Project Director: Chris Dayson
Project Duration: 2020-2021

The purpose of this latest ‘Value of Small’ research was to test the findings from the 2018 report in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was hoped that by exploring how smaller charities responded during the COVID-19 pandemic and why this mattered to vulnerable individuals and communities, the research would generate an even deeper understanding of the distinctiveness and value of small charities and provide further evidence of how their work could be promoted, developed and supported. The study focussed on the initial period of ‘lockdown’ between March-June 2020, and the subsequent period of ‘opening-up’ (July-September 2020). The Research Team revisited the four case study areas from the original study – Bassetlaw, Ealing, Salford and Wrexham – to capture rich qualitative insights about how smaller charities responded to the crisis and how this was experienced by local stakeholders.