The voluntary and community sector

1. What's in a name?

There are three main sectors:

• Private Sector
• Public Sector
• Voluntary and Community Sector

Aiming Higher sits within the Voluntary and Community Sector. This sector has been, and can be, referred to in many different terms. According to The Open University, the list below details the most common terms and how frequently they are used:

• the charity sector: this is a widely recognised term but organisations must meet the strict conditions required for charity registration. Not all voluntary organisations are charities.

• the third sector: this term refers to the sector in relation to the private and public sector. The assertion that it comes third to those sectors is often contested, so this term is no longer widely used. (Note that this term is still used in Scotland.)

• the not-for-profit/non-profit sector: this is another widely recognised term, but it can lead to a misunderstanding when charities do make a surplus, or ‘profit’, on certain activities. This surplus is allowed if it is then applied towards the charitable mission in other ways. The term also excludes socially focused businesses, such as social enterprises. To avoid this misunderstanding or exclusion, the term ‘beyond-profit sector’ is sometimes used.

• the non-governmental organisation (NGO) sector: this term is more commonly applied to international organisations and particularly those with a campaigning focus, hence the emphasis that they are not part of government.

• civil society: this is the widest term and refers to people working together to make a difference to their lives or the lives of others. As it isn’t a commonly known term outside of the sector, it can be confusing to some. In 2010 the government changed its Office of the Third Sector to the Office for Civil Society.

• the voluntary and community sector (voluntary sector): this is an inclusive term for charities and organisations or community groups not registered as charities which undertake work of benefit to society. The ‘voluntary’ part of the term refers to the fact that all of these organisations are voluntary in some way: they have a voluntary trustee board, or money and/or time is volunteered. It is the preferred term among much of the sector and the one that will be used throughout this course.

(The Open University, 2016)

2. Closing the Gap

As you have already discovered Aiming Higher was formed when the Aiming High programme ended. The end of Aiming High left a gap in services that the parents of children with disabilities in Blackpool felt needed to be bridged.

Aiming Higher for the Disabled Community also acts as an early intervention service. Where many statutory services will only come into play once the individual or family has reached crisis point, Aiming Higher intervenes much earlier than this, preventing the crisis from occurring. This is extremely beneficial to the individual or family, but is also beneficial to the statutory service providers, who will see a reduction in pressure/demand on their already stretched services and a reduction in the associated costs.

3. Funding

There are several ways in which a  voluntary and community sector organisation can generate the funds they require to deliver services to their beneficiaries. This can include:

• donations from the public or businesses
• fundraising activities
• a person may leave a gift in their will
• grant giving organisations
• sponsorships
• and more.

At Aiming Higher we have many ways in which we generate funds.

• Donations from local organisations
• Grants from grant giving organisations
• Fundraising activities, such as our annual ball
• Fundraising organised and completed by external members of the public

Raising awareness of the charity, the work we do, why we do it and the impact it has is a key part of generating funds that enable the charity to continue to operate.

4. Rules and Regulations

Aiming Higher for the Disabled Community is a registered charity and, just like any organisation in the private and public sector, registered charities have additional rules, regulations, legislation and laws that they must abide by.

As a registered charity, Aiming Higher for the Disabled Community are subject to the Charities Act 2011 and are regulated by the Charity Commission. Any fundraising undertaken by Aiming Higher for the Disabled Community is regulated by the Fundraising Regulator who have a Code of Fundraising Practice.

The Charities Act 2011 and the Code of Fundraising Practice are both lengthy documents, and you are not expected to know them all, however, you may need to refer to them to find out information dependent on your role.