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UKSPF Volunteering & Social Action Evaluation Report

A summary of the UKSPF Volunteering & Social Action Evaluation Report conducted by Goodlabs

Evaluation
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The UKSPF Volunteering & Social Action Project, delivered by a partnership of VCSE organisations across Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland, aimed to increase volunteering participation, strengthen voluntary sector organisations, and support local communities. It combined delivery focused on developing volunteer opportunities, training, organisational support, community events, and social action projects, alongside partnership working and systems development.

An evaluation of the project was conducted by Goodlabs, and aimed to summarise the impact of the project and key learnings to support future delivery. 

Funded by:

NECA and Gov UK logo

Evaluation conducted by:

Goodlabs logo

Overarching summary

525

new volunteer roles created

The project exceeded its target (325), supporting the development of a wide range of roles across sectors and organisations.

361

people attended training

Training significantly exceeded the target (100), supporting volunteers, staff and organisations with practical and skills-based learning.

162

organisation's supported

More organisations than planned received non-financial support, including governance, volunteer management and sustainability advice.

26

social action projects delivered

Projects exceeded target (15), engaging communities and particularly young people in local issues and activities.

The evaluation finds that the project delivered strong outcomes for individuals, organisations and communities, exceeding most output targets and demonstrating clear demand for volunteering support. 

The project expanded volunteering opportunities, delivered training, strengthened VCSE organisations, and supported community-led social action. This enabled both wide reach and meaningful impact, particularly where individuals built confidence, skills and social connections through volunteering. 

Volunteering was shown to improve wellbeing and reduce isolation, while also acting as a pathway to skills development and, for some, employability. At the same time, support to VCSE organisations (especially through organisational health checks and training) helped strengthen governance, volunteer management and long-term sustainability. 

Delivery was supported by a multi-partner model that enabled strong geographic coverage. While effective overall, the evaluation highlights opportunities to strengthen coordination, shared learning and outcome tracking. 

Overall, the project demonstrates that volunteering is a key part of community infrastructure, supporting inclusion, resilience and personal development, with potential for greater long-term impact if these elements are strengthened.

 

Key Headlines

Volunteering created significant community and individual impact

The project delivered a large number of new roles and opportunities, with many participants gaining skills, confidence and connections through volunteering.

Training strengthened capacity across volunteers and organisations

Training exceeded targets and supported both new volunteers and VCSE staff, improving confidence, governance and operational capability.

Strong partnerships supported delivery across the region

Seven VCSE organisations collaborated effectively to deliver activities, although more structured knowledge-sharing could enhance future impact

Social action projects engaged communities and young people

Projects enabled local people to co-design and deliver initiatives, helping build confidence, teamwork and awareness of community issues

Organisational health checks improved VCSE resilience

The health check model helped organisations improve governance, volunteer management and sustainability, and was widely valued by participants.

Findings

The project exceeded targets across most delivery indicators, demonstrating strong demand for volunteering opportunities and support. Significant overperformance was seen in volunteer roles created, training participation and community events, reflecting both effective delivery and high levels of engagement.

Activity was delivered at scale, with a large number of organisations supported and a wide range of opportunities created across communities. Alongside this, training and organisational support helped strengthen VCSE capacity to recruit, manage and sustain volunteers.

However, while outputs were strong, tracking of longer-term outcomes such as volunteer progression and retention was more limited.

Overall, the findings show the project was highly effective in delivery and engagement, with scope to strengthen outcome tracking to better understand long-term impact.

 

Case studies

Discover how the project helped transform real lives through three powerful stories of resilience, support and lasting change. 

Volunteering as “a light coming on”

Volunteering as “a light coming on”

After experiencing a significant decline in mental health, Emma [*name changed] became increasingly isolated and unable to carry out everyday activities or continue her education. Through volunteering with NCVA, she was able to access a supportive environment where she could begin rebuilding her confidence and skills at her own pace.

As her parent described, “Discovering NCVA was like a light coming on for our family.” The opportunity to take on an administrative volunteering role helped Emma feel she was working towards her ambitions, improving her self-esteem and providing a pathway towards future employment and independence.

Route to employment for parents

Route to employment for parents

After a period out of employment raising children, a parent began volunteering with Children North East to rebuild confidence and explore returning to work. Starting with a role supporting parent and toddler groups, the experience provided practical skills and renewed confidence.

As they reflected, “That experience as a volunteer gave me the skills and confidence I needed to apply for a paid job.” This led directly to a paid role as a Volunteer Coordinator, where they now support others into volunteering. Their work includes developing accessible opportunities, such as an ESOL group to help new volunteers build confidence and engage more fully.

Becoming Qualified Youth Workers

Becoming Qualified Youth Workers

At the Patchwork Project, young people who first engaged as participants went on to become volunteers, with some progressing into formal Youth Work qualifications and employment. The project provides a supportive, familiar environment that helps young people build confidence, particularly those who have struggled in formal education.

Volunteers described how the experience opened up new opportunities, with one reflection capturing the impact: “It opens your mind to possibilities you never thought you could achieve—like a degree!” Through mentoring and practical experience, volunteering helped re-engage young people in learning and supported their progression into careers.

 

Conclusions

The evaluation concludes that the project was a clear success in expanding volunteering opportunities and strengthening the voluntary sector across the North East. It demonstrated the value of volunteering as both a community activity and a pathway to personal development, with benefits for skills, wellbeing and social connection. While delivery was strong, the evaluation highlights opportunities to strengthen impact through improved outcome tracking, enhanced partnership learning, and more sustainable funding and delivery models.

Recommendations

Key recommendations focus on building on what worked well:

  • Improve tracking of volunteer outcomes and longer-term impact
  • Strengthen strategic learning and knowledge-sharing across partners
  • Digitise and standardise monitoring and data systems
  • Develop clearer pathways from social action into sustained volunteering
  • Review funding models to improve sustainability for delivery partners
  • Consider more targeted inclusion approaches for priority groups

What the evaluation tells us works

The evaluation highlights several important lessons for future programmes:

  • Volunteering supports skills, confidence and wellbeing, particularly for those facing barriers
  • Practical, tailored training improves outcomes for both volunteers and organisations
  • Strong VCSE infrastructure is essential to sustain volunteering activity
  • Social action can act as a gateway into longer-term volunteering
  • Partnership working enables wider reach and impact, but requires stronger coordination and shared learning
 
Interested in finding out more? Download the Executive Summary