🗓️ One week to go until our next New Researchers Online Session! 📚 Join us on Fri 3 Oct, 12:00–13:00 BST for a conversation with VSR editors Lindsay Findlay-King & Oto Potluka on publishing in VSR. We’ll also reflect on #VSVR2025 and leave time for networking. 🔗 Sign up: tinyurl.com/newresonline

Are you a social sciences researcher with something to say? We’re inviting contributions to the Transforming Society blog. Share your insights, start conversations, and amplify your voice. #AcademicVoices #WriteForUs 🖋️

🧑‍💻 Calling all voluntary sector new researchers! Join us on Fri 3 Oct, 12:00–13:00 BST for our next online session. Lindsay Findlay-King & Oto Potluka, editors of Voluntary Sector Review, will talk all things publishing 📚 We’ll also reflect on #VSVR2025. 🔗 Sign up: tinyurl.com/newresonline

📝 VSSN member Jenny Raschbauer is researching learning and development in social sector organisations and needs your help! If you work or volunteer in a charity, CIC or VCSE organisation, share your experience in a short survey. 📲 Scan the QR code in the image to take part (10 mins max)!

That’s a wrap on #VSVR2025! We’re grateful to our conference partners: the Centre for Charity Effectiveness at @bayesbschool.bsky.social, @ncvo.bsky.social and @volactionislington.bsky.social for making it all possible.

We’re closing out #VSVR2025 with our final session, a practical workshop on building cross-sector research collaborations to create change together, led by Ellen Bennett, James Rees, and Carol Jacklin-Jarvis. A fitting end to two days of learning and collaboration here at @bayesbschool.bsky.social

🎙️ A busy afternoon of parallel sessions is underway at #VSVR2025! From devolution and place-based work to digital inclusion, advocacy, and third sector-university partnerships. Great to see such thoughtful research and practice being shared across rooms here at @bayesbschool.bsky.social

🌅 Good morning from Day 2 of #VSVR2025 at @bayesbschool.bsky.social ! We’re kicking off with a powerful plenary: “Staying true while gaining traction: Civil society’s contribution to system change from the edge and the centre” 🎤 Chaired by Vita Terry (VSSN). Let’s dive in!

🏆 Congratulations to Toby Blume, Peter John, Dyana Mason @dyanamason.bsky.social, and Marios Petropoulos - winners of this year’s Voluntary Sector Review Best Article Prize! 📖 Read the award-winning article here: doi.org/10.1332/2040... @bupjournals.bsky.social

That’s (almost) a wrap on Day 1 of #VSVR2025 at @bayesbschool.bsky.social! It’s been a full day of keynotes, panels, and discussions across themes of collaboration, resilience and research impact. Still to come: the Best Paper Prizes 🏆! @ncvo.bsky.social @volactionislington.bsky.social

A packed afternoon at #VSVR2025 here at @bayesbschool.bsky.social From funding and infrastructure to AI, data, collaboration, and participatory approaches, today’s sessions sparked discussion and insight across the sector. Plenty to take away as we round off Day 1 and more to come tomorrow!

We are heading into the first parallel sessions here at #VSVR2025 @bayesbschool.bsky.social ☕📚 Themes include equity and inclusion, volunteer experience, charity leadership, and research-practice collaboration. Plenty of insight ahead! @ncvo.bsky.social @volactionislington.bsky.social

Kicking off #VSVR2025 with opening plenary: 📣 Prof Stephen Osborne set the scene with reflections on systems thinking in public services and civil society. A response panel following: 🔹 Arvinda Gohil (Better Way Network) 🔹 Fiona Longhurst (Royal Voluntary Service) 🔹 Mike Adamson (St Mungo’s)

We’re underway at #VSVR2025! Angela Ellis Paine (Bayes CCE) and Vita Terry (VSSN Co-Chair) opened the conference this morning with a warm welcome and reflections on the theme Creating Change Together. Great to see the room filling with energy for the two days ahead! 📍 @bayesbschool.bsky.social

☕ Not long now until the main conference begins! Day 1 of #VSVR2025 kicks off today at @bayesbschool.bsky.social. We’ll be exploring the theme Creating Change Together with a packed programme of keynotes, parallel sessions, and panel discussions. Watch this space for updates throughout the day!

That’s a wrap on New Researchers Day #VSVR2025 A full day of discussions from enhancing engagement at conferences to sharing research across volunteering, democracy, and community change. Thanks to all who joined us today! @bayesbschool.bsky.social @ncvo.bsky.social @volactionislington.bsky.social

In Session 3 of New Researchers Day at #VSVR2025, we explored how change happens in practice: 🤝 Harriet Plows on advice orgs & care networks 🔍 Victoria Nunn @viva-victoria.bsky.social on researching the sector from within 🌐 Peter Horner on local infrastructure’s convening role

During Session 2 at #VSVR2025 New Researchers Day, we heard: 🗳️ Clara Kansiime on accountability & NGO impact in Uganda 🤝 Clare Harewood on trust in participatory research 🩺 Sophie Cole @sophiecole.bsky.social on health inequalities & voluntary sector support @bayesbschool.bsky.social

Before lunch at #VSVR2025 New Researchers Day, we heard: 🗳️ Sue Ansarie @sueansarie.bsky.social on Big Local volunteers 🔍 Thérèse Gaqua on associations & social action 🤝 Linda Cole @lindarcole.bsky.social on co-producing research with disabled volunteers @bayesbschool.bsky.social

Next up at #VSVR2025 New Researchers Day: 📣 Workshop on Enhancing communication and engagement at academic conferences: asking good questions! Facilitated by Rob Macmillan and Amy Sanders, helping us get the most out of presenting, participating and connecting. @bayesbschool.bsky.social

We also had a warm welcome this morning from Amy Sanders, Co-Chair of VSSN, as we kicked off New Researchers Day at #VSVR2025. Great to start the day with encouragement and connection across our research community! @bayesbschool.bsky.social @ncvo.bsky.social @volactionislington.bsky.social

🎓 New Researchers Day at #VSVR2025 is starting now at @bayesbschool.bsky.social! Helen Abnett @helenabnett.bsky.social, Chelle Coulton & Pat Danahey Janin are opening the day with a welcome and intro. A brilliant line-up of early career research ahead – let’s get started!

Learning is great for employee/volunteer well-being, development, progression, morale, motivation, retention and engagement. How many organisations embed a learning culture? VSSN member Jenny is researching this very topic. Please take 10 to complete the survey forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/respon...

📣 1 day to go to #VSVR2025! We’ll start with the New Researchers Day, followed by Day 1 with a welcome by Angela Ellis Paine and Vita Terry, and a keynote by Prof Stephen Osborne. Programme: tinyurl.com/VSVR2025programme @bayesbschool.bsky.social @ncvo.bsky.social @volactionislington.bsky.social

📣 Just 2 days to go until #VSVR2025 kicks off! We’re looking forward to inspiring sessions, panels and catching up with colleagues at @bayesbschool.bsky.social. Get ready: www.vssn.org.uk/2025-volunta... Explore the programme: tinyurl.com/VSVR2025programme

📅 Just 3 days to go until #VSVR2025! Cut the wait with our latest article: reflections from Perspectives on Scotland’s Third Sector Impact, now on VSSN News: 🔗 www.vssn.org.uk/2025/08/29/p...

📢 Just 4 days to go until #VSVR2025! The full conference programme is now available — explore the sessions, speakers, and themes across all three days. 📖 Take a look and start planning your schedule: 🔗 tinyurl.com/VSVR2025prog... Looking forward to seeing many of you at @bayesbschool.bsky.social

📅 Just 5 days to go until #VSVR2025 We’re starting with the New Researchers Day, packed with presentations on: 👐 Volunteering, participation & social action 🗳️ Democracy & grassroots voluntary action 🔄 Creating change together Join us at @bayesbschool.bsky.social 🔗 www.vssn.org.uk/2025-volunta...

📅 One week to go until the main #VSVR2025 conference kicks off at @bayesbschool.bsky.social! We’ll open with a plenary on “Working together: Implications of an ecosystemic approach for the third sector” by Prof Stephen Osborne. Looking forward to seeing you there! www.vssn.org.uk/2025-volunta...

Nanna Møller Mortensen, @caitlinmcmullin.bsky.social and Jacob Brix develop a model of organizational learning and co-production mainstreaming, which considers how co-production can be institutionalized and then mainstreamed through co-production culture www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

📢 Today’s the day! It’s the final deadline to register for #VSVR2025. Don’t miss your chance to join us at @bayesbschool.bsky.social l this September, alongside @ncvo.bsky.social and @volactionislington.bsky.social . 📅 Book now: www.vssn.org.uk/2025-volunta... #VoluntarySector #CivilSociety #VSSN

📣 Just 5 days left to book your place at #VSVR2025! Join us at @bayesbschool.bsky.social this September for two days of sharing voluntary sector and volunteering research, organised in collaboration with @ncvo.bsky.social and @volactionislington.bsky.social. 🔗 www.vssn.org.uk/2025-volunta...

The VSVR conference 2025 is fast approaching. There is still time to register www.bayes.citystgeorges.ac.uk/faculties-an... There is an exellent line up of speakers on the theme of Creating Change Together: Civil society working beyond sector and organisational boundaries.

⏳ Just two weeks to go until #VSVR2025! We’re looking forward to welcoming researchers and practitioners to @bayesbschool.bsky.social Organised in collaboration with @ncvo.bsky.social and @volactionislington.bsky.social 📅 2–4 Sept | 🔗 www.vssn.org.uk/2025-volunta... 🗓️ Booking closes 25 August

📢 Just 10 days left to book your place at #VSVR2025! Join us this September to explore research and practice across the voluntary sector, including the New Researchers’ Day, paper presentations, panels, and more. 🗓️ Booking closes 25 August www.vssn.org.uk/2025-volunta...

A new book on 'Reimagining voluntary sector leadership' by VSSN members Carol Jacklin Jarvis & James Rees is out now. They used a VSSN grant for exploratory workshops with practitioners & academics to discuss the role of the vol sector in place leadership and it's meaning for theory and practice.

📘 Congratulations to VSSN Trustee James Rees, @prof-stig.bsky.social, and VSSN member Carol Jacklin-Jarvis on the publication of their edited book! Using case studies from the UK, US, China and Europe, it explores the relationship between place, leadership and voluntary action. Read more 👇

Voluntary Sector Review is partnering with the European Research Network on Philanthropy to publish their Safe Spaces workshop papers on European philanthropy. Each paper pairs a practitioner with an academic - and they'll be freely accessible to all! 1st papers coming soon 📚✨ @vssn1.bsky.social

📢 Today’s the deadline! For confirmed #VSVR2025 presenters – submit your full paper by the end of 11 Aug to be considered for: 🏆 Campbell Adamson Memorial Prize (sponsored by @ncvo.bsky.social) 🏆 Duncan Scott New Researchers’ Prize More info: www.vssn.org.uk/2025-volunta...

#VSVR2025 is fast approaching! We’re looking forward to connecting with researchers, practitioners & policy colleagues at @bayesbschool.bsky.social this September. Check the programme, book your place, and get ready for conversations that matter 👉 www.vssn.org.uk/2025-volunta...

🎨 Interested in creative research methods? @crmethodsjnl.bsky.social is welcoming submissions for their second issue. This could be a great fit for researchers using creative, participatory, or arts-based methods in voluntary sector research. 🗓️ Deadline: October 2025 👇 Info below

#VSVR2025 is fast approaching! We’re looking forward to connecting with researchers, practitioners & policy colleagues at @bayesbschool.bsky.social this September. Check the programme, book your place, and get ready for great conversations 👉 www.vssn.org.uk/2025-volunta...

ESS Senior Evaluation Support Manager Gary reflects on the day: “It was a pleasure to be involved in a conference that was brimming with ideas, challenges, and inspiration. It felt like an urgent agenda, providing a barometer for current thinking across the sector."

Last month we jointly hosted the research symposium ‘Perspectives on Scotland’s third sector impact’ with TSRF, @vssn1.bsky.social, University of Glasgow, YouthLink Scotland, Volunteer Scotland and SCVO.

🎉 Congratulations to VSSN trustee Karin Y. Biermann on her article in Voluntas: "When Volunteerability Intersects Employability" 📚 A conceptual typology exploring how professional identity and career stages form occupation-related volunteering. 🔗 Open access: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

📢 The early bird deadline for #VSVR2025 is today. Don’t miss your chance to register at a reduced rate! 🎤 Presenting at the conference? Make sure you’re booked by 11 August to be included in the programme. 📝 Full paper deadline for presenters: 16 August. 🔗 More info👇

⏰ Last chance! The early bird deadline for #VSVR2025 is tomorrow – 18 July. Join us this September at @bayesbschool.bsky.social to explore the latest in voluntary sector research and practice. Don’t miss out on reduced rates! 🔗 Info & booking: www.vssn.org.uk/2025-volunta...

📊 The latest VCSE Barometer Survey is live, focusing on how VCSE organisations engage with data and research. Run by VCSE Observatory at Nottingham Trent University and supported by 14 national bodies, the Barometer tracks key trends in the sector. Contribute your insights 👇

🎥 Missed our latest New Researchers Online Session? You can now watch Ellen Bennett’s @sheffieldhallamuni.bsky.social presentation on theory in voluntary sector research. Perfect for anyone revisiting the big ideas that impact our field. 📺 Watch here: www.vssn.org.uk/2025/07/14/v...

📝 New blog from VSSN trustee Jurgen Grotz via the Institute for Volunteering Research: “Where has volunteering gone?” He reflects on England’s 10-Year Health Plan and why volunteer involvement is missing from NHS thinking, despite lessons from the pandemic. 🔗 Read: www.uea.ac.uk/groups-and-c...