On a war footing: what might the economic fallout from conflict in the Middle East mean for the UK's charities? | PBE While the trajectory of the war in Iran remains highly uncertain – with the current ceasefire providing only temporary, and fragile, relief – the speed with which its economic impact has rippled aroun...

Our CEO @mattwhittaker.bsky.social shares his view on what the geopolitical shifts in 2026 mean for charity finances.

pbe.co.uk/insights/on-...

"It would be a mistake to assume that charities can simply stretch further once again...Supporting civil society through the months ahead will require concerted action across the public, private and social sectors."

Last year we worked with DCMS to run a roundtable that brought together social sector representatives, evidence experts and funders to discuss the business case in more detail.

Follow us here for updates on CSEVO and all our work using economics to improve lives.

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Our answer to that call is a Civil Society Evidence Organisation (CSEVO) — an infrastructure body that can improve the flow and use of evidence across the social sector.

pbe.co.uk/publications...

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A graphic describes the role of CSEVO. The text for this graphic is also available on the webpage linked in the next post.

When we brought together experts from across the private, public and social sectors for the Law Family Commission on Civil Society, one of their recommendations for unleashing the potential of civil society was to help the sector share knowledge and build on what works.

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Living Sport | PBE Living Sport is a charity that helps people in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to be more active. It works with local communities, partners and activity providers to design and run programmes that sup...

Through Data First Aid, we matched Living Sport with volunteer analyst Dimitra Kalosynaki. Working closely with the team, Dimitra cleaned and organised the data and built Power BI reports that brought programme and finance data together.

Read the full case study: pbe.co.uk/impact_stori...

We partnered a volunteer analyst with Living Sport to help them make more informed decisions. 💡

They wanted to make better use of their programme and finance data when making decisions. The team needed clear and easy-to-use visuals so they could look at data over time and compare projects.

We would like to see:

• Better measurement of social sector interventions designed to end loneliness so we can learn which programmes are the most effective.

• A strengthened policy framework around loneliness.

• Increased financial support for loneliness interventions.

In 2024, our research found that five million adults in the UK struggle with chronic loneliness. It is one of the biggest drivers of low wellbeing.

Loneliness in the UK disproportionately affects people under the age of 30. Other groups more significantly affected are women, people who are separated from their partners and those who report poor health.

Ending chronic loneliness in the UK could reduce the need for almost a million GP appointments per year. It could also lead to a reduction of 100,000 impatient episodes in hospitals.

We estimated that ending chronic loneliness could reduce the need for almost a million GP appointments per year.

Loneliness is one of the key drivers of low wellbeing and a priority issue for us.

The UK has a loneliness problem.

Our 2024 research found that five million adults in the UK live with chronic loneliness and the cost to public services is significant.

pbe.co.uk/publications...

Or apply now:
www.tfaforms.com/5184920

Our analysis services | PBE This page outlines the support we offer. If you’re unsure of what support you need right now or you’re looking for a general introduction to the principles and practicalities of economic evaluation, w...

After we've assessed your application, if we think we can help, we will develop a project brief outlining the scope, timeline and outputs.

Find out more by emailing us at projects@pbe.co.uk or checking out our website:
pbe.co.uk/our-services...

Pro bono support The application window for pro bono support from our in-house economists is open — apply now. The image shows three people working on a project. Two have notebooks and one has a laptop.

Get pro bono support from our in-house economists for your charity or social enterprise 👀

The application window for pro bono analysis projects is open for a limited time.

To be eligible to apply, your charity or social enterprise must be based in the UK and benefit UK communities.

The results will provide a factual basis to deliver the early interventions and systemic change that will genuinely alter the outlook for children and young people in this country.

Additional research in this area should aim to unpick the many complex factors, including social media, that are linked to low wellbeing in the UK's children and young people.

Study links children’s social media use with anxiety and depression in teenage years Researchers say lack of sleep could be a factor among young people interacting online for more than three hours a day

We know that frequency, duration and type of activity drive the effect of social media on wellbeing. Further research is needed to better understand how these changes are affecting children and young people's mental health.

www.theguardian.com/media/2026/m...

While there are some correlations between social media usage in young people and an increase in low wellbeing, there is no clear consensus that social media is the sole cause or even a cause. In fact, there's evidence that social media can be beneficial to young people in some circumstances.

World Happiness Report 2026 The World Happiness Report is published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, in partnership with Gallup, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and an independent ed...

Evidence of a link between social media and harm to mental health and wellbeing is also a central theme of the recently released World Happiness Report.

www.worldhappiness.report/ed/2026/

A teenage girl scrolls on her mobile phone.

Is social media the reason teenagers in the UK have the lowest wellbeing in Europe?

Last week, a landmark legal judgement in the US against the parent companies of Instagram and YouTube found that a young woman became addicted to social media as a child which worsened her mental health.

Watch this space for the outcomes and impact of their work together.

Thank you, Marion and team, for donating your time and expertise. 👏

Marion Gady, Managing Director, FTI Consulting

We've matched Marion Gady with @autistica.org.uk 🎉

Marion and a team of economists from FTI will be working with Autistica to create scenarios and break-even analyses to estimate economic benefits from neuroinclusion improvements.

Our trustees | PBE Our trustees View the trustee annual reports here.

Find out more about Damien, Jenny and the rest of our trustees: pbe.co.uk/about-us/our...

Damien and Jenny have served as PBE trustees for a number of years, with the organisation’s reach and reputation growing significantly during their tenures. They’re therefore perfectly placed to support the executive team in developing a new strategic plan for the period from 2027.

Damien is an experienced board-level leader with a finance and risk-analysis background and significant experience in the UK charity sector.

Jenny is a founder partner at Apella Advisors and a non executive board member at HM Treasury. Jenny previously led communications at the Bank of England.

It provided an opportunity to reflect on the board structure too, and we're delighted to say that it’s prompted the establishment of a new trustee leadership team in the form of @damien-regent.bsky.social (Chair) and Jenny Scott (Vice-Chair).

Damien Régent and Jenny Scott

Earlier this month, our executive team and board came together for PBE’s annual strategy away day – a chance to step back from the day-to-day to reflect on our broader approach to delivering against our mission of improving outcomes for those with the lowest wellbeing in the UK.

Damien is an experienced board-level leader with a finance and risk-analysis background and significant experience in the UK charity sector.

Jenny is a founder partner at Apella Advisors and a non-executive board member at HM Treasury. Jenny previously led communications at the Bank of England.

• a re-cap of our report evaluating the impact of nature-based therapy on veterans.

• details of our free impact measurement workshops for social sector organisations serving children and young people aged 16 or under and at risk of school exclusion.

Sign up to get your copy: eepurl.com/den4kn

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This month's insight and events newsletter includes:

• a new blog from our Training Facilitator, Alexa Sage answering the frequently asked questions from our Unlocking Impact workshops.

Volunteer opportunities | PBE Current volunteer opportunities

ADHD Action Network is seeking expert support to refine and present a concise business case that demonstrates cost-effectiveness and value for NHS and council commissioners.

Find out more and apply for either role: pbe.co.uk/get-involved...