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
State of the Voluntary Services Sector – here Bob Baker, Director of the Simon Community, writes in a personal capacity…..
“The so called voluntary sector is in a pretty parlous state particularly when it comes to any notion of resistance. I think that changes over the past 30 years have had really corrosive effects. One … 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
Can voluntary services survive? And survive as what? Launch of NCIA Inquiry, Friday May 10th, 2013, 11-3pm at Institute for Family Therapy, 24-32 Stephenson Way London NW1 2HX
Come and join our inquiries….
The pressures on local voluntary groups providing services are immense and getting worse. Cuts in their funding… Increasing need from desperate communities….. … Continue reading
How a CVS in Newcastle is using research to ‘speak truth to power’
Sally Young is the Chief Executive of Newcastle Council for Voluntary Services (NCVS), a large CVS with 500 members from big charities to small community associations. Newcastle historically is a deprived area with high unemployment. Sally says: “There’s a huge kind … Continue reading
A contract with the local council has led a welfare rights service away from assessing and meeting community needs
A consortium of four different organisations – three registered local charities and one national organisation – successfully bid to run a welfare rights and community development service in a large inner city borough. It is a … Continue reading
Unite is calling on voluntary sector members to share their experiences about cuts to services:
http://uniteforoursociety.org/your-experiences
Sally Kosky from Unite says: “We rely on our members to let us know where services are being attacked – it means we can campaign more effectively, and put our resources where they’re needed most.
“If you’ve seen funding … Continue reading
NCIA contributed to a new report on open access to academic research – read on for details of free research tools.
It can be difficult when you’re in the thick of frontline work or local activism to find time to read, think, formulate ideas and link day-to-day work to social policy or political theory.
But … Continue reading
Tuesday 15 May 6.00-8.00pm at LSE, London
Here’s something for those of you who are fed up with national bodies who say they represent the voluntary sector and then consistently put forward positions that infuriate us. Organised by the Galileo Group of academics, the discussion will focus on the adequacy of the so-called ‘leadership’ bodies … Continue reading