It’s official: commissioning is bad for voluntary action

Local authorities and other statutory agencies are damaging relationships with  local voluntary and community sectors and undermining the independence of voluntary action, reveals a new report from the National Coalition for Independent Action (NCIA).

The report is based on interviews with 16 voluntary agencies in West Sussex conducted by NCIA working with Adur Voluntary Action, … Continue reading

Chickens come home to roost

The Charity Commission has finally spotted what NCIA predicted at the beginning of the year, and long before –

“many charities will go bust because of their reliance on government contracts to deliver public services.”  

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/government-cutbacks-could-wipe-out-25-per-cent-of-charities-1926155.html

Hard not to say “we told you so” to those who have tied themselves into  State agendas with little … Continue reading

Privatised public services – A sign of the future

TREATMENT IN TODAY’S NHS

This is what treatment is like in an NHS hospital today
This is what happened to my sister in a semi-privatised, squeezed by New Labour and Margaret Thatcher, we’re so proud of our standard of excellence we are applying for Foundation Hospital status hospital
This is what happened to my sister, … Continue reading

Are you happy with what’s being said on your behalf?

NCIA has now heard back from all but one of the national bodies, in response to our open letter to them about the new Compact. These bodies speak on our behalf – or, in the case of Directory for Social Change, on matters that affect us.  And how strange…..not a word from ACEVO. They are … Continue reading

Co-option or what? NCIA asks second tiers why they support the new Compact

The National Coalition for Independent Action today released an open letter to the Chief Executives of the five national bodies which have endorsed the revised National Compact, launched on December 16th. The full text of the letter reads:

“19/1/10

Dear Stephen, Debra, Stuart, Kevin and Justin,

We write this open letter to you, having been … Continue reading

What’s 2010 bringing & what’s NCIA doing ’bout it?

2010 promises to be a year of change, upheaval and hardship. On the one hand there is the prospect of a change in government following the General Election. Although the result of the election may lead to some change in the way in which the government behaves and in its choice of priorities, in truth … Continue reading

That single issue thing …

This is the latest hare to have been set running by Government and the Commission on Integration and Cohesion. It’s a policy which encourages funders to cut money to groups working with marginalised peoples, particularly those from secular black and minority ethnic groups such as Southall Black Sisters – while at the same time encouraging … Continue reading

Critically Chatting Collective

Nature tells us that if water stands long it corrupts; whereas running water keeps sweet and is fit for common use.” Gerrard Winstanley [1652] on the necessity of rotating and replacing regularly political representatives. If you like this approach, then you’ll like this website http://www.critically-chatting.0catch.com

The Collective was started up by a small group of … Continue reading