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Volunteer opportunities | PBE Current volunteer opportunities

🔔Calling economists, analysts and researchers - we've got new volunteer opportunities!

If you have experience in economic modelling, Excel spreadsheet creation or data analysis, two orgs could use your help.

Applications close 10 am on Wednesday 1 October.

Find out more 👇

Thank you Emily Harle for an excellent write up our new report calling for a civil society evidence org to improve the sector's evidence base and effectiveness.

Funders, get in touch with report co-authors Anoushka Kenley and @mattwhittaker.bsky.social if you're interested in getting involved.

Better evidence, better outcomes: The business case for a Civil Society Evidence Organisation | PBE Civil society is one of the UK’s greatest assets. It is driven by innovation, rooted in communities, and committed to tackling some of the nation’s most complex challenges, but it faces barriers that ...

Civil society is one of the UK’s greatest assets, but it needs a Civil Society Evidence Organisation (CSEVO): a hub to access evidence, cut duplication & support smarter decisions.

We have a plan: £2.5m over 5 yrs, co-funded by government and the sector.

Read the report: pbe.co.uk/publications...

Every LGBTQ+ young person deserves a safe space  | PBE Charlie* was looking for somewhere they could explore their emerging identity and feel supported as they considered socially transitioning – that is, beginning to live and be recognised in everyday li...

Free2Talk offers something vital for LGBTQ+ young people: a safe, identity-affirming space to belong.

@karol122.bsky.social and @charlotteprothero.bsky.social share Charlie’s story, and the value of the programme which could deliver £4 of wellbeing benefit for every £1 spent.

Read it here 👇

Economic progress in the age of AI | PBE By Diane Coyle If you spend less than four hours and 20 minutes a day online, you are below average for the UK. Using apps and online services, many of them free, is part of the fabric of daily life…

"Without suitable measures of organisations’ adoption of AI, policymakers will be unable to shape this powerful technology in ways that benefit society as a whole." - @dianecoyle1859.bsky.social's in her new article for #EconToImproveLives

pbe.co.uk/insights/eco...

The rise of paid work: Are we really still the “Voluntary Sector”? | PBE We recently published a new paper on the true economic contribution of civil society to the UK economy. (Spoiler alert: it’s big! At least £40 billion.) Among the many new stats in that report, there’...

Civil society has reached a milestone: we estimate that for the first time, paid hours now exceed volunteer hours.

Do we need to slow the tide and re-emphasise volunteering, or do we accept the sector is becoming more professional?

Explore these questions in our new blog: pbe.co.uk/insights/the...

Beyond ‘beyond GDP’ | PBE By Hetan Shah I was involved in some of the calls for improved measurement of wellbeing in the early 2000s. Two decades on, sometimes the debate feels like it has not moved on sufficiently from those ...

Instead of framing it as wellbeing v GDP, @hetanshah.bsky.social asks: what's the missing data we need to understand people’s lives?

From jobs & public services to how people feel, the real challenge is deciding what to prioritise with limited resources.

New article👇
pbe.co.uk/insights/bey...

3 key stats on drivers of low wellbeing: 44% of people whose mental health impacts them all the time live in wellbeing poverty. 35% of people with poor general health live in wellbeing poverty. 32% of people who often feel lonely live in wellbeing poverty.

Around 3 million people with the lowest wellbeing in the UK fall into the category of “wellbeing poverty”.

Our UK wellbeing forecast suggests the reinforcing effect of declining general and mental health, combined with loneliness, risks creating a “wellbeing poverty trap”.
pbe.co.uk/publications...

A square tile with a photograph of a young person wearing rainbow face paint. It shows two of the key stats from the report: Higher mental health risks, 3x the rate of their non-LGBTQ+ peers. and £15,600 per participant of annual wellbeing benefits from the Free2Talk programme.

National surveys often underrepresent LGBTQ+ young people, and standard datasets rarely reflect the full diversity of gender and sexual identities. Our new report with Free2B addresses part of that gap, evaluating the Free2Talk mentoring programme.

🔗 pbe.co.uk/publications...

#ChildrensWellbeing

🌈The lack of accurate data on LGBTQ+ folks is pervasive

We're often invisible. Historic exclusion, categorisation challenges, and the potential harm of data collection have all played a part, hindering policy, research, and support services.

This report looks to fill in part of that data gap ⬇️

A job vacancy image that reads "Join our team. Events and Communications Lead (freelance role)". Next to the text is a photograph of the PBE team.

We're hiring: Events and Communications Lead (freelance)

We are looking for fixed term support delivering our events and digital communications

📆Fixed term September to November 2025, part or full-time
✨Daily rate: £200 - £250 (inclusive of VAT)

Find out more and apply: pbe.co.uk/vacancies/ev...

Data first aid | PBE We connect charities with professional economists who can:​  Analyse and interpret your data  Create user-friendly data visualisations  Automate and streamline spreadsheets Develop templates for ongoi...

Whether you’re preparing a funding bid, reporting to stakeholders, or simply looking to better understand your impact, we’re here to support you with free, expert help.

Get support: pbe.co.uk/our-services...

How does private renting fuel wellbeing poverty?  | PBE What does a decent life look like in the UK today? A safe, settled home is a keystone on which individuals and families build a decent quality of life, good health and the connections with place and p...

A hidden wellbeing penalty: private renters are 3 times more likely than homeowners to have persistently low life satisfaction.

Even after accounting for income & health, private renting comes with an estimated wellbeing penalty of around £3,700 per person each year.

🔗 pbe.co.uk/insights/how...

What could votes at 16 mean for the next general election? | PBE The news that 16- and 17-year-olds will be able to vote in the next general election marks a significant shift in the UK’s democratic landscape. Promised in Labour’s manifesto last summer, the move br...

Wellbeing isn't a fringe idea - it tells us a lot about voter behaviour.

Including 16- & 17-year-olds in the next election is a bold step for youth participation and democracy. But if their lives aren’t improving by the next election, it could open up new political risks.

pbe.co.uk/insights/wha...

15 min call for Economics to improve lives

Join us online: www.youtube.com/live/hxKEySZ...

Column chart titled 'Proportion of UK adult population with high or very high life satisfaction' showing trends between 2012 and 2024 in the percentage of the UK population who rate their life satisfaction as high or very high. Starting at around 77 per cent in 2012, increasing to 82 per cent between 2017 and 2019 and then decreasing in 2020 to 78 percent in 2020, levels have started to increase again in 2024 to 79 per cent.

New report from @pbe.co.uk on the wellbeing of the UK’s adults. Good news: despite the grumbles we sometimes have, nearly 4-in-5 of us are content with our lives. Bad news: that’s still down on pre-covid norms pbe.co.uk/publicatio...

Our new report contains a deep dive by @drbethkitson.bsky.social and Marie Horton on the private rental sector. Have a read 👇

Why wellbeing must drive government decisions | PBE Sarah Davidson, CEO at Carnegie UK “The main purpose of Government should be to improve the wellbeing of the people”.  This is the shared rallying cry of the wellbeing movement in the UK. Uniting arou...

“The main purpose of government should be to improve the wellbeing of the people.”

In a new blog, @sarahdavidson.bsky.social makes the case that UK government has the data on wellbeing - but isn't using it to drive action.

Read why she believes that must change 👇
pbe.co.uk/insights/why...

This looks like a great opportunity!

Who’s on board? Closing the diversity gap in charity leadership  | PBE Sign up now to hear about PBE's latest research on trustee diversity and what's needed to build more inclusive charity boards.

Free webinar: explore the diversity gap at the top of charities

This webinar on Tuesday 24 June lifts the lid on trustee demographics and skills gaps, looking at potential solutions & continuing the conversation sparked by our recent report for the Charity Commission👇

A training room with a screen and flip chart

Massively enjoyable management training with Smart Thinking today - dusted off my acting skills for the role plays 😅 Great prep for future managers and enlightening to see things from the other side of the manager/employee relationship!

Helping funders to measure what matters | PBE Summary Funders influence how impact is measured in the social sector. Their data needs to shape both the type of data charities collect and how they use it. However, the need for charities to balance...

How can funders measure what really matters, without overwhelming grantees?

Our new report is a blueprint for using wellbeing valuation to understand social impact, based on Spirit of 2012’s legacy funding work.

Read it here: pbe.co.uk/publications...

Big thank you to @nicolesykes.bsky.social who kicked this off, and to @hannahcthinks.bsky.social who ran full pelt with it. And to everyone who inputted to make this massive project a reflection of what PBE is now. I'm a bit in love with the new website we've created.

Sign up to our mailing list For regular updates, including expert insights on policy, wellbeing research projects and reminders about PBE's events, sign up here!

Did you miss our April newsletter?

Sign up for PBE’s next monthly update for:
✨ Expert insights on charity sector impact & low wellbeing
📊 Volunteer opportunities with our Data First Aid service
📢 Updates on our latest projects, events & workshops

Subscribe: www.probonoeconomics.com/newsletter

Underfunded, under resourced and under the radar: The state of the women and girls’ social sector Women and girls’ charities are under intense strain — facing rising need and shrinking resources, even beyond the challenges experienced by the wider social sector. Read our new research by Dr Beth Ki...

"The survey reveals a sector that is underfunded, under resourced and under the radar. Women’s and girls’ organisations face considerable pressures, often disproportionately so, compared with the wider charity sector": @probonoecon.bsky.social. www.probonoeconomics.com/underfunded-...

Our new report for @rosafunduk.bsky.social by @drbethkitson.bsky.social looks at the pressures on and ambitions of the women and girls' sector.

🔗 www.probonoeconomics.com/underfunded-...

Today, 750 schools in England open free breakfast clubs for pupils.

Listen to PBE's @jonfranklin.bsky.social on the measurable value of school breakfast clubs like those run by @magicbreakfastuk.bsky.social on BBC 5 Live.

🔊https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002b5n3

Unlocking the power of the women and girls’ social sector - 29/04/2025 12:00:00 The sector has a critical impact but struggles with rising demand, stretched resources and funding pressures. Sign up to find out more.

📣Join PBE and @rosafunduk.bsky.social for an essential conversation about the strength of the women and girls’ social sector and the challenges it's facing.

📆29 April at 12:00 online

Book your free webinar ticket: www.probonoeconomics.com/Event/unlock...

How can PBE help your charity? We are always keen to support charities with their data challenges. If your charity would like support through our Data First Aid service, please get in touch!

📊 Could your charity benefit from free data support?

Our Services team will find the perfect volunteer to solve your data challenges, matched on their experience in sectors such as finance and economics.

Apply via our website: ow.ly/GQoi50PtVNA