Nearly one in three voluntary sector organisations in Portsmouth are concerned they will not survive the year.
During the course of our research for the State of the Sector Report, we heard from dozens of Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations from across the city.
The rising demand for services, increasing costs, stagnant income and the increasingly complex issues and needs of service users were all cited as creating a highly challenging environment for the sector.
Being able to recruit staff and volunteers was also highlighted as an issue, as was the struggle to compete with rising wages in other sectors.
Key findings from the organisations which took part in our survey
70% of organisations said that the cost of living crisis had affected their financial situation
83% told HIVE Portsmouth that the level of demand on their services has either increased or stayed the same since the start of the crisis in October 2021.
70% of organisations said they felt either fairly or very optimistic that they will still be operating in 12 months’ time, with the remaining 30% concerned they would not survive the year.
