Sarah Coombes
Sarah says...
Sarah hasn't given a description of themselves yet.Hi Rob. The emphasis here was on the management of volunteers becoming increasingly professional. While this was welcomed on a number of levels, there was also concern that in the current economic climate and the cuts in public spending, that government would see volunteers as the ‘solution’ (rather than paying staff). This raised issues within itself, but one of the biggest problems being the ‘solution’ was actually very labour intensive!
<>The diversity of volunteers was essentially related ...Impact of the Olympics in London
Money diverted from arts, sports and culture. Funding available for sports organisations (in certain boroughs). Increase in volunteering - but may be a loss for local small organisations. Personal best funding available. Increased community spirit - street parties. Implications on homelessness policies - during and after Olympics - what are the long term implications? Improving transport infrastructure. Campaign groups - increased media attention and big crowds. Cultural funding as part of Cultural Olympiad. Increase in employment. Increase in migration - implications for advice workers.
Possible responses Look at the ways you are accessing funding opportunities. In what ways can you use the Olympics as a campaigning forum? What marketing opportunities do the Olympics provide? Are there opportunities to tender for services?
The Push Student Debt Survey, an annual survey on the financial position of students’, found that student debt levels are rising – students are averaging more than £5000 of debt each year, up nearly a quarter from last year. Push carried out face to face interviews with 2024 students in years one to four of their course, in over 130 universities.
<>The survey also found that levels of debt vary considerably between regions and institutions. For example students in England have the highest...Third Sector Foresight and the National Union of Students (NUS) partnership project needs you!
Sharing your opinions and experiences will help to build up a picture of what is happening out there and help you to respond to change.
Are you a student with something to say? Are you working this summer for money, fun or to contribute to your studies? Join the debate in the forum here.
<>Are you a Chief Executive or a General Manager of a Students’ Union? What have you been doing over the summer to...Third Sector Foresight and the National Union of Students (NUS) have recently embarked on a partnership project to look at the future of Students' Unions.
The operating environment for the student movement is experiencing significant change – responding to this change is presenting a number of challenges and opportunities for the student movement.
<>In order to effectively respond to this change the NUS has been undertaking work to explore the potential future/s of their external environment and ...The local elections last week were devastating for the Labour Party and fantastic for the Conservative Party in particular. For a table summary of these results have a look here on the Guardian website. According to the BBC's projections, the Conservatives would have 38% of the national vote, Labour 23%, an historic low, the Lib Dems 28%, and other parties on 11%.
<>The Labour Party has suffered further losses in the European elections, gaining only 15.8% of the vote and coming overall third – ...The New Internationalist has been exploring issues around the current economic crisis and climate change through a series of events, interviews and articles. Their most recent publication looks at grass roots solutions to climate change and the impact this has on local economies – with an article featuring communities in southern Brazil.
<>If you’re interested in reading some more about this topic before our seminar some key publications to have a look at are:
Civil society and climate change by NEF
Environmental responsibility: what role should charities play?
Partnering for the environment – lessons for a collaborative future also has some interesting thoughts in this tighter economic climate relating to funding.
In a recent interview in The Independent, Phillip Blond, an academic at the University of Cumbria, outlines his version of a ‘more distributist Red Tory economics’.
He explains how the financial crisis we are currently experiencing is the unwinding, and even death of - with the US government’s recent intervention - the neo-liberalism introduced by Reagan and Thatcher – essentially Reaganomics is responsible.
<>However, within this crisis there is also opportunity – for the Conservatives to show...The Centre on International Cooperation have produced a paper on 'Rising Food Prices – Drivers and Implications for Development' as part of the Chatham House Food Supply Project. The paper focuses on the drivers of rising food prices and the implications for international development.
<>Within this it also raises some very interesting questions around the process of strategic analysis and planning for the future (including scenarios) whilst responding to immediate need. It focuses on the role...Involve and the National Consumer Council have published a report Deliberative public engagement: nine principles.
The white paper, Communities in Control, extended and identified new requirements for local authorities in developing, responding to and promoting local democracy. (For further information and discussion on this white paper have a look at the blog from Dhara, Policy Officer at NCVO. Her post also includes a link to NCVO’s response to this white paper).
<>This report is intended to...The Social Market Foundation has recently published a report, Disconnected Citizens: Is Community Empowerment the Solution? by Senior Research Fellow Jessica Prendergrast.
This report discusses how community empowerment and the participatory mechanisms which make it up, are seen as a panacea for many social problems - reducing crime, improving public health, creating cohesive communities and undoing disengagement with formal political processes.
<>The publication argues that while the value of...