Growing social capital report

Three local voluntary and community groups who are funded by Kirklees Council’s Community Partnerships grants programme have taken part in a study to assess the impact of activities that grow social capital.

Kirklees Council worked with the new economics foundation (nef) to carry out the research, along with the three voluntary organisations:

• The Nerve Centre
• The Denby Dale Centre and
• Meltham Sports & Community Group

The report

Growing social capital – Full report (pdf)
Growing social capital – Executive summary (pdf)

The study used social return on investment (SROI) methodology to understand the social value created by each organisation. This value includes the changes experienced by three important groups of people involved with these organisations:

• their volunteers
• the people who access their services and activities and
• their family members and carers

In the case of the sports and community group, the study also looked at the impact on the wider community and residents of Meltham.

SROI helps organisations to understand and manage the social, environmental and economic value that they are creating, and shows this as a ratio.  For example, a ratio of 3:1 shows that an investment of £1 delivers £3 of social value. It values things that matter, including things that can’t easily be traded, such as self-esteem and confidence.

The SROI method could help other groups to reflect on what they do, including how they might already be successfully mobilising their resources, harnessing people’s assets and connecting people.

For more information, please contact:

Trudi Wright at Kirklees Council
Tel. 07980 911654
email: trudi.wright@kirklees.gov.uk

or vistit:
nef consulting – Social Return on Investment