Perspectives on Scotland’s Third Sector Impact Research Conference

Mar Sánchez Fernández reflects on the importance of collaboration between the third sector and academia.

Recently, I had the privilege of attending the Perspectives on Scotland’s Third Sector Impact Research Conference at the University of Glasgow’s Advanced Research Centre. The conference, hosted by the Voluntary Sector Studies Network, Third Sector Research Forum, University of Glasgow, Youth Link Scotland, Volunteer Scotland, and the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, created a space where academics, researchers and third sector professionals could connect, collaborate and discuss the importance of bringing together these areas of work and expertise.

The morning sessions illustrated the complementary strengths each sector brings. Bethany Sykes from Volunteer Scotland grounded us in concrete impact, sharing Volunteer Scotland’s report on the impact of volunteering. This research revealed that volunteering contributes £2.3 billion to the Scottish economy, demonstrating how evaluation can transform our understanding of volunteer programmes’ tangible social, physical, and mental health benefits. Dr Garreth Walsh from Evaluation Support Scotland then presented on the five principles for good evaluation: focus on outcomes that matter, fit evaluation into existing workflows, involve service users meaningfully, use findings for improvement and celebration, and communicate results effectively. Finally, Professor Alasdair Rutherford’s presentation on measuring sector-wide impact using publicly available data opened new possibilities for understanding the third sector’s collective contribution. Keynote speaker, Adam Lang from Carnegie UK provided the policy context that frames all this work and reflected on civil society’s role in addressing social challenges shared across the UK.

In the afternoon, the interactive sessions sparked thought-provoking conversations. There were eight different stations with separate speakers that attendees could rotate between, allowing everyone to move freely between conversations, sampling different approaches and building connections across the room. I found myself having productive discussions on youth peer research with Liz Green from YouthLink, research with LGBTQ+ young people led by Dr Mathew Wilkie from LGBT Youth Scotland. Each station revealed different approaches to research within academia and the third sector. This activity allowed learning from multiple approaches rather than being confined to a single conversation. The final session, facilitated by Lewis Hou, CEO of Science Ceilidh,  invited us to think deeply about research, evidence and impact. Through a series of flash presentations we were challenged with provocative questions that forced us to reconsider fundamental assumptions about research’s role in the third sector.

The breadth of perspectives represented in this event was remarkable and each conversation demonstrated that collaboration isn’t just beneficial but necessary for transformation. What made this event exceptional was its recognition that the third sector possesses invaluable on-the-ground knowledge while academia brings analytical frameworks and evaluation expertise. The interactive format proved that when these worlds connect, the result is evidence-based practice that actually works in real communities.

The timing couldn’t be more crucial. With public funding increasingly tied to demonstrable outcomes, third sector organisations must articulate their impact with precision. Meanwhile, researchers face growing pressure to demonstrate real-world relevance. This conference proved that collaboration is essential for both sectors’ effectiveness and sustainability. Events like this shouldn’t be annual exceptions but regular catalysts for ongoing partnership. The conversations started at this event need to continue, because the challenges our communities face are too complex for any single sector to address alone.

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