How to describe our sector?
Please take a few seconds to complete this survey (more details below): Naming our sector
Our sector is featuring significantly in a recent range of national policy announcement, and in our collective leadership discussions with colleagues in local public sector bodies.
As our Chief Executive is working in increasing awareness of our sectors role and potential, including most recently with the First Minister just last week, it has prompted the question about how our sector is described/framed. Additionally, it remains the case that colleagues in other sectors not close to ours have limited understanding of how our sector operates and our role in communities and wider society.
So, as we move closer to the centre of decision making and our profile is likely to increase in the coming months, we’d like to know your thoughts on two matters through a simple poll. Assuming TSDG will embark on a wider programme to support sector collaboration and raising awareness of our essential sector, how should we describe ourselves from the outset? We want to make sure we don’t miss the opportunity to re-frame if you feel that’s needed and now would seem the perfect time.
Commonly known in Scotland as the third sector (third, to mean after public and private sectors), is using this term devaluing our role and diminishing any opportunities we should have to take the lead when we’re best placed to? Government tends to use Community and Voluntary Sector (CVS), but not consistently. Whilst any label can be easily overlooked, it does build a sense of identity and purpose, so we want to get it right.
As a reminder, our scope of work is not-for-profit organisations with a social purpose, to include charities, community groups, social enterprises, trusts etc. Our focus is on tackling inequality, local economies, community involvement and benefit, volunteering and participation, sector leadership and cross-sector collaboration.