Third Sector Organisations (Impact and Support) Bill

The Bill does a few things that should help make things easier for civil society organisations who often sit at the very heart of our communities and provide support, training, comfort and so very much more to those who need it. If passed, my Bill will:

• Set up a Civil Society Empowerment Agency which will help organisations measure and demonstrate their impact;

• open up access to government data and agree standards to support robust measurement;

• create an index of third sector and civil society organisations so that we have a register of who is where and doing what;

• open up the commissioning of public services, meaning that local organisations are able to bid to provide services which are often delivered by the public sector;

• create a bank of good practice so that organisations can learn from each other, and

• reduce the steep barriers which exist for new and small charities to adequately measure their impact and thereby maintain sustainability.