Come along to the Aston-Mansfield conference on Tuesday 27 September if you want to hear NCIA folks and others get to grips with the urgent need for independent action.

Times are undoubtedly tough. Voluntary groups and community organisations are facing the most severe threat to the long-term sustainability of independent voluntary action in recent memory. Funding is scarce and what is available is far more competitive, whilst local council support has been shrunk dramatically.

As we also face greater demand from local communities for the work that we do, how do we still manage to maintain our integrity? How do we make sure the needs of the people we work with shape the support they receive and are not imposed from above? Will greater competition for scarce funding mean less collaboration and greater mistrust?

On Tuesday 27 September , from 10am to 4.30pm at Durning Hall Community Centre, voluntary, community and faith groups will debate these issues at the Aston-Mansfield Community Involvement Unit’s annual conference. This event is an opportunity to take time to consider issues we rarely have the time to think through and to help lead the discussions, we have speakers from around the country.

They include Josie Soutar from Sheffield Alcohol Support Service on how we ensure the voice of local people is not ignored and services are not imposed from above and, from Adur Voluntary Action on the south coast, Adrian Barritt talking about continue to reassert our independence without risking our existence completely.

The conference will also include a discussion entitled “Whatever Happened to the Big Society?”. Speakers include Steve Clare (Director of Campaigns at Locality), David Robinson (founder of Community Links) and NCIA’s own Andy Benson.

There are also practical workshops on partnerships and greater cooperation; managing for independence; volunteers as real assets; and becoming sustainable organisations – an insight into better fundraising.

Places for the conference are limited and it is essential that you register in advance. Order your tickets online at http://ciu2011.eventbrite.com/ or return the registration form with the fee of £12.00 for voluntary groups and £25 for statutory sector organisations.

We hope you can join other voluntary, community and faith groups from around east London for this important event.