PBE - Smart Thinking

PBE uses economic analysis and the unique insight from our connection to the social sector to help charities, funders, firms and policymakers tackle the causes and consequences of low wellbeing in the UK.

Policy analysts, researchers and economists at PBE work on a wide range of issues related to low wellbeing, including mental health, education, employment, financial security, poverty, disability, inequality, volunteering and civil society. 

PBE works closely with the economics profession to achieve its aims, building relationships between over 600 economist volunteers and supporting over 600 charities and social purpose organisations since 2009.

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Latest reports

Better evidence, better outcomes

This report from UK think tank PBE makes the business case for a Civil Society Evidence Organisation. Civil society is one of the UK’s greatest assets, yet too often, it is held back by structural barriers that prevent it operating at full potential. That is why we are calling for the co-creation of a Civil...

Seen, safe and supported

This report from UK think tank PBE examines the economic benefits of mentoring LGBTQ+ young people. There is still limited understanding of what works, and what does not, when supporting LGBTQ+ young people’s mental health. While the problem is increasingly acknowledged, the evidence base around effective interventions remains limited. Our report builds the evidence on...

The happy childhood dividend

This report from UK think tank PBE provides new evidence of the long-term economic benefits of investing early in children’s mental health. Wellbeing boosts life chances. When children feel mentally well, they do better at school, build stronger relationships and reach their life-long potential. This report provides new evidence and analysis of the long-term economic...

Civic society and volunteering

This report from UK think tank PBE explores the economic contribution of civic society. Civil society and volunteering are widely recognised as important generators of social value. From food banks to cancer research, local sports teams or youth clubs, it’s clear that civil society provides vital services, makes our communities stronger and boosts our wellbeing....

Caught in a trap?

This report from UK think tank PBE explores low wellbeing in the UK today. What comprises a decent life? It’s a hard question to definitively answer, with any individual’s response likely to differ from their neighbour’s (and even from their own answer five years in the future). Money is, of course, an important factor, and...

Helping funders to measure what matters

This report from UK think tank PBE looks at using wellbeing to understand the value for money of Spirit of 2012 grants. 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...

A long road to recovery

This report from UK think tank PBE looks at local authority spending on early intervention children’s services 2010-11 to 2023-24. Early intervention services play an important role in delivering positive outcomes for babies, children, young people and their families. Mainly funded and provided by councils in England, they cover a range of age and needs-based...

Trusteeship – a positive opportunity

This report from UK think tank Pro Bono Economics shares the findings of the most comprehensive survey ever undertaken of trustee motivations and skills. The charity regulator for England and Wales, with think tank and social sector research organisation, Pro Bono Economics, has published the findings of the most comprehensive survey ever undertaken of trustee...

Underfunded, under resourced and under the radar

This report from UK think tank Pro Bono Economics examines 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 Kitson, commissioned by Rosa...

Reading the future

This report from UK think tank Pro Bono Economics looks at the impact of literacy support on disadvantaged pupils’ GCSE grades and beyond. Our new report with Right To Succeed highlights the power of literacy support in transforming the futures of disadvantaged pupils in the UK. It reveals that targeted literacy programmes can unlock significant...

Building belonging

This report from UK think tank Pro Bono Economics looks at the impact and value of one-to-one support on young people's wellbeing and school attendance. Left alone, this web of low wellbeing, belonging, and attendance has a dramatic potential impact on young people’s quality of life in the here and now. And it could harm...

More than money

This report from UK think tank Pro Bono Economics urges the government to prioritise improving access to disability benefits for those whose quality of life depends on this support. Today, the state of public finances and the government’s determination to control public spending might, at first glance, seem to suggest that the government should look...

Pregnant then blue?

This report from UK think tank Pro Bono Economics highlights the potential of targeted, evidence-based interventions to address maternal mental health effectively. Maternal mental health: Evidence for policy action. The early years of a child’s life are critical but challenging for mothers, with up to 1 in 5 new and expectant mothers experiencing depression. Many...

Mind, body and connection

This report from UK think tank Pro Bono Economics looks at low wellbeing in the UK in 2024. How is the UK doing? It is a question that is hard to answer. On the one hand, the UK remains one of the richest countries in the world and has enjoyed a prolonged period of peace...

A feasibility study and preliminary framework for a civil society satellite account

This report from UK think tank Pro Bono Economics investigates the feasibility of creating a satellite account for civil society in the UK. Civil society organisations and the individuals who work and volunteer for them play a critical role in society, fulfilling many functions from service delivery to community building and campaigning. In doing so,...

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