Here is where people give us their views about independent action, how it figures in their world and how they see it. NCIA wants to provide a place where people are able to express their point of view. In particular, to challenge one-size-fits-all thinking. The viewpoints are not necessarily shared by all those involved in NCIA. Whether their situation is different or similar to our own, whether we agree or disagree, we hope that these opinions give us all food for thought, ideas we might take into our own situation and a fresh perspective.
Please feel free to submit your comments on the relevant post.
If you have a viewpoint that would be good to share, contact us.
Here’s a new paper from NCIA member Adrian Barritt who highlights the fundamental choices that CVSs must make to respond to cuts and the Big Society Show. Adrian argues that joining up into bigger structures, which appears be the developing response, will undermine people’s ability to be locally rooted, self reliant, creative and flexible. The … Continue reading
Listen to NCIA’s Andy Benson air his views on social enterprise in this BBC Radio Wales interview.
Sean Creighton lists the questions to ask local politicians on their apparent interest in community action, and highlights the gap between rhetoric and practice.
“A key element in the Party political battle leading up to May’s local and national elections was over developing a new role for community and voluntary organisations in running services and … Continue reading
“Only governments can provide adequate basic public services” …..Here’s what Bernard Davies from NCIA said of the Big Idea coming out of the other Coalition, when he talked to North West community activists at their conference in Manchester in September 2010.
“My starting point for the Big Society unashamedly looks at its political and economic … Continue reading
Ideas from some local voluntary groups to balance certainty with uncertainty so you might survive the impact of external economic and political factors and your ability to respond to community needs.
What’s most important to do?
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
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
One of the principal ways – perhaps the main way – in which the Government is mounting its assault on the voluntary sector is through the peddling of its latest ‘fad’ for PROCUREMENT AND COMMISSIONING. Statutory services of all sorts have been told – explicitly or implicitly – to develop strategies for this. There has … Continue reading
A personal view from Charlotte Pell
Look into your brains and tell me if I am a waste of money.
The money that pays me comes from a national quango called ‘Capacity Builders’. But this isn’t one of those bad quangoes everyone talks about, this one doesn’t take money off you, it gives its money … Continue reading
I’ve noticed recently that a prominent second tier voluntary sector agency in my borough, Hammersmith & Fulham, have been offering the opportunity to work for 32.5 hours per week without getting paid, for up to one year, as an ‘intern’.
The ‘Intern’ will be accountable to the Director; they will have a role description as … Continue reading