The Time is Now for a greater role for third sector

Last night saw the official launch of a joint manifesto by Community Alliance, the Social Enterprise Coalition and ACEVO.

The Time is Now outlines the case for an expanded role for the third sector and calls on government to get four things right in order to support a thriving civil society.

The four points are:

One, smart investment in an age of austerity; use funding vehicles best suited to the desired outcome and continue to develop social investment

Two, improved public service markets and the democratisation of commissioning; ensure a level playing field and transparency in public procurement

Three, a supportive architecture; sustain a department and minister with sole responsibility for the third sector, streamline regulation and invest in building the sector's capacity

And four, an environmentally sustainable relationship that delivers on the recommendations of the third sector ministerial taskforce, embedding green outcomes in public procurement and placing the third sector at the heart of a green economy.

The joint manifesto states that against a backdrop of increasing pressure on public spending, a widening poverty gap and the global climate change crisis, it is 'now more than ever' that government needs to support a thriving third sector.

The Time is Now was launched at an open event yesterday evening where Angela Smith MP, minister for the Third Sector, shadow minister, Nick Hurd MP, and Liberal Democrats spokeswoman, Jenny Willott MP addressed questions and ideas from the floor.

Speaking on the joint manifesto Ben Hughes, chief Executive of bassac said: "Community Alliance, SEC and ACEVO are committed to innovation - not for the sake of it, but because we want to deliver the best we possibly can through our combined membership across the third sector.

"By speaking together we hope our message to government - which draws on a remarkably diverse and powerful evidence base - will be compelling, in shaping policies that can really help the sector fulfil its potential in supporting disadvantaged and excluded people in society. "

The Time is Now includes case studies of third sector organisations which are already playing a key role in delivering vital services to the most vulnerable members of society.

The examples also demonstrate how, if scaled up, their added value could be key to the government delivering innovative and enhanced public services that deliver value for money.

The case studies include the work of Kiveton Park & Wales Community Development Trust (KPWCDT), Addaction, Age Concern South Staffordshire and Shiney Advice and Resource Project (ShARP).