A new rendition of the findings of our Inquiry into the Future of Voluntary Services can be found in the Summer 2015 edition of Soundings: A journal of politics and culture – Issue 60 – Austerity and Dissent. A PDF version of this article is to be found here. For subscription enquires to Soundings … Continue reading
We hear a lot from service providers about how they have no alternative but bend to government and state policies or risk going out of business. But another way is possible. Those of us who went to the recent NCIA meeting in Sheffield were lucky enough to hear Gina Clayton talk about the work of … Continue reading
Fighting poverty, more cuts, disability rights, silencing dissent, privatisation, turning voluntary groups into sub-contractors, abandoning whole communities…… how can community action deal with this tsunami? These are some of the themes that will be explored at:
‘Protecting Democracy: independent community action in North East England’
Thursday 16th July (10am – 4pm)
At: Alington House … Continue reading
The Perils of Participation: Voluntary Groups, ‘Workfare’ and Benefits Sanctions – Manchester 14th July 1-4pmThe Government’s ‘Help to Work Programme’ is specifically designed to attract the involvement of charities and voluntary groups.
Has your voluntary group received offers of ‘too-good-to- be-true’ 6 month long ‘volunteer’ placements? Have you been put under pressure as more … Continue reading
NCIA Transition Roadshows – Meet… Discuss… Debate…Act…
The NCIA Transition ‘roadshow’ is about to start. The first three are happening in Sheffield, Durham and Brighton, each organised by a local host in collaboration with NCIA. This is part of NCIA’s transition and goodbye handshake in its current form. Book your place directly with the local … Continue reading
In the year since Keep Volunteering Voluntary launched, over 550 charities and voluntary groups have pledged to turn their backs on workfare. Together we are highlighting the value of volunteering and building a strong consensus that responsible voluntary organisations will not take part in workfare schemes and put people at risk of devastating welfare sanctions. … Continue reading
Exactly 50 people came to the NCIA Assembly on Friday 17th April at the London Welsh Centre and we had apologies from almost the same number again. People came from as far as Scotland and Wales, from Durham, Bristol, Manchester, the Midlands, London and the South East.
What happened? We had lightening speakers including Armine … Continue reading
Sussex is one area of the country lucky enough to have a feisty local Defend our NHS campaign. Lately the group has been taking a look at the role of voluntary agencies in the struggle to stop the break-up of the Health Service. The result is an impressive paper. Whilst voluntary groups can both oppose … Continue reading
NCIA director Adrian Barritt, of Adur Voluntary Action, driven in from a chilly Bodmin Moor, took the opportunity to ponder four reports recently published that examine the state of the voluntary sector and its possible futures. The result is an elegant analysis of the issues and of the forces and factors that explain the responses … Continue reading
Responding to Mike Aiken’s report on campaigning and voluntary services, and with the General Election looming, Gavin Barker explores what we might actually do to counter our “hollowed out democracy hijacked by a corporate elite”. Linking the muzzling of dissent to the general weakening of democracy, Gavin argues that the election provides the opportunity to … Continue reading