About NCIA – NCIA Archive

National Coalition for Independent Action (NCIA) is a growing network of individuals and groups acting to protect and keep to our historic tradition of civil – and uncivil – action. We are made up of national and local groups, front line services, campaigners and local activists, academics, policy and other commentators, professionals, trade unions and people working in public services.

We believe that now, more than ever, we should unite in independent voluntary and community action. If ever there is a time for the democratic force of independent thinking and radical action, it is now.

If you agree with what NCIA stands for, add your name to the list of NCIA signatories at the bottom of the page, and show that there are people ready to act with self-determination for justice and equality.

Why do we need independent action?

Voluntary action is more than voluntary services. For centuries in the UK, what we now call the voluntary and community sector (VCS) has been a haven for innovation. People have been able to join together and act on what matters to them in their communities. This is a crucial part of democratic society:

To exercise power – act as a check and balance to the state and other powerful interests;
To offer mutual aid, support and pleasure – an ‘ungoverned space’ for citizens and neighbours to come together – outside of state control and the pressure of markets – to enjoy each other’s company and join in activities, whether simple conviviality, leisure, solidarity and assistance, personal or social change;
To meet needs – spot gaps in community needs, test out new ways of meeting these which complement, not substitute, for mainstream public services, and ensure these are made available more widely, particularly through the State.

The ability and willingness to express difference and engage in dissent is a critical democratic role for civil society and voluntary action.

What are we angry about?

These self-determining democratic functions are in danger.

Successive governments have pressured local voluntary sector organisations to give up their autonomy and focus on meeting government targets. Voluntary services have increasingly come to serve as an agent of the State and now the private sector.

Dissenting voices have been silenced and marginalised. The pressure has increased as the current government is intent on privatisation and expects voluntary organisations to compete with the private sector to provide public services.

At the same time, the bulk of voluntary action – small unfunded community groups helping to hold communities together or campaign for social justice – continue to be patronised and ignored. The ‘big society’ is just a marketing campaign for privatisation. Community action is seized upon as an excuse by the State to abrogate its responsibilities for welfare, well-being and environmental care.

We’re also angry that many people who reckon to represent those of us involved in community action have failed to speak up for independence, have gone along with privatisation and commissioning without complaint and have undermined democratic ways of working in their organisations.

Our demands

We:

Fight for rights, not patronage. We encourage charities and others to speak out and act on matters of economic, social and environmental justice, equality and sustainability. The right to dissent and campaign, and to challenge powerful interests, is a civil duty and to be encouraged. Legislation must enshrine not undermine this duty.
Give space for radical voices which offer an alternative to cuts, erosion of civil and welfare rights, privatisation, poor public services, xenophobia, austerity and environmental decay.
Insist on publicly run services and oppose the privatisation of public services, whether into the private or voluntary sectors; and ensure that voluntary services are complementary to, not a substitute for mainstream public services; especially that voluntary agencies are not used to discharge statutory duties nor become sub-contractors to the State or profit-making business.
Campaign for grants not contracts as the primary mechanism to fund voluntary action; and stop widespread poor practices of commissioning and procurement which place a yoke around the necks of voluntary groups.
Act to repeal the aspects of the Localism Act which, through de-regulation of planning controls and promoting outsourcing of public services, provide a front for unbridled commercial development.
Expose the fallacy of ‘social enterprise’ and ‘social investment’, which implies that voluntary action can only survive by mimicking business. Public subsidy, co-operation and mutuality will drive the social and economic change we need. Social action cannot, and should not, be modeled on commercial arrangements and the search for profits.

Click here if you want to know how we’re making this happen?

What you can do

if you support us, add your name below and become a NCIA signatory
Sign up for our email newsletter
Contact us info@independentaction.net if you want to be involved in NCIA work
Look at the take part section and let us know if you want to contribute
Contribute your views and news – post comments on this website, join our discussion group or email your stories to info@independentaction.net

Sign up to what NCIA stands for (before your signature is added you'll be sent an email to confirm your signature)

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Organisation/Group

NCIA campaigns to defend and promote the rights of civil society to act independently, and hold to account, the State and other powerful political, business and financial interests.

NCIA supports such action by individuals or groups for social justice, equality and solidarity. We are particularly interested in local action which makes a material difference to the conditions of daily life.

We believe in public services run by publicly accountable institutions. The role of voluntary services is to complement, challenge and test out new ways of meeting need: not to take the place of public services. We will oppose the privatisation of public services whether into the private sector or through voluntary services.

We assert the right to dissent, as part of a healthy democratic society. Dissent – or at least the willingness to engage in some form of dissent – is required to challenge injustice and powerful interests and to push for alternatives. Dissent is particularly required when consensus, collaboration and negotiation has failed and where the stakes are high for individuals and communities. Without this capacity, the democratic role of voluntary action (or civil society) is fundamentally undermined.

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Further signatories
145	Linda Milbourne
144	Alex Sporidou
143	Allan Taylor	None
142	Ruby Bayley-Pratt	MS Society UK
141	Valeska Matziol	VM Community Research & Action
140	Bernard Spiegal	N/A
139	Gail Ward	DPAC North East & Cumbria
138	Louis Kasatkin	The People's Assembly Wakefield
137	Christopher Stacey	Unlock - for people with convictions
136	John Mooney	Voluntary Action North East Lincolnshire
135	Katherine Myles
134	Mark Restall	Volunteer Centre Bexley (personal capacity)
133	George McCloud
132	Beryl Ferrers-Guy	individual volunteer particularly helping the aged & more vulnerable
131	Martin Purcell	University of Huddersfield
130	shane owen	4 the Community CIC
129	Ewa Sobolewska
128	Bridget Tighe	Colchester Community Voluntary Service
127	John Grayson	SYMAAG (South Yorkshire Migration and Asylum Action Group)
126	Cheryl Barrott	Change AGEnts
125	Lyn Prendergast
124	Paula Graham Gazzard	Fossbox CIC
123	Eleanor Firman	Unite Community Waltham Forest also Sisters of Frida disabled women's collective
122	Jackie Rosenberg	Paddington Development Trust
121	Davinder gill	Individual
120	Linda H
119	Julia Kaufmann
118	Kate Oliver
117	ANDREW WASTLING	Community Activist & Housing / Homeless Campaigner
116	john macphee	Mr
115	Jo Kidd	Abbot's Mill Project CIC
114	Dale Johnson	ShoutTMO
113	Gavin Barker	individual
112	Regina Choudhury
111	GRAHAM JOHNSON
110	Graham Bright	York St John University
109	rachel potts
108	Emmerson Walgrove	Bradford Speakout
107	Michael Snaith	Greater Manchester & Beyond Coalition of PLWHIV
106	Catherine Demetriadi
105	Sarah Yiannoullou	National Survivor User network (NSUN)
104	Patrick Highton	Birmingham Trades Union Council Health Campaign Committee
103	Greta Young	user
102	Shahida Siddique	Faithstar LLP serving the faith community
101	Rampaul Chamba
100	David Blair	Glasgow Palestine Solidarity Campaign
99	Ruth Shaw
98	Kate Green
97	Martin Wall	None
96	David Joyce	Stroud Constituency Labour Party
95	Leonie Hurry
94	Nia Beardsley
93	Ioana Cerasella Chis
92	Andrew Climo
91	Rick Heyse	St.Michaels Community Association
90	B Viner
89	Marika Mason	Hackney Women's Forum
88	Janice Marks	Federation for Community Development Learning (FCDL)
87	Peter Durrant	www.realife.org
86	Kevin Nunan	ARVAC / VAC
85	Michael Thomas
84	Stuart Crosthwaite	South Yorkshire Migration and Asylum Action Group
83	Jo McDonald
82	Denise Rose	Mouth That Roars
81	Ian Jones	Volunteer Cornwall
80	Danny Antrobus
79	Liliana Dmitrovic	People's Republic of Southwark
78	Sharon Borthwick	New Cross Commoners
77	Lorna Prescott
76	Jane Garnham	Independent
75	Stephen Lancashire	Elephant Amenity Network, Balfour Street Housing Project, Southwark Pensioners Centre
74	Ruth Townsley
73	Mike Aiken
72	Brother Shafi Chowdhury	AL-MUTTAQIIN
71	Maggie Phelps	CAB
70	Symon Hill
69	Ruth Rosselson
68	Pete Edwards	Erewash Voluntary Action CVS
67	Stephen Kingston	Salford Star
66	Steve Starlord	Starlord Enterprises
65	Collective Management	Muslim Community Helpline
64	Armine Ishkanian	London School of Economics and Political Science
63	Maggie Baxter
62	Robbie Griffiths	A World to Win
61	Mark Barrett
60	Kevin Blowe	Newham Monitoring Project
59	Daniel King	Nottingham Trent University
58	Linda Burnip	DPAC
57	John Kelly	retired community development worker
56	Jean Smith	NPC
55	John Dalrymple	Neighbourhood Networks
54	Paula Connaughton	University of Bolton and In Defence of Youth Work
53	Henry Tam	Question the Powerful
52	Peter Bird	Wandsworth Against Cuts
51	chris walsh	director - Wise Owls
50	Frances Thompson
49	Carol Packham	Community Audit and Evaluation Centre, MMU
48	Ian McHugh
47	James Holland
46	Mark Parker
45	Amanda Sebestyen
44	Valerie Lipman
43	Laird Ryan	Trustee, Faiths 4 Change (North West-based Environmental Charity)
42	shamsher chohan	Communities Inc
41	Steve Radford	Community Union (Social & Community Care, Voluntary Sector & Housing Workers Combined Branches)
40	christopher moore	Retired Unison member
39	Mark Wehrly
38	Val Harris
37	Jimmy Devlin	North West Tenants and Residents Assembly (NWTRA)
36	Rosamine Hayeem
35	Tony Taylor	In Defence of Youth Work
34	Rachael McGill
33	Ian Macnaughton
32	nick beddow	csc
31	Charlotte Pell	Vanguard Consulting
30	Alan Wyle	Private Citizen
29	Leslie Huckfield	Leslie Huckfield Research
28	Leah Levane	activist and community worker
27	Dexter Whitfield	European Services Strategy Unit
26	Joe Taylor	NatCAN
25	Tania de St Croix	Voice of Youth
24	James Derounian	University of Gloucestershire
23	Martin Rathfelder
22	Susan Jones	Disability rights campaigner
21	Ian Mocroft	Independent Researcher
20	Bob Rhodes	LivesthroughFriends CIC, FVAF, CfWR
19	Angela Mullins
18	Christine Smith
17	Kenneth Band
16	Naomi Stanton
15	Wendy Butler	Freelance
14	Liz Hayes
13	Richard Hull	Hastings Online Times + GCSL + DCMS
12	Paul Edwards	Ex-CCD Rural Community Council
11	Jeff Mowatt	People-Centered Economic Development
10	Linda Robinson	Community Activist / Harrow Agenda 21 Environmental Forum
9	Adrian Barritt	Adur Voluntary Action
8	Nazreen A. Subhan	NCIA
7	Ruth Cohen
6	frances sullivan
5	Bernard Davies	NCIA
4	Colin Rochester	Birkbeck, University of London
3	Laura Wirtz
2	Andy Benson	NCIA
1	Penny Waterhouse

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penrose63

just talked to someone who wants to sign the NCIA statement, but wondered about the idea that voluntary services should not replace public services. they are busy trying to convince local public services to engage in co-production, create productive partnerships between voluntary services and public services, and where local people want to run local services why not? better for control/accountability and may lead to better services. and will leave public services able to concentrate on acute needs and prioritise limited funds
what do people think?
penny, NCIA
Simon J Duffy

I believe NCIA is one of the most important organisations around – and a great ally in the fight for social justice. It certainly has my support. My main problem with the existing statement is that I am not sure is sufficiently critical of the ‘old’ welfare settlement. Public services are an uncertain public good. Too easily they entrench particular interests and perspectives. Too often they fail to recognise the rights of many – especially those groups like disabled people or people with mental health problems who are already disadvantaged by social structures and prejudices.

It seems to me that we cannot just look backward to a golden age, before the monsters of privatisation and centralisation were unleashed, we must also ask questions about how justice, community and rights are realised in practice – today. Although we must defend the welfare state, I am not sure that the original designers of the welfare state found the right answers or even asked the right questions. In fact – to some extent – many of the problems we now face have arisen precisely because of the failings of the old system.

I don’t not see why it is not possible to design a better welfare state. A fairer system, a more innovative system and one that is more respectful of the role of citizens and communities. I certainly hope to work alongside NCIA as we all think more about these things in the months and years ahead.