1. COMMUNITY GROUPS: STILL
BELOW THE RADAR?
Third Sector Research Centre
Below the Radar Reference Group and
Research Slam
27th September 2012
Angus McCabe
Funded by:
Hosted by:

2. KEY FINDINGS 1
• Small community groups/below the radar
organisations form (numerically) the largest
part of the Third sector – but are the least
researched
• Distribution and quality is uneven (charity
deserts) – issues of accountability,
inclusion/exclusion
• They deliver services for and with the public –
not public services: motivations ‘outwith’
policy agendas

3. KEY FINDINGS 2
• There is no desire/motivation to ‘scale up’
activities to enter ‘the contract culture’
• Creating ‘small changes’ – but capacity to
meet broader social needs?
• Importance of social networks in
learning/skills development and accessing
resources: not formal training/IT…and uneven
distribution of (access to) social networks
• Opting out of ‘political process/debate????