North Lanarkshire Third Sector Health Check

  • North Lanarkshire Third Sector Health Check

    Mapping and identifying the needs of community organisations across North Lanarkshire.

  • Thank you for participating in this North Lanarkshire-wide survey of charities, voluntary groups and community organisations. The information you provide will contribute towards a sector-wide understanding of the issues, challenges and opportunities that charities and voluntary groups are experiencing. 

    What we want to know about your organisation or group:

    • Where you operate, what you do and who you help​
    • The capacity of your group/organisation to  provide for your beneficiaries ​
    • Your experience of recruiting, training and retaining volunteers​
    • How your income and finances have changed​
    • Your view on the sustainability of your group/organisation
    • What support your group or organisation would benefit from​.

     

    This survey will take 15-25 minutes to complete and will provide an important insight into the needs and strengths of our sector. ​

  • Please take a moment to read the confidentiality and ethics statement below before agreeing to participate in this research:

    • Taking part in this survey is voluntary. Your decision on whether or not to participate will have no impact on your relationship with VANL.​
    • The information you provide will be kept confidential and anonymous. Data collected will only be shared once aggregated and identifiable information has been removed.​
    • Once submitted you have the right to withdraw or request the amendment of any information you provide.​
    • Information shared will be kept securely. Only members of the research team will have access to individual responses. ​
    • The information that you provide will only be used for the purposes of completing this research. It will not be shared with outside agencies.​

    This survey is being carried out in line with the VANL Data Protection, and Data Security and Retention policy. 

  • If your organisation is registered within North Lanarkshire, which locality is it based in?
  • Within which North Lanarkshire locality does your organisation operate? Please select all that apply.
  • Which of the following best describes the type of organisation your organisation/group is?
  • Does your organisation provide a direct service to either individuals, organisations or communities?
  • What is the main activity of your organisation?
  • Who are the main beneficiaries that your organisation or group supports?

  • Capacity

  • Since April 2025 which of the following statements best represents the extent to which your organisation has been able to deliver its planned programmes and services?
  • Which of the following statements best represents the ability of your organisation to meet the demand for its core services since April 2025?
  • Since April 2025, is the total number of paid staff at your organisation greater, smaller, or the same?
  • To what extent has your organisation found staff recruitment and/or retention challenging since April 2025?
  • Which of the following measures has your organisation taken since April 2025? Please select all that apply.

  • Volunteering

  • Since April 2025, is the number of people currently actively volunteering for your organisation greater, smaller, or about the same?
  • To what extent has your organisation found volunteer recruitment and/or retention challenging since April 2025?
  • Which of the following challenges has your organisation faced in terms of recruitment/retention of volunteers since April 2025? Please select all that apply.
  • Which of the following actions has your organisation taken to improve its recruitment/retention of volunteers since April 2025? Please select all that apply.
  • Thinking specifically in relation to trustees, since April 2025 is the number of trustees representing your organisation greater, smaller, or about the same?
  • Thinking specifically in relation to trustees, to what extent do you feel that your organisation has a sufficient number of trustees on its board?
  • Thinking specifically in relation to trustees, to what extent has your organisation found trustee recruitment and/or retention challenging over since April 2025?

  • Training and Development

  • Does your organisation hold a training budget?
  • To what extent has your organisation experienced challenges in offering appropriate training to staff and/or volunteers?
  • How does your organisation deliver training to staff and/or volunteers? Please select all that apply.

  • Finance and Income

  • Approximately, what will your organisation’s turnover be in 2025-26?
  • Has turnover increased, decreased, or roughly stayed the same as the previous year (2024-25)?
  • Looking to the future, do you believe your organisation’s reduction in turnover is likely to be a short, medium or long-term issue?
  • Have you developed any new income streams since April 2025?
  • Which, if any, new income streams has your organisation developed since April 2025? Please select all that apply.
  • Thinking about the period since April 2025, to what extent have rising costs over this time affected your organisation’s ability to deliver its core services or activities?
  • Do you have your funding confirmed for the 2026 financial year?
  • Is your level of confirmed funding for 2026/27 more, the same or less than expected?
  • Is your organisation’s budget currently running at a deficit?
  • To what extent do you believe the conditions attached to your receipt of regular (e.g., annual) funding have become more or less demanding over the last 12 months?
  • Which, if any, of the following has your organisation done in response to any financial challenges since April 2025? Please select all that apply.
  • Since April 2025, has your organisation been affected by delays in funding decisions from any of the following? Please select all that apply.
  • Since April 2025 which source of decreased turnover has contributed most to your organisation’s overall decrease in turnover?
  • Since April 2025 which source of increased turnover has contributed most to your organisation’s overall increase in turnover?
  • If not doing so already, have you considered trading as a way to generate income?

  • Sustainability

  • How sustainable do you believe your organisation’s current usage of its financial reserves is?
  • How confident are you that your organisation will still be operating in 12 months’ time?
  • How confident are you that your organisation will still be operating in 3 years’ time?

  • Support

  • For which of the following areas has your organisation sought external support or advice since April 2025? Please select all that apply.
  • Has your organisation sought external support or advice (for instance on operational, legal, financial, or governance matters) since April 2025?
  • Are you aware that you can contact VANL at info@vanl.co.uk to discuss any supports that your organisation may need?
  • VANL offers a range of services to support charities, community groups or voluntary organisations in North Lanarkshire. Which of the following services do you feel would be of benefit to your organisation/group in the upcoming 2026 - 2027 financial year.
  • Should be Empty: