The voluntary, community and social enterprise sector (VCSE) includes local community and voluntary groups, registered charities, foundations, trusts, social enterprises, and co-operatives. They may also be referred to as ‘third sector’ or ‘civil society’ organisations. The sector provides a range of services to different groups of service users. VCSE organisations share characteristics in the aims they pursue, and are independent of government. They also reinvest any profit they make to continue to support their aims.

Shropshire has a diverse voluntary sector. In-depth research carried out in 2010* suggested that Shropshire has higher rates of volunteering and community involvement than the national average. National research suggests that numbers of VCS organisations have remained fairly static over past years, with the proportions of organisations closing down balancing with the numbers of new start-ups. However, local evidence suggests that the number of VCSE organisations in Shropshire may be reducing, and that the application of national averages may suggest a more realistic estimate.

We therefore estimate that the county is home to approximately 1,296 VCSE groups and organisations. Find out more about the voluntary sector in Shropshire from the VCSA evidence base.

*Within national indicators developed for the National Indicator Set (abandoned in 2010/11) Shropshire had significantly higher rates of community participation and volunteering than the national average.