Thanks to Toby Lowton, Founder at TL Economics and Senior Analytical Manager at NHS England, for his work on the evaluation. Read our blog on Toby's findings, written by our Chief Economist, @jonfranklin.bsky.social and CEO, @mattwhittaker.bsky.social: pbe.co.uk/insights/imp...

Impact squared: Measuring ‘the PBE effect’ on shaping charity income | PBE

Impact sits at the heart of everything we do at PBE, but what about the specifics of our own impact? What does each £1 invested in our organisation end up delivering?

pbe.co.uk

What if Andy Burnham could raise £15bn – without a tax rise? There's one catch. He'd need to solve the UK’s biggest and least-discussed tax problem. Almost half of all small business corporation tax isn't being paid - and nobody knows why. Thread:

My friend, mentor and former boss Gus O’Donnell & I wrote a piece for The House magazine on the us of WhatsApp etc in government. Don’t expect everyone to agree with it but we hope you find it at least interesting and thought provoking www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti...

Ministers must be able to let off steam – forcing full WhatsApp disclosure is unwise

The Mandelson files reignited the debate over what to do about the government being run on WhatsApp, which allows disappearing messages and stolen ...

politicshome.com

I'm stepping down to a new role in the autumn to try to get a bit more "life" in the "work - life balance" thing, so there's a vacancy to do my job: overseeing the research and policy output of RF. What a fab job for someone.

Ruth Curtice@ruthcurtice.bsky.social · last mo.

Lots of jobs changing at the moment - but let's focus on the most important. I am recruiting for a new partner in crime. Take a look, and get in touch if you want to help us deliver higher living standards across the UK, with an incredible team. www.resolutionfoundation.org/director/

New @pbe.co.uk note on non-profit pay trends shows charity employees are earning £3,500 less today than if their pay rises had kept pace with the private sector's. Stems from inflation exposure and highlights the need for new 'shock absorbers' in the sector's income model pbe.co.uk/insights/pay...

Here's a neat way (via @jonfranklin.bsky.social) of showing the mismatch between ambition and action when it comes to our offer to children and young people. Two word clouds: the first identifying what matters (health, confidence) and the second showing what gets measured (attendance, attainment)

Are you tired of the non-stop utopian/dystopian AI predictions from CEOs? Do you want to hear what's ACTUALLY happening, from the people it's actually happening TO? If so, I have good news: I felt the same, so I have worn out my shoe-leather & written this book! www.penguin.co.uk/books/462159...

Wowsers. Scientists found that between 2005-19, there was a 28% decline in spoken words. While all age groups were affected, participants aged 25 or younger showed a markedly steeper decline in speech. Seems significant and I've not seen this widely referred to www.sciencefocus.com/news/losing-...

We’re losing 338 spoken words every day | BBC Science Focus Magazine

We've been nattering less and less each year since 2005, according to research on more than 2,000 people across three continents

sciencefocus.com

In our new report, we set out five recommendations that outline a pathway from improving wellbeing measurement to strengthening the evidence base and enabling more robust long-term analysis. pbe.co.uk/publications...

Levelling the playing field: Measuring wellbeing among people with learning disabilities | PBE

Tools for measuring the impact of services on the wellbeing of the 1.5 million people in the UK with learning disabilities are falling short. Current methodologies focus on factors that are viewed as ...

pbe.co.uk

We want to level the playing field for people with learning disabilities by establishing more consistent ways to measure the impact of things that affect their lives.

Please help share what must be one of the best jobs ever. We are looking for a writer to join @ourworldindata.org to work with our fantastic team including @maxroser.bsky.social and @hannahritchie.bsky.social. £80k - £120k / ideally full time / location flexible ourworldindata.org/hiring-write...

We’re looking for a writer

We’re hiring a writer who can make the world’s largest problems understandable to our large Our World in Data audience.

ourworldindata.org

Our CEO @mattwhittaker.bsky.social shares his view on what the geopolitical shifts in 2026 mean for charity finances. pbe.co.uk/insights/on-...

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...

pbe.co.uk

It's a bit of a myth that rents are constantly increasing faster than earnings or overall inflation - on average, they're not. So what *is* the problem of unaffordability in the private rented sector? And what does this mean for how we go about fixing it? Our take 🧵⬇️

With household finances set to come under pressure again as a result of the conflict in the Middle East, it’s helpful to have new ONS data out today on the state of play just ahead of the first strikes on Iran at the end of Feb. what does it tell us?

PBE Volunteer and data analyst Ricard De Haro Flores created a tailored Excel-based data management and reporting tool for the Renewal Trust. 🧑‍💻

First one of 2026

Matt Whittaker@mattwhittaker.bsky.social · 11mo ago

The brilliant 808 State tonight

It’s fairly-well understood that the civil society workforce differs from the wider economy. A much higher share of (paid) jobs are held by women (67%/48%) and disabled people (25%/18%), but relatively few by young people (5%/11% of 16-24s) and ethnic minorities (12%/16%). But how did we get here?

Really pleased to publish our 2025 impact report, showcasing a year in which we arguably did more than ever before to empower UK charities, unleash civil society's potential, and drive the use of economics for good pbe.co.uk/impact_repor... Huge credit and thanks to all in the @pbe.co.uk family

Our impact in 2025 | PBE

The wellbeing challenge is a complex one. In 2025 we used our unique combination of economic expertise and social sector connection to help charities, funders, firms and policymakers tackle the causes...

pbe.co.uk

Our 2025 impact report – Strength in Numbers – is published today 📣

Really enjoyed discussing what it's like being an @instituteforgovernment.org.uk researcher at the "Working in the think tank sector" event at @resolutionfoundation.org yesterday. Recording available below, with the "Day in a life" panel starting from 1:43. www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2S1...

Working in the think tank sector: Webinar for those interested in working in the sector

YouTube video by Resolution Foundation

youtube.com

Delighted that we at @instituteforgovernment.org.uk are once again supporting this annual online event aimed at reaching people currently under-represented in the think tank sector… please share with your networks…

Latest data on life expectancy in local areas of the UK shows overall improvements in outcomes over the last 20 years, but a widening of the absolute gap between the best and worst performing parts of the country. Progress has slowed (or even reversed in some areas) in the last decade too

This is probably a well-known thing, but I hadn’t seen the data before… Need to be cautious of sample sizes and can’t infer causality, but interesting to see both how overall drug use rises as wellbeing falls and how much the pattern varies by drug. Cannabis clearly dominates the overall picture

The UK’s young people have the lowest wellbeing in Europe. This comes at a huge cost, with too many children feeling persistently unhappy. Hear from economists, educators, academics & young people on the difference arts programmes make to wellbeing, & how we measure it ⬇️ 📆20 November, 4 pm online

Unlocking creativity: The economic impact of engagement with arts and culture among young people  | PBE

Children and young people in the UK are enduring a wellbeing crisis. Our teenagers record the lowest levels of life satisfaction in Europe, and one-in-four of our 19-year-olds has a probable mental di...

pbe.co.uk

Our latest report explores how early engagement with arts and culture can play a powerful role in supporting young people’s wellbeing, and assesses the value for money these programmes generate. pbe.co.uk/publications...

Unlocking creativity: the economic impact of engagement with arts and culture among young people | PBE

Children and young people in the UK have the lowest wellbeing in Europe. National survey data from 2023 show that about one in five children and young people aged 8 to 25 years were likely to have a m...

pbe.co.uk

A very worrying escalation of online harassment. Somebody has used a video of me saying "racism in football is a game of two halves" + put a fake voiceover on it saying "what I would say to the girls of Rotherham is it is a game of two halves" x.com/EuropaIneffa...

Europa Ineffable on X: "In a recent panel at what looks like Labour conference, Sunder Katwala, wearing an England shirt, appeared to compare the R🦍 GANGS to a football match: "it's a game of two halves" 🥴 https://t.co/b5YNKyaQtu" / X

In a recent panel at what looks like Labour conference, Sunder Katwala, wearing an England shirt, appeared to compare the R🦍 GANGS to a football match

x.com

We're hiring!💥 IPPR North are looking for a senior researcher who has big ideas for the future of our regions. Join us at this pivotal time for our economy and democracy. Based in Manchester, apply by 31st October. www.ippr.org/jobs/senior-...

Senior Research Fellow, IPPR North | IPPR

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) is an independent charity working towards a fairer, greener, and more prosperous society.

ippr.org

NEW: The UK social security system offers relatively little income protection after job loss. THREAD on Martin Mikloš and @xiaoweixu.bsky.social's IFS Green Budget chapter on the options for introducing ‘unemployment insurance’:

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...

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 ...

pbe.co.uk

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 👇

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...

pbe.co.uk