New research published by NCVO has laid out the distribution of charities
on a national basis, revealing ‘hotspots’ and ‘deserts’ of charity
concentration in different regions.

The research found a general urban/rural divide, with low concentration of charities relative to population in urban areas such as Wigan, Bolton, Barking and East London, and above average numbers of charities in traditionally rural areas such as Cumbria, Dorset and East Sussex. The exception was Central London, with a high concentration of HQs and international organisation’s offices.

The distribution was plotted on to a map (pictured) which John Mohan, professor of social policy at the University of Southampton, who carried out the research, said summarised a complex picture with many factors influencing it. “It’s important to understand the underlying pattern,” he said, “how does it relate to prosperity or deprivation, what’s the relationship between population change and the distribution of organisations, and to what extent does the pattern reflect historical influences?”

The research forms part of the UK Voluntary Sector Almanac which can be ordered from the NCVO’s website. Visit www.ncvo-vol.org.uk