An Unservile Society – It’s time for the voluntary sector to get political
The article below appeared in the Winter 2005/6 issue (No. 34) of Green Socialist magazine (quarterly journal of the Alliance for Green Socialism). The author retains copyright but it may be reproduced and quoted as long as the author and Green Socialist magazine are given acknowledgement.
ITC is a leading association for the performing arts, representing around 700 organisations across the UK from a wide range of performing arts organisations, venues and individuals in the fields of drama, dance, opera, music theatre, puppetry, mixed media, mime, physical theatre and circus.
Their slogan is,”good art thrives on good … Continue reading
In 2007, Positive Action in Housing (PAiH) organised a Sleepout in Glasgow’s George Square. The Sleepout was a symbolic action to highlight destitution amongst refused asylum seekers and the UK government’s policy of starving people out of this country to stop them claiming refuge. Every week PAiH gives out hundreds of pounds of money collected … Continue reading
Social Action for Health (SAfH) is a highly successful, long-established community development charity running a range of projects to “increase local people’s active participation in improving their own health and well-being, tackling barriers, finding solutions”. SAFH works in East and South East London with … Continue reading
Ladywell Pool is part of a leisure centre that also contains a gym and other facilities. Built in 1965, it is very popular and well situated, close to the main Lewisham shopping centre. Ladywell is a pool that was built to a very high standard. It is longer than current standard 25 metre pools and … Continue reading
As seasoned travellers on the highways and byways of community sector life, all of us are used to exercising a healthy scepticism in relation to rhetoric, which can often sound great, and delivery, which disappears down the memory hole.
Anyone remember the 2001 Neighbourhood Renewal Action Plan words about the Local Strategic Partnerships being a … Continue reading
“Community empowerment is local government’s core business”
Simon Milton (in DCLG’s 2007 Action Plan for Community Empowerment)
“Power is never given.”
Operation Black Vote organising slogan
One of the ironies of community empowerment networks (CEN’s) was that they couldn’t empower themselves, or more accurately save themselves from the crude dynamics of how power works at … Continue reading