WIREDGOV

From recently, anyone needing evidence on issues concerning the voluntary sector can search the new Third Sector Knowledge Portal.

The Portal was launched recently by the Third Sector Research Centre, at an event held at the British Library to showcase the first three years of work by the Centre. It has been built in partnership with the British Library and funded by £200,000 from the Big Lottery Fund. It can be found at www.tsrc.ac.uk.

A one-stop knowledge resource, the Portal brings together evidence on a range of subjects  including policy, social and economic impact and funding and will help inform the work of researchers, policymakers, academics, frontline service providers and other VCS stakeholders across the country.

The Portal is a growing resource that will provide access to a range of materials, including academic research, reports produced by voluntary organisations, government publications and training materials. It will offer free downloadable content wherever possible*, as well as linking users to books and other materials via the British Library.

The Portal will also enable others to share and preserve their research.  TSRC is working in partnership with organisations and individuals to make their collections available, and welcomes contact from those with relevant research. Depositing material in the Portal will help it reach a wider audience, bridging the gap between research and the expertise of those working in and with the sector.  

Pete Alcock, Director of TSRC said ‘TSRC believes in the importance of evidence to inform decision and policy making. As well as helping to develop evidence on the sector, we are committed to increasing the capacity of the sector to use research. This Portal will make it easier for people to find and use the wide range of research resources on the sector.’

Peter Wanless, Chief Executive of BIG who launches the Portal today, said: “The voluntary and community sector is not short of evidence reviews, research or information but it is often fragmented and difficult to access and the Big Lottery Fund is delighted to be able to offer support in addressing this issue.

“As an Intelligent Funder, BIG is convinced that many of the solutions to deep rooted social problems can be found in sharing and building on existing effective practice. A resource such as this, which enables those working in a field of social interventions to compare notes with each other and to add to the evidence of what seems to work on the ground, is key to bringing about long lasting positive changes to those most in need.”

Notes to editors

The Knowledge Portal is being developed by the Third Sector Research Centre in partnership with the British Library. It is funded by the Big Lottery Fund. It is available from www.tsrc.ac.uk.

The launch takes place between 1.45 and 2.15pm on 14 October 2011. Press demonstrations will be available after this. Please contact Naomi Landau if you would like to attend.

* materials will be freely downloadable wherever they are available in electronic format and access is not restricted by the publishers.

About the Third Sector Research Centre

TSRC conducts research on a broad range of issues affecting the voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors. The Centre is led by the University of Birmingham in collaboration with the University of Southampton. The Centre was established to provide a strong evidence base on the third sector in the UK and to inform policy-making and practice. It is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, Office for Civil Society and the Barrow Cadbury Trust. More: www.tsrc.ac.uk

A report on their first three years of research ‘Informing Civil Society: the work of the Third Sector Research Centre’ will be released recently.

The Big Lottery Fund (BIG)

The Big Lottery Fund (BIG), the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out 46% of the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery.

BIG is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since June 2004. The Fund was formally established by Parliament on 1 December 2006

Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to good causes. As a result, over £26 billion has now been raised and more than 330,000 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.

BIG Lottery Fund’s investment in The Knowledge Portal is part of the learning strand of  Replication and Innovation, a new UK-wide funding programme that aims to use BIG’s networks and funding experience to target deep-rooted social problems. Over five years the programme will fund strategic initiatives working in carefully researched and identified areas of need

Further Information

Naomi Landau, Knowledge Exchange, Third Sector Research Centre
n.landau@tsrc.ac.uk / 02075202421

Big Lottery Fund

Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888     
Out of hours contact: 07867 500 572