Back at the end of April, NCIA convened a two-day think-in. We brought together 20+ people from a variety of vantage points to debate how the world of voluntary action that we occupy relates to the wider landscape and the times we are living through. The result was inspiring “making visible the tensions and contradictions … Continue reading
Come along to the Aston-Mansfield conference on Tuesday 27 September if you want to hear NCIA folks and others get to grips with the urgent need for independent action.
Times are undoubtedly tough. Voluntary groups and community organisations are facing the most severe threat to the long-term sustainability of independent voluntary action in recent memory. … Continue reading
Listen to a podcast of NCIA’s Andy Benson speaking about whether there’s enough power to go around in the voluntary and community sector at the ARVAC annual lecture on 9 May 2011. You can also download a transcript of Andy’s presentation (Word, 6 pages) and the presentation slides (Powerpoint).… Continue reading
Whilst Annie Kelly’s excellent article in the Guardian (19.3.08) captures my rage about what is happening to the VCS, it doesn’t quite capture the perspective in one important respect – voluntary agencies delivering public services. Locally-based voluntary agencies have been delivering services to people for ever and these organisations form the backbone of the sector. … Continue reading
By Mathew Little, Third Sector, 20 February 2008
Andy Benson, convenor of the National Coalition for Independent Action, wants to stave off creeping state control of the voluntary sector.
If the voluntary sector were a country, Andy Benson would be one of its dissidents. The convenor of the National Coalition for Independent Action, which … Continue reading