Read NCIA member Kevin Blowe’s blog on how a policy of community ‘resilience’ will stop people getting independent advice in Newham, east London.
Kevin writes: “Local advice agencies in Newham are launching a campaign, starting with a FaceBook page and online petition, to try and stop the destruction of advice work in the borough … Continue reading
There’s no sheepishness from 
In Defense of Youth Work! Join them for free events in London on 26 April and Manchester on 27 April to share experiences of how people are dealing with the marketisation of youth and community work and the wider voluntary sector.
Since the start of its campaign, In Defence of Youth … Continue reading
Here’s a good read that elegantly puts together different pieces of the jigsaw – the state of the economy, private sector influences on it, the undermining of public services and the welfare state, and how we might come together to resist the plans that the neo-liberals have for us.
Our mates over at NatCAN (National Community Activists Network) want some feedback on how they can best develop the network. There’s a short survey out which will take you about 2 minutes to fill in. You can get it here: http://bit.ly/Ax7A8R. Views are welcome from existing NatCAN members and from any of the rest … Continue reading
NCIA has £2,000 available for projects to link us with others (events, training, policy work, other ideas of your own…) Deadline April 16th
NCIA would like to take its arguments about the effects of privatisation on the voluntary sector to as wide an audience as possible. It would also like to create working alliances with … Continue reading
We have been getting a lot of horror stories lately about the developing pace and rampant damage that commissioning strategies (especially local authority-based) are doing to local voluntary agencies. We are especially concerned about the impact of the national corporate predators and the success that they appear to be having in hoovering up local contracts … Continue reading
Learn to speak like a fully engaged, customer-facing choice moderniser…
Health Emergency have an entertaining and insightful guide to the language and spurious concepts used by those currently busying themselves with the dismantling of our welfare state. Have a giggle, get cross, pass it on:
http://www.healthemergency.org.uk/pdf/TeachyourselfLansley.pdf… Continue reading
The winners and losers in the Transforming Local Infrastructure beauty contest have been announced. But is twisting yourself into a pretzel to please the government the best way to support local voluntary action? Here Adrian Barritt has a rant against the rise of the cyberstate….
Back in the 1970’s, the Cybermen with their sibilous metallic … Continue reading
NCIA was pleased to see a strong attack on the effects of market-led commissioning models, but thinks the panel needs to be less cautious on the change that is needed on two key issues: funding and commissioning mechanisms, and the need for voluntary organisations to combine to fight off the threats to their autonomy.
NCIA … Continue reading
Last friday, 2 February 2012, time was called on applications to the Government’s Social Action Fund. Branded on its prospectus as “….funding big ideas, inspiring social action” some thought maybe, just maybe, this might offer some welcome support to authentic local voluntary action. But Adrian Barritt of Adur Voluntary Action discovered it was a missed … Continue reading