A bright red banner with Strathclyde University branding shows the university to the right hand side and a visual of people meeting.

Connecting for Impact

4th June 2025

Explore new opportunities: Third Sector and Strathclyde University Collaboration Exchange

Glasgow’s voluntary sector plays a vital role in supporting communities, tackling inequality, and driving social change. Yet many organisations are under pressure to do more with less – to innovate, evaluate, and demonstrate impact, all while continuing to deliver essential services.

What if some of that pressure could be shared?

Across Glasgow, universities are full of people, knowledge, and resources that could help. From cutting-edge research to enthusiastic student volunteers and skilled placement candidates, universities offer a wealth of untapped support for the voluntary and community sector. But for many charities, knowing where to start can be a challenge.

That’s why we’re supporting a series of events with the University of Strathclyde Business School – to help make those connections easier, more meaningful, and more impactful.

The Connecting for Impact series

We want to bring together voluntary sector professionals and university staff to explore practical ways to work together for mutual benefit and lasting impact.

Our first event was an introduction to collaborating with the University, building relationships and learning about the benefits for the sector. We gained a better understanding of the University, typical projects and how they are funded, as well as the potential for new opportunities. The University team also helped to explain typical processes and structures for partnership projects, as well as key timings to help plan for success.

Please visit the University’s Ticket Tailor page to book your place at upcoming sessions, which include:

Laying the Foundations: Opportunities, and where to start
21 May, 12pm – 2.30pm at the University Union, Richmond Street, Glasgow
From Ideas to Action: Making the Most of Research
25 June, 9.30am – 12pm at the University’s Technology and Innovation Centre, Glasgow
Partnerships in Practice: Case Studies of Collaborative Success
Wednesday, 20th August Morning & Afternoon sessions – save the date
Looking Ahead: Strengthening Opportunities for Lasting Impact
Wednesday, 24th September – save the date

Visit Ticket Tailor

Building new opportunities

This series is about sparking ideas and connecting you with the right people. We’ll help create links between those tackling real-world problems on the ground and those with the tools to explore, evaluate and amplify their work.

For all future updates, please follow our newsletter and keep an eye on our events page.

“We are really fortunate in Glasgow to have such excellent universities on our doorstep and academics that want to collaborate with us. It is not always easy however to know how to make this happen. This series of workshops with Strathclyde University is a great opportunity to tease out how to do that and I am looking forward to figuring out how to better use research and take forward some ideas I have.”
Sallie Condy, Head of Sector Development at GCVS

University of Strathclyde Business School from the outside, in Glasgow

Why Work With Strathclyde University?

Universities aren’t just places of learning – they’re hubs of innovation, ideas and people power. Here are just a few ways your organisation could benefit:

Research Partnerships – Work with academic teams to explore challenges and evaluate impact, or contribute to research that influences policy and practice.
Student Placements & Volunteers – Gain enthusiastic and skilled students to support projects or research ideas.
Training & Knowledge Exchange – Access expertise and networks that can strengthen your organisation’s capacity and capability.
New Perspectives – Bring in fresh thinking and evidence-based approaches to support innovation and growth.

And it’s not just about connecting you with what universities can offer. Your knowledge, community connections, and lived experience are equally valuable. These partnerships work best when they’re two-way.

Hear from Sallie Condy, Head of Sector Development at GCVS

Join any or all of these sessions to explore how research and partnership projects can support your organisation’s goals. We’ll continue to add them to our events page through the year.

If you would like a chat first with one of our team, please email us at sectordev@gcvs.org.uk.

Find out what’s on