Community Sector Coalition is a network of national community organisations working with communities in the UK. There are currently 30 members with a wider membership of approximately 70,000 organisations.
Community sector
The Coalition aims to promote the interests of the community sector as distinct from the voluntary sector. NCVO's Civil Society Almanac suggests that 600,000 out of the 870,000 civil society organisations listed are informal community groups. CSC's position is that government policy and funding arrangements have led to structural inequalities in the Voluntary and Community Sector, and that policy and funding has failed to connect with community groups. CSC say that "Those 833 very large charities, which are just 0.5% of all charities, have 55% of total charitable income. Compare this to the 72,900 very small charities with less than £10,000, that have just 0.5% of total charitable income."
History
CSC say: "The Community Sector Coalition was established in 1994 by a group of chief executives of national umbrella organisations whose work focused on the community sector. They met to establish a Coalition of organisations that wanted to champion the unique contribution that the community sector makes to society. Since 1994 the Coalition has met regularly to share information, network, develop joint projects and respond collectively to government policy. The added value that is generated through members working together ensures that resources are used more effectively across organisational boundaries and that a stronger, unified voice campaigns on issues vital to the sector."
In the news
In 2009, the Coalition criticised the Compact for the voluntary sector for being aimed at "third sector subcontracting organisations" and neglecting community organisations which are "the majority of the sector". In March 2010, the CSC released a policy position 'Unleashing the Potential', which called attention to the failure of policy to connect with local groups, the income inequality in the Voluntary and Community Sector, and the untapped value of community organisation. In late 2010, the Coalition was criticised for hosting a meeting of community development workers at which the Big Society was described as a "sham".
