“Philanthropy is no longer about benevolence; it is about having an impact on the complex problems that face the next generation”.
The Beacon Collaborative 2021
Our country faces serious and significant long-term social challenges
The Covid pandemic has both shone a bright light on the extent of those issues and made them worse
A new mind-set and approach are needed to address these challenges and the poverty and disadvantage in the UK’s left behind communities
Solving these issues is beyond the capacity of the state, the private and the not-for-profit sectors acting on their own
The failure to address society’s systemic problems is often not down to a lack of money or expertise but due to poor coordination and collaboration between those involved
Many charities and social enterprises lack the core funding and knowledge to develop their capacity and capability to meet escalating demand
Local people and communities are closest to the problems, know what is needed and have a fundamental role to play in creating effective, sustainable solutions
We know that, by working with others in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, philanthropists and social entrepreneurs can transform lives and strengthen our communities and our country.
“…you have to begin by rediscovering a sense of anger and shame. And acknowledge how unforgivable and appalling many things are in modern Britain… you need to be very much in a hurry to fix things…[and]…you need to be ambitious”.
Rory Stewart, ‘What is wrong with us?’, The New Statesman, 10 July 2019
Some facts and figures
Poverty
Whilst recognising that there are different ways of measuring poverty, the long-term trend is clear:
Overall rates of poverty have largely stayed the same over the last 20 years
2020: 22%
2000/1: 23%
From ‘Measuring Poverty 2020’, published by the Social Metrics Commission in July 2020 (Note that this data is based on research conducted between April 2018 and March 2019 so does not include the impact of the coronavirus epidemic).
Despite the ongoing efforts of central and local government, as well as those of the not-for-profit sector, ‘there has been little change in overall poverty levels for more than 15 years’ (‘UK Poverty 2020/21 – The leading independent report’, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, January 2021).
Education
The gap in academic progress between disadvantaged children (based on eligibility for free school meals) and their non-disadvantaged peers is c. 18-24 months at secondary school level and 4-12 months at primary school level
The gap has been increasing in recent years – “Last year the trend indicated 500 years until the gap was expected to close. The gap is no longer expected to close at any point.”
From ‘Educating England’, the Education Policy Institute Annual Report, 2020
Health
In 2015-17, people in the most deprived areas could expect to live 20 fewer years in ‘good health’ than those from the least deprived areas
From ‘What are health inequalities?’, The Kings Fund, 18 February 2020, Ethan Williams, David Buck, Gbemi Babalola.
Digital Exclusion
In 2018, 8% of people in the UK (4.3 million people) were estimated to have zero basic digital skills whilst a further 12% (6.4 million adults) were estimated to only have limited abilities online
In 2016 it was estimated that within the next 10 to 20 years, 90% of jobs will require some sort of digital skills’
From ‘The Digital Divide: what does the research tell us?’, Dr. Gemma Burgess, Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research, University of Cambridge.
