It was a really busy start to 2025 here at Goodlabs. Since January we were deeply involved in delivering a significant evaluation project on behalf of several voluntary sector organisations across the Tyneside area.
Commissioned by the North East Combined Authority, this ambitious evaluation centred around the £1 million UKSPF Volunteering & Social Action Project, a regional initiative designed to expand volunteer participation, enhance community engagement, and strengthen local voluntary organisations.
Working with seven major VCSE organisations (including Connected Voice, Volunteering Matters, VODA, Community Action Northumberland, Blyth Valley CVA, Northumberland CVA, and The Key), we aimed to capture the wide-ranging impacts volunteering has in the region. Our task involved getting to grips with a large volume of data and evidence gathered over 18 months of project delivery, plus putting out our own surveys, running focus groups and holding lots of structured interviews. All of this then required extensive analysis from which we could draw conclusions and make recommendations.
One particularly important focus was on Supported Volunteering Pathways—programmes that guide people facing barriers to employment towards meaningful volunteer opportunities. Our findings reaffirmed that volunteering serves as a powerful vehicle for personal growth, increased employability, and social inclusion, positively influencing both individuals and their communities.
The evaluation has highlighted volunteering as not simply as an act of one-way altruism but as an exchange of mutual benefits. Volunteers gain new skills, confidence, and social connections, while voluntary organisations build capacity and resilience, in order to make a larger and more enduring community impact.
We’re proud that our evaluation and recommendations will contribute to improved collaboration and strategic learning within the sector. Significantly, we hope our recommendations will inform and enhance future funding frameworks, creating sustainable, equitable financial structures between the Combined Authority and voluntary sector organisations in the region.
All in all the project has been really rewarding and provides a great showcase of Goodlabs’ skills in evaluation, strategic analysis, and collaborative working within the voluntary sector. We're optimistic that the insights provided through our work will pave the way for strengthened community action, better supported volunteering pathways, and enduring social and economic contributions across Tyneside and beyond.