip is Covid, centre right is the CoL crisis. We slowly emerged but from late 2023, the public sector funding cuts began to bite. Far right on the graph - sector resilience is falling again. The risk of long term structural damage we highlighted is now much more real. The graph for fundraising performance is even more grim. https://lnkd.in/eKESXKrf

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The messages in The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) new Underfunded and Overlooked report (https://lnkd.in/eKzhb9tp) really hits a nerve at SNAPS Yorkshire CIO as a medium sized charity. At SNAPS, demand for our services has never been higher. This is due to a combination of factors that include many statutory services being cut as well as other local charities having to make the difficult decision to reduce service delivery or close their doors completely. Our families simply have nowhere else to go. Alongside this, funding of small charities has reduced by £4.6 billion post pandemic, whilst costs continue to rise (the report states a 12% increase in costs for small charities). Anyone can do the maths to work out increasing demand, decreasing funds and rising costs simply isn’t sustainable. As Chair of the West Yorkshire Children’s Additional Needs Network (WYCANN), I know that these pressures are being felt by all small to medium sized third sector organisations. We know of many organisations who have had their local authority funding slashed at a time when competition for independent grants has never been higher. This leaves many of these vital community services at real risk of closure which will have a huge impact on their communities and in turn will increase the demand that our social services and NHS face. SNAPS is quoted in the report regarding this issue: “Post-pandemic especially, we have a rising number of families tell us that SNAPS is the only place they can go to for support. The need for great, local, charities has arguably never been higher, and unfortunately, it is extremely likely that more will have to close in the near future due to rising pressures and funding challenges.” Grassroots groups and charities are the organisations who REALLY understand what is needed by their communities and are fleet of foot enough to meet that need quickly and effectively. We see that at SNAPS every day, with our families continually telling us just how important our services are to them. In addition to the adverse effects on the third sector, this chronic underfunding and immense increase in demand is having a huge effect on the people who work in small to medium charities. Sadly, I think we will continue to see fantastic people leave the sector as the pressures of delivering these vital services with our hands tied only grow in the future. Change is urgently needed, and we hope to part of that change going forwards. Ben Robinson

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Excited to be launching the interactive Disruption Index and a new skills report today with our Pissarides' partners at the Imperial College London I-Hub, then on to London Tech Week, thanks to Nuffield Foundation, techUK and Dr A-Marie I. It's a noisy time but these will be valuable contributions for a long time to come, highlighting cross-cutting themes and priorities that are moving up the agenda fast as we learn about the scale, divisions and spillover-effects of technological transformation. The index report showcases both the opportunities and limits of using AI in research - and it's aligned with our Election and First 100 Days asks of the new government, come July 5th. In sum, we think it's time to.... 📣 Embed Good Work as a cross-cutting policy objective to deliver the best, fairest results from technology. This means new requirements for procurement, scrutiny of legislation and extending the remits and targets relevant institutions. It also comes with devolving power and funding to Combined Authorities to develop and implement 10-year Future of Work and Growth Strategies. 🥁 Forefront responsible technology, through Good Work, and build up regional ecosystems for innovation and governance with this in mind. In the UK, this means establishing a new network of Research and Innovation Laboratories across the country focusing on applied research, pilots and building capacities. We think these need socio-technical remits - see Good Work as a condition, mediator and outcome of responsible AI and other new technologies here. 🎺 Reframe government roles to create and maintain a new public data infrastructure which builds on the the DI/insight from the Disruption Index and empowers government, people and organisations to track, respond and shape technological transformation in the future, including the identification of bottlenecks and impacts on pay, conditions and quality of work. A dedicated Future of Work unit at the centre of government can pull this together to inform policy. 💡 Lead globally in responsible AI governance by introducing a principles-based Responsible Innovation and AI Act as soon as possible, with dedicated parts on LLMs and work. This can leverage the UK's unique strengths in innovation, research, ethics AND regulation and pick up from the scrapped Data and Digital Information Bill. It's not too late and would complement boosted powers (and remit) of the AI Safety Institute, any new Regulatory Innovation Office and Employment Bill. https://lnkd.in/e6SXVkk3 BIG kudos to the IFOW team Kester Brewin Abigail Gilbert Dr. Jonathan Clarke Bertha Rohenkohl, PhD Magdalena Soffia James Hayton Zanta Nkumane Oliver Nash Dr A-Marie I. #peoplefirst #responsibleAI #futureofwork #LondonTechWeek Institute for the Future of Work

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For the right person, an important role

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This is the future of long term impact.

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This article featured in the Asian Impact Management Review last year. In this piece, I explore the power of data-driven insights and staff training in revolutionising after-care support for elderly patients. This is really the beautiful part where impact measurement and management converge and you get to see the tangible results from looking at what the data is telling you in real-time. I believe it is possible for every organisation to make impact matter within everything they do, and that's why I do this work. Read the full article https://lnkd.in/eEYGFJeP #SocialImpact #ImpactMeasurement #ImpactManagement

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It will take more than a new sector, new role and new organisation to seperate me from this vital call to action - we need to get support to those who need it. Agreeing clear data sharing principles to enable this is a vital next step. Sign up to hear more!

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Interesting article in @Cityam today by Stephen Timms arguing for a partnership between government and the impact economy: https://lnkd.in/eEYekcwm He specifically calls for the creation of an Office for the Impact Economy, as a  a joint Treasury-Business and Trade unit; saying "We need a new partnership between Government and the impact economy, putting shared values into practice to build a more prosperous, equitable and sustainable future for all." Regardless of the result on Thursday, I hope that all parties will recognise the role that #SocialEnterprises and #Charities can and must play to unlock capital in order to tackle some of our most complex social challenges.

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