# New free portal unlocks Third Sector Trends data

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/09/22/new-portal-unlocks-third-sector-trends-data/
- Published: 2026-09-22T08:53:00+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**Community Foundation North East has launched an interactive online data portal
giving free public access to findings from Third Sector Trends, the largest and 
longest-running study of the voluntary sector in England and Wales.**

Third Sector Trends began in 2010 and is repeated every three years. The 2025 sweep,
which closed on 30 September and drew a nationally representative sample of more
than 8,680 responses, resulted in five national-level reports covering relationships,
people, energy, finance, and regional dynamics, as well as variations in sector 
structure and practice across different types of area.

## What the portal offers

The new site uses data visualisation tools to bring the study’s key findings to 
life across England and Wales, with a particular focus on North East England, including
a breakdown for the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority.

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Users can select areas of interest, such as employee numbers, volunteers, purpose,
beneficiaries served, or social impact, and explore the results through graphs, 
maps, and infographics drawn from data gathered since the triennial surveys began
in 2010.

## Widening access beyond the written reports

Findings from Third Sector Trends have previously been shared entirely through written
research reports. **Professor Tony Chapman** of St Chad’s College, Durham University,
who directs the study, told UK Fundraising the reports “tend to be rather long and
arduous for the casual reader”, and that the Community Foundation’s new portal “
works really well” in widening access to the findings. The initiative was led by**
Hannah Mackay-Christie** at Community Foundation North East.

Rob Williamson OBE DL, Chief Executive, Community Foundation North East, said:

> “The Third Sector Trends Study provides unrivalled, large-scale, longitudinal 
> data on charities and community organisations. Our new interactive web content
> allows people to look at different characteristics and statistics in our area 
> and across England and Wales. It’s a treasure trove for the sector, for funders,
> for researchers and for policy-makers, who need to take heed of the economic as
> well as the social value of what charities and community organisations do across
> the country.”

Third Sector Trends was established by Northern Rock Foundation in 2008. Community
Foundation North East and St Chad’s College, Durham University are now responsible
for its legacy and continuation, drawing on a dataset of 205,000 organisations to
complement, rather than replicate, findings from the NCVO UK Civil Society Almanac,
the Charity Commission, and 360 Giving. The 2025-26 phase is funded by Community
Foundation North East, Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales, the Wales Council
for Voluntary Action, and Millfield House Foundation.

The portal is available at the [Community Foundation’s website](https://reports.communityfoundation.org.uk/third-sector-trends),
and the full Third Sector Trends reports, area studies, and methodology can be found
on [St Chad’s College’s website](https://www.stchads.ac.uk/research/third-sector-trends-in-england-and-wales/publications-from-third-sector-trends/).

 * **[Third Sector Trends in England and Wales tracks charities’ financial health](https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/01/21/third-sector-trends-england-wales-financial-health/)(
   21 January 2026)
 * **[Political pressure to limit campaigning unlikely to be effective with work essential to charity survival](https://fundraising.co.uk/2023/11/01/political-pressure-to-limit-campaigning-unlikely-to-be-effective-with-work-essential-to-charity-survival/)(
   1 November 2023)
 * **[Final Third Sector Trends report focuses on people, places, & policy](https://fundraising.co.uk/2023/05/30/final-third-sector-trends-report-focuses-on-people-places-policy/)(
   30 May 2023)**