Department for Culture, Media and Sport launch their Third Sector Strategy

A new strategy to engage with and support the voluntary and community sector – the ?third sector? – was unveiled today by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

The online report is a result of extensive consultation with a wide-range of stakeholders, including our Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs), the third sector organisations in our sectors and external government bodies whose work relates to the voluntary sector.

Culture Minister Barbara Follett said:

?Voluntary organisations are the foundation on which much of Britain?s culture, media and sport is built and volunteers are the lifeblood of a myriad clubs and groups.

?Without them many of the hobbies and pastimes that people in this country enjoy would simply cease to exist.

?The role that these committed organisations and dedicated people play in our society is now being given the recognition it deserves. These are people who give their time freely and willingly ? it is only right that we develop a strategy to help us do the same for them. ?

The strategy has also taken into account information gathered through sources such as DCMS? rolling survey, ?Taking Part?, as well as specific reports such as ?Helping out: a national survey of volunteering and charitable giving?, published by the Office of the Third Sector in 2008 . Through this, some amazing facts about volunteering have emerged, including:

* over 59% of adults volunteer at least once a year and 40% volunteer at least once a month;
* of these, some 1.5% volunteered in the arts sector and 4.9% contribute at least one hour a week to volunteering in sport; and
* the economic value of formal volunteering is estimated at ?39 billion.

DCMS invests one of the largest proportions of its budget in the third sector across Government. In 2007/08, over ?440 million went to funding third sector organisations through our NDPBs, including Arts Council England giving ?267 million, Sport England ?88 million and UK Sport ?48 million.

The strategy is the first step in developing a mutually beneficial way of supporting volunteers and making volunteering possible and accessible for all. Actions contained in the report include:

* strengthening the foundations of our third sector;
* forging closer partnerships between DCMS, our NDPBs, and the third sector; and
* supporting voluntary participation in both public and third sectors.