Stories

We don’t need no thought control

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Photo of Bernard DaviesAs analysis of the riots replaces knee-jerk condemnation of young people, Bernard Davies reflects on NCIA’s research about voluntary sector youth work.

Four case studies show how local organisations are striving to continue community-based youth work despite pressure to deliver the latest policy initiative or be subservient to contractors.

The case studies show how government … Continue reading

Mad world, my masters: CVS says no to transforming local infrastructure

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Adur Voluntary Action has opted out of bids for the transforming local infrastructure fund. Adrian Barritt explains the practical and philosophical concerns that led to the decision

What is infrastructure anyway?

To me, infrastructure used to mean something military, or the foundations of a building – until I studied social science. Then I learned that … Continue reading

A personal take on the voluntary sector’s dilemma

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Photo of Sarah LambSarah Lamb, trustee of Adur Voluntary Action and a lifelong volunteer, explains why the Transforming Local Infrastructure scheme won’t work

The beauty of the voluntary sector has been, and still is in many instances, precisely the fact that the solutions it finds, the ways it relates to the people it serves and the people it … Continue reading

An essay on the ‘big society’

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John SeddonJohn Seddon reflects on how a systems thinking method has improved public services but is now under threat from cuts, commissioning and ‘big society’ as the government fails to move beyond central control and large-scale initiatives.

David Cameron described the ‘big society’ as a ‘culture change’, where people are free and powerful enough to help … Continue reading

Riots and reality

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Thumbnail image of flamesFollowing the riots in the UK this week, many people in the voluntary and community sector are asking where we go from here. If you feel the need of thoughtful questions, messages of solidarity and some analysis of how we are thinking and talking about the riots, see the discussion ‘Wasn’t it inevitable’ on the … Continue reading

Disabling local infrastructure

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Colleagues at Adur Voluntary Action set out what’s wrong with the Transforming Local Infrastructure scheme and ask key questions to help us find an alternative.

The UK Office for Civil Society’s Transforming Local Infrastructure scheme offers £50m to fund local support organisations to merge, collaborate and  share services such as IT. The funding is short … Continue reading

What’s Burma got to do with us?

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Aung San Suu KyiPenny Waterhouse finds a connection with the struggle for democracy in Burma.
I was listening to Aung San Suu Kyi, the democratically elected leader of Burma, about the struggles in her country to be self-determining. And although Burma’s situation is very different to mine, here’s what she said which rang bells with me:
– being … Continue reading

Academics stand up for independence

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We’re not the only ones saying mind your language when it comes to the ‘big society’ show. NCIA folks have been inspired by the academics who have protested at the inclusion of the party political term ‘big society’ in the funding agreement between the government and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

More than … Continue reading

Interviewing the real ‘big society’

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Photo of Sarah LambSarah Lamb is a trustee of Adur Voluntary Action. She was one of the people who contributed to qualitative research in 2009 on The local state and voluntary action in West Sussex which showed the damage commissioning does. NCIA caught up with her to find out how things have been going over the last 18 … Continue reading