Government and the Third Sector
Office of the Third Sector
The Office of the Third Sector (OTS) was created in May 2006 when the Active Communities Directorate in the Home Office, and the Social Enterprise Unit, in the Department for Trade and Industry (DTI), amalgamated. It was decided that the OTS should be placed at the centre of Government in the Cabinet Office. This decision recognises the increasingly important role the third sector plays in both society and the economy.
How does Government define the third sector?
Government’s definition of the third sector is as follows:
“The third sector is a diverse, active and passionate sector. Organisations in the sector share the common characteristics of being non–governmental organisations which are value–driven and which principally reinvest their surpluses to further social, environmental or cultural objectives. It encompasses voluntary and community organisations, charities, social enterprises, cooperatives and mutuals both large and small.”
The OTS has its own website. Visit it at: www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector
Other related Government departments:
Communities and Local Government
The Cabinet Office
The Treasury
Number 10