Caroline Bennett

I came across this post earlier discussing the rise of real time news. Real time reporting can be gripping; how many of us sat open mouthed and horrified as we watched the second plane collide with the twin towers, or people jumping from the windows on 9/11? But while it brings us instantly up to date, the sheer volume of information can be overwhelming and may actually stop us from processing any of it in any depth. With information overload being a well voiced issue at the moment (even...

Whilst flicking around the web this morning I came upon this blog about measuring well-being. As mentioned by Dr Thompson above, there are ever expanding definitions to health and well being which very much depend upon individual circumstances and aspirations. For anyone who has just come home from abroad, it is easy to see that different countries view well-being very differently, however, even amongst people in the same neighbourhood, personal circumstances vary hugely, and for most...

If you believe What the trend?, tracking Twitter’s trends is useful.  So useful that they charge $450 per month to analyse the trends for you!  Now, I’m not suggesting that any of you engage their services, however, the fact that this service is one of the many available to track the trends on twitter and other social networking sites indicates there is something else going on here, and something that might be worth the VCS having a look at.

Twitter trending (listing the topics that are...

Ever fancied adopting a homeless person?  Well now you can!  iHobo, a recently launched iPhone app, offers you the opportunity to adopt your very own iHobo who will come and live in your iPhone for 3 days.  Following an initiative in 2006 where a Spanish charity used a homeless avatar in Second Life to raise money, the aim of iHobo is that after 3 days of dealing with all the problems thrown up, you’ll understand a little more about homelessness, and feel compelled to donate to the charity...

Turns out Citizen Smith was way ahead of his time, and would probably be horrified by this adoption of his favourite slogan, however, the new government’s civil  society agenda, the ‘Big Society’, expands existing initiatives to improve society by empowering local communities.  But what does this really mean to the people of Britain and to the VCS in particular?

The Government guidelines outline a number of proposals: an expansion of existing government strategies such as support for social...

According to this recent article, mobile phones are now being used mostly to download information and data rather than to chat on. Originally used primarily for work, the expansion of capability in mobile phones over recent times has lead to an increasing number of people accessing online information on the move. For the VCS this has a number of implications, including the ever increasing need to have information accessible at all times and having an accessible presence online.

Thinking...

With £6bn of spending cuts to be announced in the next week, people are getting increasingly nervous as to where those cuts will be made. This article suggests that with much of the money likely to be cut from public services, the future of these services may be in the hands of people immigrating to Britain as we struggle to fill the gaps left by people emmigrating.

This begs the question - if this does happen, what effect will this have on your organisation, and on British civil society...

The new Single Equalities Act (to be implemented in October 2010, with certain areas deferred to 2011) aims to streamline equality legislation by uniting the nine current pieces of legislation into one single piece which will cover all equality issues.  It also aims to expand the remit of equalities legislation, and promote action, by putting new duties for equality on public bodies, as well as extend the definition of discrimination to include ‘discrimination by association’.  This is part...

Equality seems to be hot on everyone’s lips at the moment.  With a general election in the not too distance future, and a new Equalities bill on the brink of publication, the major parties are all trying to show to Britain how they would tackle equalities issues, and how they are the people to take this issue forward.  A new series of pamphlets by Demos tackles this very issue, illustrating policy plans for each of the parties on equality issues in Britain.  An interesting insight into each...

The Future Foundation's report Social networking: progress and expansion gives an interesting analysis of this topic; presenting and analysing social networking in the UK and looking at how online engagement interacts with consumer behaviour. It looks at technological innovations that will influence the future of social networking, how it influences relationships and self expression, and wider influences on consumer behaviour and engagement. Worth a look at if this topic is something...

That’s an interesting suggestion Karl, and one that face-to-face fundraising relies on; it’s a social guilt initiative (an unfriendly phrase, but seemingly apt). Maybe what we should ask instead is are we using the right asks or nudges, rather than are there enough? Advertising and marketing Agenices use a variety of ways to encourage people to buy particular products based largely on psychology and market research to attract different types of people. Maybe it is time the VCS followed...

In the current economic climate, it is more vital than ever that you have a committed, effective workforce. Recruiting is a costly business, which no-one wants to have to do too often!  The Foresight seminar on the impact of the changing workforce looked at the ways the VCS could address this, examining the external trends and forces that can change the shape of the workforce, and the impact these might have.  As highlighted in the seminar, awareness and planning is key to attracting and...

Related to the above point that skills gaps and shortages may ease, I have just read an article showing some anecdotal evidence that non-profit organisations in the USA have seen an increase in volunteers since this time last year. This has been a suggested outcome of the recession by many people, so it will be interesting to see if this increase happens in the UK as well. In preparation you might like to consider the following:

*Can your organisation offer useful volunteering opportunities ...

The ruling of the European Court regarding compulsory retirement in Britain must have come as a bit of a shock to many people.  With an ageing population, increasing flexibility at work and relatively new age discrimination legislation, it was expected by some that this would be the first of many rulings signalling the end of mandatory retirement.

Although the final outcome rests with the UK High Court, the European court has ruled that British organisations can continue to enforce retirement ...

At today’s training session for Development Workers on Understanding the External Environment in Yorkshire and the Humber, the final question asked was what are the arguments for doing strategic analysis? What can you tell the organisations you support on why this is important? Here are some of the thoughts:

*It helps you focus your organisation and team’s thinking – helps everyone work to the same goals and understand why you are working in the way you are

*It can provide the difference...

Get your views heard, and talk about the issues with others.

Have your say in researching drivers for older people’s organisations

Date: 25^th February

Venue: NCVO

Time: 9.30am – 4pm

The second in our series of events exploring drivers affecting organisations working with/for older people.

NCVO Third Sector Foresight and Age Concern England (in association with Centre for Charity Effectiveness at Cass Business School and Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation) are delighted to offer you the chance to take...

Twitter offers some great opportunities for VCOs. Have a look at Louise’s post if you’re interested in finding out more.

I am worried by the already evident increase in tensions developing in the UK at the moment, largely in response to stresses brought on because of the recession.  Foresight has previously highlighted this as a potential implication of the downturn, as well as a potential implication of social attitudes towards immigrants, but it is worrying when you read an article like this one in today’s Independent.  Although it refers to restricting highly skilled immigrants, the implications - that...

I saw an interesting quote in the New York Times today which seems relevant to this point:

“It used to be an elite few. Now anyone can make a book and it looks just like a book that you buy at the bookstore.”
Eileen Gittins, chief executive of Blurb, a print-on-demand publishing firm.

The aim of Blurb is to democratise media and make it accessible to all, a drive which seems to be becoming more and more relevant in today’s digital world.

The government has recently announced new funding for volunteering programmes which bring the generations together, the aim being that bringing the generations together will help tackle issues in the local community. It might be worth looking therefore at your organisation’s work, and whether there are opportunities here for you.

I’m interested by the assertion above Olly, that having a more active voluntary and community sector undermines local democracy. How does it do this?

To me local democracy is about being able to take part in the decisions that affect you, your locality, and the community in which you live. Your locality also involves the places where you spend your day, whether that be at work, where your children go to school, where you go shopping; it is the places that make up your personal geography.

In...

Don’t forget that the deadline for applications is 5pm on 30th January!

Despite the current economic climate, it appears that long-term, regular charitable giving is on the rise.  UK Giving 2008, found that although cash donations have fallen, the amount of planned giving has risen, with donations by direct debit rising from £2.4billion to £2.5billion, whilst payroll giving increased from £88million to £96million, and overall, giving before the banking crisis was at a record £10.6billion.

These figures seem very positive, but, given the current economic climate, ...

The financial times has carried out a series of interviews with what they term ‘chief protagonists’ of the credit crunch about their thoughts on what happened, and how they think finance will change when the economy recovers. Some interesting viewpoints and well worth a watch

I just read a report on consumer advocacy, which outlines the challenges this could face in the years up to 2020. Although many VCOs do not view themselves as targeting consumer markets, most are ‘selling’ goods and services, and therefore still need to be able to attract and support people in much the same way as more traditional markets do. The report looks at social and economic trends that may affect consumers, and then goes on to outline how they may need support in the future, and is ...

We've had some interesting applications for this project, but would love to hear from you if you think it would be something you could benefit from! Don't forget the deadline is this Friday...

Are the organisations you support bogged down with day to day problems with no time to look ahead?

• Do you want some space to think about how external factors will impact on the organisations you support in the medium to long term?
• Do you want to help organisations to respond positively and proactively?
• Do...

I read an article this morning which stated that the most trusted source of information on the economic situation is not the Prime Minister or even the Chancellor of the Exchequer, but the BBC’s business editor, Robert Peston. This raises interesting questions about trust in institutions and where people get their information about events impacting on their lives. Something to think about for information providers?

In 1985 Live Aid changed the way people thought about and participated in campaigning.  For the first time in history, activism was not confined to the zealous few devoting their lives to the cause; the campaign opened up participation to all, and in doing so, made people feel that their actions could make a difference and indeed ‘feed the world’.  The success of this campaign saw rise to other mass campaigns; Children in Need and Comic Relief became annual TV bonanzas, raising millions of...

In this time of economic uncertainty, it is more vital than ever that you have a committed, effective workforce. Recruiting is a costly business, which no-one wants to have to do too often!

Do you understand what may impact on workforce in the future? What external trends and forces can change the shape of your workforce? This awareness and planning is key to attracting and retaining a workforce that will enable your organisation to realise its full potential.

This NCVO Third Sector Foresight...

In September, local futures and the LGA held an event on Place shaping and the Sub-National review. Although I didn’t attend the event, I have since read the presentations, and they raise some interesting points regarding local infrastructure and capacity. Worth a look at for anyone more interested in the topic in general.

It is too early to tell what impact the cabinet re-shuffle this week will have on the VCS.  However, with Kevin Brennan taking over from Phil Hope as as Minster for the Third Sector, VCOs are bound to be wondering what this will mean.  Both men have a strong background within the sector, but the differences within them are bound to affect their priorities.  The larger impact that this will have on the sector will only show in the months to come, and with an election in the next 18 months, it ...

And the thing I think a lot of people forget (which I guess is what Caroline alludes to above), is that your strategy should speak directly to your mission, vision and aims. If it doesn’t, one or the other needs looking at!

I found these earlier:

‘It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.’ Anon

Neither a wise man nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run over him.’ Dwight D. Eisenhower

‘He that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils; for time is the greatest innovator.’ Francis Bacon

I think theory of change is an interesting topic, and one that is worth discussing further, although I think it is often ignored in strategy. Knowing how change happens can help you influence it, or, if not influence it, then at least understand it better and therefore use it in your strategy. Social psychologists may see this as their realm, but marketing executives have long been using these theories to influence their market, and there is no reason why VCOs should not do the same. ...

Date: Tuesday 18 November 2008
Time: 2:00 – 5:00pm
Venue: Room 1, NCVO, Regent’s Wharf, 8 All Saint’s Street, London, N1 9RL

NCVO’s Conference Suite is fully wheelchair accessible. Teas and coffees on arrival

What is ‘Generation Y’? How are they different to ‘Generation X’? You may have heard these terms being used; now come and talk about their implications for the VCS. Come and discuss different generations in the paid workforce and hear some thought-provoking presentations from experts in...

Last week Alastair Darling predicted that Britain is facing its worst economic slowdown for 60 years, and he partially apportioned the blame on the current government.  This week the government introduced new loans for some first time buyers, and stamp duty breaks for a handful of properties in order to kick start the housing market.  Next week, new steps to help fuel poverty will be announced.  For all appearances, the Government seems to be working hard to improve the situation it holds...

Apparently, the latest hot investment is Russian collective farms . The investment and re-structuring of the farms has the potential of massively increasing Russia’s agricultural output, which could lead to less pressure on other agricultural nations and an easing of the overall global pressure on food production. It also has the potential of increasing Russia’s power within the wider global market and it remains to be seen whether this will be positive or negative.

At the moment I quite like being British.  I don’t always feel that way, but as we win ever increasing number of medals at the Olympics, it seems to be having an impact on my feelings towards the country I live in.  Don’t worry; this is not about to be a monologue on how wonderful it is to live on this small island.  But it got me thinking, if it affects me in this way, who else might it be affecting, and what effect might this have on the country, and the VCS within it?

Recent trends have...

Ippr have recently published a discussion paper on the Sub-National Review (SNR).  Useful as both a summary and a prompt for further thought and action, the paper outlines the objectives of the SNR, and outlines positive and negative aspects of the decentralisation policy.

The SNR follows a global trend towards decentralisation, and a national move towards regionalisation.  It was originally published in July 2007, but has been under consultation and review since, and is currently being...

Since Megan wrote this there has been some media coverage of just the issues described above. New methods of publishing are disrupting services and people are increasingly finding new methods for getting their message out. The following two articles examine these movements further: Book publishing in America unbound and Millions of books to choose from – yours will only take minutes to print

Need a nudge?  This seems to be the buzzword of the moment.  The Conservatives view themselves as the British champions of this movement, and many other groups are embracing this as a method for change.  Although not a new concept (first analysed in 1950s it was widely investigated by social psychologists in the 70s), it has only recently risen to prominence due to its popularity amongst certain high profile politicians.  

Nudge influences change in a similar way to viral social change (small ...

You will have noticed that the website is undergoing some changes at the moment.  The re-developed website will have a whole host of new and improved features that should make your experience of using it even better.  However, as with any re-development, it takes time to perfect.  We therefore ask for your patience and understanding over the next few days whilst we iron out any issues.  It should be running smoothly very soon.  In the meantime, if you encounter any problems or difficulties,...

Recently the Foresight team have been discussing what the impact of an economic downturn will be on ethical consumerism.  The Government agenda has focused on green issues for some time now (for example the last budget set a target for all public buildings to be carbon neutral by 2019), and this year’s G-8 summit has seen countries pledge to take this even further.  More and more individuals and organisations have been embracing the movement; however, in the current economic environment, we...

Every day it seems there is a new story about the credit crunch and its latest victims in the press. Many VCOs already operate in some of the most challenging economic circumstances and with some of the most disadvantaged communities. However, the majority of the VCS has experienced a period of growth over the last decade so I think it’s fair to say that everyone is starting to get a little concerned or at least wondering what the consequences of a slowdown or even a recession might be for...

Part of the NPP training on Strategic Planning, (run by CES) that I recently attended involved coming up with and answering ‘difficult’ questions or issues related to strategic planning. The questions and answers that the group developed were thought provoking and could provide some useful answers / arguments / lead-ins for those supporting organisations to develop their own strategic plans, so the group have agreed to let me post them on our website for you all to use. I have edited them...

Anyone else ready to jump on the enterprise bandwagon?  Dragons Den is trying to make entrepreneurs of everyone, enterprise has now entered the national curriculum, and everywhere I turn, it seems that organisations within the sector are embracing enterprise with a gusto usually reserved for voting on Britain’s got Talent.  The capacitybuilders programme has recently announced a £6million investment in social enterprise, and Gordon Brown aims that ‘enterprise is truly open for all’’. 

Rela...

I went to a fascinating event run by the Tomorrow Project last week, looking at people’s changing life cycles and how these affect and are affected by business.   A group of employers, employees, academics and futurists spent the day examining three stages of life (early, middle and older), identifying future drivers in each of the life stages, and discussing how business can influence these.  The event was held to inform a new book being published next year; however, it made me think about ...

‘What’s the use of running if you are not on the right road?’ (German proverb)

Earlier this week I took part in an excellent course on Strategic Planning, run by CES as part of the National Performance Programme providing support and training to people who work supporting frontline organisations. Beautifully clear, the course clarified issues surrounding strategic planning, and guided us in how to lead others through the process.

Before you groan and switch off at the thought of strategic...