I'm just posting my comments on this story here (not because of ego)
but I just cant believe we are going to be taken through this load of
re-actionary tripe again.
" Isn't this an appalling re-run of the New Deal scam. It was not only
that many of the private New Deal 'providers' were clearly not
providing the services they had been contracted to do, but was one of
the pivotal turning points for what had been a 'community owned' VCS
becoming an arm of Government. Genuine VCS do not want to have to
supervise people who are there under protest, it undermines the very
ethos of volunteering etc., and quite honestly some groups find it
hard to run themselves and are certainly not in a position to provide
training and support to people who are more likely out of work through
no fault of their own. (ie a failed education, being a carer, etc..).
See for instance comment by Working Families "Government obsession
with full-time work will backfire". Also see an American report of
single mothers that seem their 'experiment' of pushing single mothers
back to work has been a failure and damaging to the family unit
(Single Moms’ Poverty Spikes After Welfare Overhaul in USA). And
everybody who has worked in both the Housing Sector and the Voluntary
Sector has in fact held up the appalling loss of values of HAs and
community run housing co-ops etc., as they too were sucked into
carrying out the Government's dirty work - ie managing shortage of
housing and profiting by it. When and if the Govrnment starts bullying
employers to provide part time well paid dignified work, which can be
accessed by reliable cheap public transport this will just be a way of
getting cheap, non unionised disenfranchised workers to do shit work.
" (complete with speeling errors and typos)
But it has also made me realise that the constant process of attrition
by the Government aided and abetted by those with a vested interest in
currying favour with such a likely source of (tainted) money, is that
in fact it is now probably too late to try and save or resurrect an
'indpendent' voluntary sector as there are hardly any people who
believe or have experienced that working in the "Third Sector" any
more.
I met some new recruits to a "second tier" groups the other day (the
only ones with enough money to be able to support an expanded staff
programme) and they were genuinely under the believe that the
voluntary and community sector was something that Ken Livingstone had
created and that as a consequence it was obvious that VCS groups
existed to carry out the work of local government (at non unionised
rates, on short term contracts etc.).
Having lived through and experienced the loss of independence of the
Housing Sector as I know others in local groups have done, both as
users and providers, instead of using that experience to inform how to
stop it happening to the VCS most are so green with envy of the
salaries now paid to Housing Executives that they are following that
transition process with as much speed as they can.
hi grace - makes you sick doesn't it. heard someone this week (a
volunteer centre manager) acknowledge that many vol orgs are behaving
like pigs at the trough. & the Third Sector article shows just how far
Bubbism can go, when all he can talk about is the benefits to
organisations - what about to the long term unemployed? looks like
they're irrelevant when it comes to lining the coffers.
when I was feeling very despondent a few weeks ago (what's the point,
it's too late, not enough people to make an impact) a fellow coalition
supporter picked me up from my knees by telling me "It is never too
late but we have to be determined and imaginative in how we do things
and above all we have to identify and stay with those who share our
concerns."
& this week, I spent a morning with a small, but angry, group of vol
orgs in leicestershire who are NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE and have
decided to organise in their local areas and spark a debate, and who
knows even action, with colleagues about what's going on.
& the coalition has arranged a meeting in sept of others who have
decided to organise in their local areas, or around issues such as
homelessness, asylum, community arts, advice. there are people coming
from all places. want to join in?
it may be too late, but at least we can have a bit of fun before the
last person turns the lights out
and if speaking it out helps you to feel better - why don't you write
us a short piece for our next newsletter and tell it how it is? might
even get a few more people to stick their heads above the parapet.
what do you reckon?
penny x
On 24 Jul, 14:54, grace <grace.firest...@googlemail.com> wrote:
> I'm just posting my comments on this story here (not because of ego)
> but I just cant believe we are going to be taken through this load of
> re-actionary tripe again.
> " Isn't this an appalling re-run of the New Deal scam. It was not only
> that many of the private New Deal 'providers' were clearly not
> providing the services they had been contracted to do, but was one of
> the pivotal turning points for what had been a 'community owned' VCS
> becoming an arm of Government. Genuine VCS do not want to have to
> supervise people who are there under protest, it undermines the very
> ethos of volunteering etc., and quite honestly some groups find it
> hard to run themselves and are certainly not in a position to provide
> training and support to people who are more likely out of work through
> no fault of their own. (ie a failed education, being a carer, etc..).
> See for instance comment by Working Families "Government obsession
> with full-time work will backfire". Also see an American report of
> single mothers that seem their 'experiment' of pushing single mothers
> back to work has been a failure and damaging to the family unit
> (Single Moms’ Poverty Spikes After Welfare Overhaul in USA). And
> everybody who has worked in both the Housing Sector and the Voluntary
> Sector has in fact held up the appalling loss of values of HAs and
> community run housing co-ops etc., as they too were sucked into
> carrying out the Government's dirty work - ie managing shortage of
> housing and profiting by it. When and if the Govrnment starts bullying
> employers to provide part time well paid dignified work, which can be
> accessed by reliable cheap public transport this will just be a way of
> getting cheap, non unionised disenfranchised workers to do shit work.
> " (complete with speeling errors and typos)
> But it has also made me realise that the constant process of attrition
> by the Government aided and abetted by those with a vested interest in
> currying favour with such a likely source of (tainted) money, is that
> in fact it is now probably too late to try and save or resurrect an
> 'indpendent' voluntary sector as there are hardly any people who
> believe or have experienced that working in the "Third Sector" any
> more.
> I met some new recruits to a "second tier" groups the other day (the
> only ones with enough money to be able to support an expanded staff
> programme) and they were genuinely under the believe that the
> voluntary and community sector was something that Ken Livingstone had
> created and that as a consequence it was obvious that VCS groups
> existed to carry out the work of local government (at non unionised
> rates, on short term contracts etc.).
> Having lived through and experienced the loss of independence of the
> Housing Sector as I know others in local groups have done, both as
> users and providers, instead of using that experience to inform how to
> stop it happening to the VCS most are so green with envy of the
> salaries now paid to Housing Executives that they are following that
> transition process with as much speed as they can.
I am keen to hear more the work that this Leicestershire-based
coalition is doing on this topic, and whether any London-based
organizations are working together on this one. A lot of disabled
people, in particular, are absolutely terrified by the effects that
these proposals might have on us - we expect that many of us will end
up in extreme poverty as the result of the government's desire to
'move the goalposts' so that far fewer sick people can access help
when they become unwell. Many of us are keen to be in work, but have
direct experience of how impossible employers make it for disabled
people to work for them - but of course, the government's rhetoric is
all about punishing those on benefits, rather than on helping us (and
employers) so that work becomes a real possibility. (There's also a
ridiculous assumption here that we do nothing at all while on
benefits. When I am too ill to work, I start volunteering as soon as I
am able to - I've helped children learn to read, helped out at my
local church and community centre, etc. And when I physically can't
get out of bed, I try at least to provide online support to other
disabled people or to action groups that I'm involved in. Yet despite
this, I will apparently be sent to clean up graffiti next time I need
to claim Incapacity Benefit or its successor. When I end up in
hospital as a result of that, I wonder if the government will
acknowledge that it's a stupid and unnecessary idea?)
A lot of us are also very frustrated at the media, whose anti-benefit-
claimants ranting could be seen as contributing to the recent rises in
hate crime against disabled people. I recently met with some high-
ranking officials at the DWP with other members of a disability rights
group to which I belong. They made it very clear that they have no
interest in challenging the media over the way it is using the
government's benefits proposals in an underhand and inflammatory
manner. We clearly, therefore, need to do this ourselves!
If anyone knows of London-based groups of organizations speaking out
against all of this, please contact me. My disability rights group
feels that we are very much standing alone against it at the moment.
Naomi
On 1 Aug, 18:20, penny <i...@penandy.co.uk> wrote:
> hi grace - makes you sick doesn't it. heard someone this week (a
> volunteer centre manager) acknowledge that many vol orgs are behaving
> like pigs at the trough. & the Third Sector article shows just how far
> Bubbism can go, when all he can talk about is the benefits to
> organisations - what about to the long term unemployed? looks like
> they're irrelevant when it comes to lining the coffers.
> when I was feeling very despondent a few weeks ago (what's the point,
> it's too late, not enough people to make an impact) a fellow coalition
> supporter picked me up from my knees by telling me "It is never too
> late but we have to be determined and imaginative in how we do things
> and above all we have to identify and stay with those who share our
> concerns."
> & this week, I spent a morning with a small, but angry, group of vol
> orgs in leicestershire who are NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE and have
> decided to organise in their local areas and spark a debate, and who
> knows even action, with colleagues about what's going on.
> & the coalition has arranged a meeting in sept of others who have
> decided to organise in their local areas, or around issues such as
> homelessness, asylum, community arts, advice. there are people coming
> from all places. want to join in?
> it may be too late, but at least we can have a bit of fun before the
> last person turns the lights out
> and if speaking it out helps you to feel better - why don't you write
> us a short piece for our next newsletter and tell it how it is? might
> even get a few more people to stick their heads above the parapet.
> what do you reckon?
> penny x
> On 24 Jul, 14:54, grace <grace.firest...@googlemail.com> wrote:
> > I'm just posting my comments on this story here (not because of ego)
> > but I just cant believe we are going to be taken through this load of
> > re-actionary tripe again.
> > " Isn't this an appalling re-run of the New Deal scam. It was not only
> > that many of the private New Deal 'providers' were clearly not
> > providing the services they had been contracted to do, but was one of
> > the pivotal turning points for what had been a 'community owned' VCS
> > becoming an arm of Government. Genuine VCS do not want to have to
> > supervise people who are there under protest, it undermines the very
> > ethos of volunteering etc., and quite honestly some groups find it
> > hard to run themselves and are certainly not in a position to provide
> > training and support to people who are more likely out of work through
> > no fault of their own. (ie a failed education, being a carer, etc..).
> > See for instance comment by Working Families "Government obsession
> > with full-time work will backfire". Also see an American report of
> > single mothers that seem their 'experiment' of pushing single mothers
> > back to work has been a failure and damaging to the family unit
> > (Single Moms’ Poverty Spikes After Welfare Overhaul in USA). And
> > everybody who has worked in both the Housing Sector and the Voluntary
> > Sector has in fact held up the appalling loss of values of HAs and
> > community run housing co-ops etc., as they too were sucked into
> > carrying out the Government's dirty work - ie managing shortage of
> > housing and profiting by it. When and if the Govrnment starts bullying
> > employers to provide part time well paid dignified work, which can be
> > accessed by reliable cheap public transport this will just be a way of
> > getting cheap, non unionised disenfranchised workers to do shit work.
> > " (complete with speeling errors and typos)
> > But it has also made me realise that the constant process of attrition
> > by the Government aided and abetted by those with a vested interest in
> > currying favour with such a likely source of (tainted) money, is that
> > in fact it is now probably too late to try and save or resurrect an
> > 'indpendent' voluntary sector as there are hardly any people who
> > believe or have experienced that working in the "Third Sector" any
> > more.
> > I met some new recruits to a "second tier" groups the other day (the
> > only ones with enough money to be able to support an expanded staff
> > programme) and they were genuinely under the believe that the
> > voluntary and community sector was something that Ken Livingstone had
> > created and that as a consequence it was obvious that VCS groups
> > existed to carry out the work of local government (at non unionised
> > rates, on short term contracts etc.).
> > Having lived through and experienced the loss of independence of the
> > Housing Sector as I know others in local groups have done, both as
> > users and providers, instead of using that experience to inform how to
> > stop it happening to the VCS most are so green with envy of the
> > salaries now paid to Housing Executives that they are following that
> > transition process with as much speed as they can.
You're right. If anything is going to change or get challenged we'll
have to do it ourselves. waiting for someone else to do it won't do
it.
the leicestershire group is at an early stage, and are still working
out what issues to take action on (it's a group with people from
different parts of the VCS, not just disability groups). but there is
someone from Mosaic on the group - a local disablity network. so might
be making contact with them.
we've not been contacted by any london groups, but then - there's you
and your contacts. and we could use our contacts and before you know
it, perhaps there will be a london group.
so if you want to organise something in london then the coalition will
try to help you do this. we're here to help each other, and to find
others who will join and take action on whatever the issues that
affect them.
what do you reckon?
penny
On 2 Aug, 11:56, lilwatchergirl <lilwatcherg...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I am keen to hear more the work that this Leicestershire-based
> coalition is doing on this topic, and whether any London-based
> organizations are working together on this one. A lot of disabled
> people, in particular, are absolutely terrified by the effects that
> these proposals might have on us - we expect that many of us will end
> up in extreme poverty as the result of the government's desire to
> 'move the goalposts' so that far fewer sick people can access help
> when they become unwell. Many of us are keen to be in work, but have
> direct experience of how impossible employers make it for disabled
> people to work for them - but of course, the government's rhetoric is
> all about punishing those on benefits, rather than on helping us (and
> employers) so that work becomes a real possibility. (There's also a
> ridiculous assumption here that we do nothing at all while on
> benefits. When I am too ill to work, I start volunteering as soon as I
> am able to - I've helped children learn to read, helped out at my
> local church and community centre, etc. And when I physically can't
> get out of bed, I try at least to provide online support to other
> disabled people or to action groups that I'm involved in. Yet despite
> this, I will apparently be sent to clean up graffiti next time I need
> to claim Incapacity Benefit or its successor. When I end up in
> hospital as a result of that, I wonder if the government will
> acknowledge that it's a stupid and unnecessary idea?)
> A lot of us are also very frustrated at the media, whose anti-benefit-
> claimants ranting could be seen as contributing to the recent rises in
> hate crime against disabled people. I recently met with some high-
> ranking officials at the DWP with other members of a disability rights
> group to which I belong. They made it very clear that they have no
> interest in challenging the media over the way it is using the
> government's benefits proposals in an underhand and inflammatory
> manner. We clearly, therefore, need to do this ourselves!
> If anyone knows of London-based groups of organizations speaking out
> against all of this, please contact me. My disability rights group
> feels that we are very much standing alone against it at the moment.
> Naomi
> On 1 Aug, 18:20, penny <i...@penandy.co.uk> wrote:
> > hi grace - makes you sick doesn't it. heard someone this week (a
> > volunteer centre manager) acknowledge that many vol orgs are behaving
> > like pigs at the trough. & the Third Sector article shows just how far
> > Bubbism can go, when all he can talk about is the benefits to
> > organisations - what about to the long term unemployed? looks like
> > they're irrelevant when it comes to lining the coffers.
> > when I was feeling very despondent a few weeks ago (what's the point,
> > it's too late, not enough people to make an impact) a fellow coalition
> > supporter picked me up from my knees by telling me "It is never too
> > late but we have to be determined and imaginative in how we do things
> > and above all we have to identify and stay with those who share our
> > concerns."
> > & this week, I spent a morning with a small, but angry, group of vol
> > orgs in leicestershire who are NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE and have
> > decided to organise in their local areas and spark a debate, and who
> > knows even action, with colleagues about what's going on.
> > & the coalition has arranged a meeting in sept of others who have
> > decided to organise in their local areas, or around issues such as
> > homelessness, asylum, community arts, advice. there are people coming
> > from all places. want to join in?
> > it may be too late, but at least we can have a bit of fun before the
> > last person turns the lights out
> > and if speaking it out helps you to feel better - why don't you write
> > us a short piece for our next newsletter and tell it how it is? might
> > even get a few more people to stick their heads above the parapet.
> > what do you reckon?
> > penny x
> > On 24 Jul, 14:54, grace <grace.firest...@googlemail.com> wrote:
> > > I'm just posting my comments on this story here (not because of ego)
> > > but I just cant believe we are going to be taken through this load of
> > > re-actionary tripe again.
> > > " Isn't this an appalling re-run of the New Deal scam. It was not only
> > > that many of the private New Deal 'providers' were clearly not
> > > providing the services they had been contracted to do, but was one of
> > > the pivotal turning points for what had been a 'community owned' VCS
> > > becoming an arm of Government. Genuine VCS do not want to have to
> > > supervise people who are there under protest, it undermines the very
> > > ethos of volunteering etc., and quite honestly some groups find it
> > > hard to run themselves and are certainly not in a position to provide
> > > training and support to people who are more likely out of work through
> > > no fault of their own. (ie a failed education, being a carer, etc..).
> > > See for instance comment by Working Families "Government obsession
> > > with full-time work will backfire". Also see an American report of
> > > single mothers that seem their 'experiment' of pushing single mothers
> > > back to work has been a failure and damaging to the family unit
> > > (Single Moms’ Poverty Spikes After Welfare Overhaul in USA). And
> > > everybody who has worked in both the Housing Sector and the Voluntary
> > > Sector has in fact held up the appalling loss of values of HAs and
> > > community run housing co-ops etc., as they too were sucked into
> > > carrying out the Government's dirty work - ie managing shortage of
> > > housing and profiting by it. When and if the Govrnment starts bullying
> > > employers to provide part time well paid dignified work, which can be
> > > accessed by reliable cheap public transport this will just be a way of
> > > getting cheap, non unionised disenfranchised workers to do shit work.
> > > " (complete with speeling errors and typos)
> > > But it has also made me realise that the constant process of attrition
> > > by the Government aided and abetted by those with a vested interest in
> > > currying favour with such a likely source of (tainted) money, is that
> > > in fact it is now probably too late to try and save or resurrect an
> > > 'indpendent' voluntary sector as there are hardly any people who
> > > believe or have experienced that working in the "Third Sector" any
> > > more.
> > > I met some new recruits to a "second tier" groups the other day (the
> > > only ones with enough money to be able to support an expanded staff
> > > programme) and they were genuinely under the believe that the
> > > voluntary and community sector was something that Ken Livingstone had
> > > created and that as a consequence it was obvious that VCS groups
> > > existed to carry out the work of local government (at non unionised
> > > rates, on short term contracts etc.).
> > > Having lived through and experienced the loss of independence of the
> > > Housing Sector as I know others in local groups have done, both as
> > > users and providers, instead of using that experience to inform how to
> > > stop it happening to the VCS most are so green with envy of the
> > > salaries now paid to Housing Executives that they are following that
> > > transition process with as much speed as they can.
Thanks for responding to my post - nothing worse than writing
something and it just echos into silence!
So whilst not ignoring the specific issues / possible new coalitions,
I think what I am trying to grapple with, and I don't know of anyone
who has thought of a way round it, is that however many autonomous or
independent networks or coalitions are set up, so long as those with
power can choose who they talk to they will always find someone who
will spew out their reactionary ideas for them.
The grossly undemocratic way that second tiers and other self
appointed spokespersons can get away with apparently giving '3rd
sector' support to yet another initiative which is to say once again,
it is us the community, the electors who are a bunch of loosers, and
only our 'betters' can make it right - all to avoid the fact that it
is the way government is governing that is the problem, means that
even if we are the majority we can be ignored.
I took part in the 3rd sector reviews in 3 different capacities, and
at each event the participants were in the majority against the
government proposals (basically to make the 3rd sector a cheap arm of
government). And yet by the end of the year the Government with their
pet poodles were able to say the consultation had said the majority
were in favour of the direction the 3rd sector was going. ie taking on
public services, commissioning, the growth of the super group and the
irrelevance of small groups answerable to their users / clients. And
the fact is taht now many working in the vcs know no different. They
see this as an apprentiship to becoming a civil servant.
The groups that get the money - and the executives who get the
'honours' - are all those who have worked on behalf of the government
agenda.
The voluntary sector is now the new colonialism, with most CVSs acting
as outposts to this imposition of an alien and oppressive culture on
local people - and equally on disadvantaged / discriminated against
groups.
And the best trick of all is that now they / 2nd tiers etc., are
safely within the patronage of the new colonialists (ironically this
was the old role of the now Home Office) they can even engage in the
game of being a tiny bit naughty and orchestrating tiny little
rebellions whose real purpose is further to ingratiate themselves with
the powers that be - not to ferment and help build a real autonomous
alternative.
See Double speak and hypocrisy over the crisis in rape crisis
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=3916998221&topic=3064 and Are
socialist 'feminists' undermining women's groups by prioritising their
allegiance to their male patrons?http://www.facebook.com/topic.php? uid=6812316699&topic=3287 - and now the unbelievable hypocritical
claptrapp that is going on in the New Statesman at the moment is quite
frankly scandalous. Labour has cut rape crisis funding in favour of
SARCs and yet women's "representatives" are now drooling over what is
in effect a cut in funding for autonomous RCCs!
http://www.newstatesman.com/subjects/sexual-violence-and-rape-crisis
And as I said in my original post most people now just accept that
that is the role of the 3rd / VC sector. Ingratiate yourself with a
political patron and then you too can take on the role of the new
memsahibs.
But then in a deeply divided Britain its everyone for themselves - as
Tatcher said - there is no such thing as society.
"in fact it is now probably too late to try and save or resurrect an
'indpendent' voluntary sector as there are hardly any people who
believe or have experienced that working in the "Third Sector" any
more"
The above is a quotation from an understandably despairing Grace the other week. I wrote briefly to say that it is never too late but we need to be focussed and imaginative in how we respond.
First, it is not the end of the voluntary sector. It is important to remember that we are only a small part of the voluntary sector - your local photography club, climbing club or group raising money for Africa, Palestine or wherever are just as mich part of the VCS. Even within the advice section or the health and social care section, there are organsiations that are continuing to deliver much needed services without worrying too much about what is going on elsewhere.
I have no doubt whatsoever - given the historical ability of the voluntary sector to re-invent itself in new clothes - that as time goes by, people in their own localities will see what is happening and will start to form new charities to pick up where others have left off.
Second, we need to collect not just stories but hard facts. If we are part of or aware of a local organisation that is experiencing a hard time, we need the facts. We need to collect data. E.g.:
What service/s have they traditionally delivered ?
What is their average turnover and surplus ?
What services are they being invited to deliver or are considering delivering ?
What would the material effect (e.g. constitutional, financial, workforce) on the organisation if they win the contract or sla ?
And so on.
We could do with a template that could set out the questions we need answered in each case and which we can easily email to a new contact with a sad story to tell. The completed template can then be fed into a database, so that we accumulate evidence - that is what we need.
In short, we need evidence - and above all, we need to focus on advice organisations because, tempting as it might be to broaden our range, we are struggling to gather the resources to deal with advice work, never mind anything else.
I cannot attend the September meeting sadly (and entirely due to my own carelessness in completing the calendar return Penny and Andy circulated) but hope very much that it will focus on what we CAN do, not on what it would be ideal.
----- Original Message ----- From: "penny" <i...@penandy.co.uk>
To: "NCIA discussions" <ncia-discussions@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 02, 2008 5:49 PM
Subject: Re: Long-Term unemployed could be forced to help charities
You're right. If anything is going to change or get challenged we'll
have to do it ourselves. waiting for someone else to do it won't do
it.
the leicestershire group is at an early stage, and are still working
out what issues to take action on (it's a group with people from
different parts of the VCS, not just disability groups). but there is
someone from Mosaic on the group - a local disablity network. so might
be making contact with them.
we've not been contacted by any london groups, but then - there's you
and your contacts. and we could use our contacts and before you know
it, perhaps there will be a london group.
so if you want to organise something in london then the coalition will
try to help you do this. we're here to help each other, and to find
others who will join and take action on whatever the issues that
affect them.
what do you reckon?
penny
On 2 Aug, 11:56, lilwatchergirl <lilwatcherg...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi,
> I am keen to hear more the work that this Leicestershire-based
> coalition is doing on this topic, and whether any London-based
> organizations are working together on this one. A lot of disabled
> people, in particular, are absolutely terrified by the effects that
> these proposals might have on us - we expect that many of us will end
> up in extreme poverty as the result of the government's desire to
> 'move the goalposts' so that far fewer sick people can access help
> when they become unwell. Many of us are keen to be in work, but have
> direct experience of how impossible employers make it for disabled
> people to work for them - but of course, the government's rhetoric is
> all about punishing those on benefits, rather than on helping us (and
> employers) so that work becomes a real possibility. (There's also a
> ridiculous assumption here that we do nothing at all while on
> benefits. When I am too ill to work, I start volunteering as soon as I
> am able to - I've helped children learn to read, helped out at my
> local church and community centre, etc. And when I physically can't
> get out of bed, I try at least to provide online support to other
> disabled people or to action groups that I'm involved in. Yet despite
> this, I will apparently be sent to clean up graffiti next time I need
> to claim Incapacity Benefit or its successor. When I end up in
> hospital as a result of that, I wonder if the government will
> acknowledge that it's a stupid and unnecessary idea?)
> A lot of us are also very frustrated at the media, whose anti-benefit-
> claimants ranting could be seen as contributing to the recent rises in
> hate crime against disabled people. I recently met with some high-
> ranking officials at the DWP with other members of a disability rights
> group to which I belong. They made it very clear that they have no
> interest in challenging the media over the way it is using the
> government's benefits proposals in an underhand and inflammatory
> manner. We clearly, therefore, need to do this ourselves!
> If anyone knows of London-based groups of organizations speaking out
> against all of this, please contact me. My disability rights group
> feels that we are very much standing alone against it at the moment.
> Naomi
> On 1 Aug, 18:20, penny <i...@penandy.co.uk> wrote:
> > hi grace - makes you sick doesn't it. heard someone this week (a
> > volunteer centre manager) acknowledge that many vol orgs are behaving
> > like pigs at the trough. & the Third Sector article shows just how far
> > Bubbism can go, when all he can talk about is the benefits to
> > organisations - what about to the long term unemployed? looks like
> > they're irrelevant when it comes to lining the coffers.
> > when I was feeling very despondent a few weeks ago (what's the point,
> > it's too late, not enough people to make an impact) a fellow coalition
> > supporter picked me up from my knees by telling me "It is never too
> > late but we have to be determined and imaginative in how we do things
> > and above all we have to identify and stay with those who share our
> > concerns."
> > & this week, I spent a morning with a small, but angry, group of vol
> > orgs in leicestershire who are NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE and have
> > decided to organise in their local areas and spark a debate, and who
> > knows even action, with colleagues about what's going on.
> > & the coalition has arranged a meeting in sept of others who have
> > decided to organise in their local areas, or around issues such as
> > homelessness, asylum, community arts, advice. there are people coming
> > from all places. want to join in?
> > it may be too late, but at least we can have a bit of fun before the
> > last person turns the lights out
> > and if speaking it out helps you to feel better - why don't you write
> > us a short piece for our next newsletter and tell it how it is? might
> > even get a few more people to stick their heads above the parapet.
> > what do you reckon?
> > penny x
> > On 24 Jul, 14:54, grace <grace.firest...@googlemail.com> wrote:
> > > I'm just posting my comments on this story here (not because of ego)
> > > but I just cant believe we are going to be taken through this load of
> > > re-actionary tripe again.
> > > " Isn't this an appalling re-run of the New Deal scam. It was not only
> > > that many of the private New Deal 'providers' were clearly not
> > > providing the services they had been contracted to do, but was one of
> > > the pivotal turning points for what had been a 'community owned' VCS
> > > becoming an arm of Government. Genuine VCS do not want to have to
> > > supervise people who are there under protest, it undermines the very
> > > ethos of volunteering etc., and quite honestly some groups find it
> > > hard to run themselves and are certainly not in a position to provide
> > > training and support to people who are more likely out of work through
> > > no fault of their own. (ie a failed education, being a carer, etc..).
> > > See for instance comment by Working Families "Government obsession
> > > with full-time work will backfire". Also see an American report of
> > > single mothers that seem their 'experiment' of pushing single mothers
> > > back to work has been a failure and damaging to the family unit
> > > (Single Moms’ Poverty Spikes After Welfare Overhaul in USA). And
> > > everybody who has worked in both the Housing Sector and the Voluntary
> > > Sector has in fact held up the appalling loss of values of HAs and
> > > community run housing co-ops etc., as they too were sucked into
> > > carrying out the Government's dirty work - ie managing shortage of
> > > housing and profiting by it. When and if the Govrnment starts bullying
> > > employers to provide part time well paid dignified work, which can be
> > > accessed by reliable cheap public transport this will just
