London Voluntary Services Council and NCIA are organizing a joint event with and for CVSs from all parts of the country to debate their role to support local communities under pressure and those active to resist cuts and austerity policies. The meeting will be on Friday September 13th, 11-3.30 at a central London location near Kings Cross. There are only a few places left for this event. Please contact penny@independentaction.net for more details.

NCIA’s Inquiry into Activism and Dissent: Here We Stand showed a growth in local activism but an apparent absence in this of local voluntary groups, and their representative bodies, who may feel unable to speak out because of funding fears or who simply don’t know how to respond to this very difficult landscape and the impact on local communities.

So how can CVSs stand alongside local people and community activists in what they face? What is the CVS role in supporting local campaigns? Who’s already doing this and who wants to? Will Healthwatch groups run by CVSs take assertive action in patients’ interests? How do CVSs respond to the Localism agenda, when it’s not in the interests of local people? The CVS role offers much potential: providing information about local campaigns; connecting up and joining with activists; encouraging those with less confidence to be active on local issues; sharing intelligence and connections; servicing campaigns and alliances; offering resources, financial and practical.

Places are limited to 25. So if you want to meet up with other CVSs about these issues contact penny@independentaction.net.

Join the discussions on the NCIA/NatCAN discussion forum about CVSs and activism

And read Adrian Barritt’s thoughts, from Adur Voluntary Action, about the questions that CVSs need to ask about their future.