Dozens of voluntary sector organisations reject planned role in the scheme
George Osborne’s headline policy at the last Conservative Party conference, known as “Community Work Placements” or “Help to Work” has launched today. However, the scheme is already in jeopardy, having failed to generate the voluntary sector participation it requires.
Instead, organisations including NCIA, Oxfam … Continue reading
Voluntary groups have been warned that they could end up exploiting the people that they exist to help if they fall for a new government scheme that is misrepresented as “volunteering” or “work experience”.
The “Community Work Placements” (CWP) will force unemployed people to work with a charity or faith group full-time for six months … Continue reading
Our latest newsletter is now out – what do we now do about the Gagging Act? plus news of the heroes and quite a lot of dirty dealing as usual. Settle down with a cup of tea and enjoy the read here… Continue reading
NCIA has urged charities and other voluntary groups to consider breaking the law by defying the requirements of the Lobbying Act. The new legislation, nicknamed the Gagging Act, will restrict charities’ expenditure on campaigning and limit their ability to speak up for the people they exist to serve. The new law is framed in such … Continue reading
The government’s largely discredited ‘Big Society’ mantra promised to strengthen the capacity of civil society. More evidence of the empty rhetoric that surrounds the idea now comes from LSE’s Armine Ishkanian. In an article published in Critical Social Policy, Armine examines how “…. The Big Society agenda, coming alongside public spending cuts, is affecting the … Continue reading
Make a new year resolution – add your name to the list of NCIA signatories and help to build a
public show of alternative voices. People who are ready to act with self-determination for justice and equality. To hold to account, the State and other powerful political, business and financial interests. Help us gather as … Continue reading
“We are currently witnessing a ruthless colonisation of the world of voluntary action, led by pure ideology from neo-liberal economics” says NCIA’s Adrian Barritt in the Observer 29.12.13. http://bit.ly/1cgyuEn
Folk at NCIA are always busy, noticing what is happening in the world. Over the holiday period Adrian Barritt, from Adur Voluntary Action spotted this article … 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
Our latest newsletter is now up, read all about it…. here… Continue reading
Here’s the latest in our series of essays as part of our Inquiry into Voluntary Services. This comes from Simon Duffy of the Centre for Welfare Reform, and Campaign for a Fair Society, who argues that our defence of the Welfare State needs to be rooted in the idea of equal citizenship.
“The purpose of … Continue reading