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31st March 2025

Research conference: perspectives on Scotland’s third sector impact

This will be a free interactive facilitated event promoting dialogue between academics and voluntary sector practitioners, policy makers and other stakeholders from a broad range of third sector organisations.

  • Date: 11th June 2025
  • Time: 10am - 4pm
  • Location: Advanced Research Centre (ARC), University Of Glasgow, 11 Chapel Lane Glasgow, G11 6EW
  • Hosts: Jointly hosted by The Voluntary Sector Studies Network (VSSN) and the Third Sector Research Forum (hosted by Evaluation Support Scotland), the University of Glasgow, Youth Link Scotland, Volunteer Scotland and Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO).
  • Key note speaker: Professor Sarah Skerratt, RSE
  • Cost: FREE
  • Book your space here

Overall aim

The conference will let you:

  • Hear from some of the latest third sector research projects
  • Discuss findings and share learning around impact
  • Meet and network with other third sector researchers and academics involved in voluntary sector-related research

Description

Following the wide-ranging events that take place during Volunteer Week in Scotland in the first week of June, this full-day event will cast a critical eye over the many facets of impact that relate to the third sector in Scotland.

This research symposium is jointly hosted by The Voluntary Sector Studies Network (VSSN) and the Third Sector Research Forum (hosted by Evaluation Support Scotland), the University of Glasgow, Youth Link Scotland, Volunteer Scotland and Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO).

Themes for the day include:

  • The impact of volunteering and the third sector in different settings, including health, wellbeing and the wellbeing economy
  • The impact of small community organisations and place-based volunteering
  • How does the sector navigate working with the local grassroots communities?
  • How to measure the value of the sector and to understand the place of evaluations and measuring impact in the third sector
  • The impact of doing research in collaboration with volunteering organisations and the impact of community led research on research values and ethics

Who is the event aimed at?

This in-person event is aimed at anyone who does, uses or commissions research about volunteering or community and third sector organisations, in particular:

  • Members of the Third Sector Research Forum
  • VSSN members
  • Third sector researchers
  • Academics involved in third sector-related/community-led research

Other Information

Please note places will be confirmed on a first come, first served basis.

Book your space here