In what is going to be a pretty massive release, we have today uploaded the first two of sixteen reports from our Inquiry into the Future of Voluntary Services. The general background to our Inquiry is provided by Dexter Whitfield’s ‘The Ideological Context’, which sketches out how neo-liberal ideas have damaged public services and … Continue reading
Despite legislation, campaigning and some additional resources over the last decades, inequalities remain, are getting worse, with xenophobia on the rise. This trend has not been halted by voluntary services. With current governments and ideologies there is no sign of a change of direction. In this landscape what is happening to elders from black and … Continue reading
Another new briefing paper for work on our Inquiry into the Future of Voluntary Services – this one deals with the role that small community groups play in providing local services, ”….some argue that this form of voluntary action is the key to building a more holistic and successful network of social support and protection, … Continue reading
Another new briefing paper for work on our Inquiry into the Future of Voluntary Services – this one deals with commissioning and procurement, “….the single most important factor in the progressive co-option of voluntary groups as servants of state plans and policy and, increasingly, as subservient to the profit-making activities of private companies.” You can … Continue reading
The next briefing paper for our work on the Inquiry into the Future of Voluntary Services is now up on the website. This deals with the role of national charities involved in delivering local sevices and of national federations of charities like Citizens Advice and AgeUK. How is the work and the perspectives of groups … Continue reading
The second brief for our work on the Inquiry into the Future of Public Services is now available as a download. You can access it here. This sets out some of the questions that need to be answered about the role of the voluntary sector in the provision of public services. Our work on … Continue reading
‘Social enterprise’ is the new must-have brand for voluntary agencies wanting to prosper under the Coalition government and ’social investment’ is all the rage, held out as the antidote to austerity. But these are slippery ideas and promoted by a Government that is hell bent on cutting public services, contracting out what is left and … Continue reading
We have now produced a full briefing for the work we are undertaking on our Inquiry into the Future of Voluntary Services. You can download this paper here. If you want to know more about the inquiry or let us have evidence please get in touch with Andy Benson – andy@independentaction.net… Continue reading
Some notes are now out, of the event we held on 10th May to launch our Inquiry into the Future of Voluntary Services. The discussion was kicked off with strong contributions from Elizabeth Bayliss, Kevin Nunan and Bernard Davies, followed by a spirited debate within the meeting. The range of people attending and their organisations … Continue reading