Welcome

To the Coalition for Independent Action – where we celebrate the power of voluntary and community action to challenge and change the world around us.

The Coalition is an alliance of organisations and individuals who have come together out of frustration and anger to object to the state of UK Voluntary and Community Sectors. We believe there is a crisis in our ability to act independently from Government and other powerful interests, and to be part of the checks we need within our democracy. This threat to independent action will, unless challenged, undermine our civil society, our political health, and the capacity of communities to get what they need for themselves.

We aim to mobilise, support and work with those who share our concerns; to combine to expose and resist the current direction of travel; to have our own agendas; and to become actively involved in dissent where this is needed. We will build a strong voice to give confidence to those wanting to speak out and take action, and to create an alternative way of doing things. We will challenge and impede, as we can, the juggernaut that is rolling over us – whether it be driven by central government, local statutory bodies or compliant voluntary organisations.

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What you can find on our website

The Coalition has begun a joint project with AdviceUK to help local advice and rights agencies resist their co-option by Government policies and local authority actions; and regain independent agendas which promote and enforce rights. Following on from the Coalition’s work in London Borough of Hackney, where advice agencies successfully opposed the introduction of commissioning, we are looking to work in 4 other local areas. If you work in independent advice services, want to loosen the noose around your and your client’s necks, read on or contact NCIA at indyaction@yahoo.co.uk

From the 1^st April, the government's new ‘duty to involve'requires local authorities to inform, consult and involve communities in local decision-making as a matter of course…….. sounds good? Well not necessarily. Here Matt Scott assesses the chances and finds some chinks in its armour which we can take advantage of. So don't turn your back, make it work for you not against. Read on....

More commissioning vandalism in Hammersmith and Fulham. Peter Bird, of Fulham Good Neighbour Service, asks why they think commissioning will buy better neighbours. And here's the Coalition's reasons to say no to commissioning.

If you want to know where we are coming from in the Coalition, this is indispensable reading. Colin Rochester’s presentation at the British Academy ARVAC event on the 24^th February powerfully argues our case that:

“After a decade and more of New Labour the need for a healthy and vigorous civil society is clearer than ever. Overall the government has signally failed to create a better, more just and more democratic society and the need to address inequality and injustice is as strong as ever. At the same time, the impact of New Labour’s policy towards the voluntary sector can be seen as neutering the ability of voluntary agencies to address that agenda.”

"Surely I cannot be the only community activist to see what’s happening? In fact I know I’m not. So why, oh why, is there so little fuss about it?" Bob Rhodes throws down a challenge to those of us who can see what is happening to community action but who don’t want to be seen to be out-of-step; to stand outside the throng, to rock the gravy boat - Only we can choose.....And then provides a rallying call to those working alongside people with learning disabilities, to seize back the initiative and put rhetoric into practice. Read his ingredients for action in Institutions of the Mind...

And if you want to hear more about what's going on, read our latest newsletter which is full of daring do, plucky activists battling against outrageous acts, tales of coopted voluntary organisations and representational bodies toeing the line...

‘The central claim made by the Government, and by advocates of a greater role for the sector in service delivery, is that third sector organizations can deliver services in distinctive ways which will improve outcomes for service users. We were unable to corroborate that claim. Too much of the discussion is still hypothetical or anecdotal ‘

Matt Scott explains why, in the Public Administration Select Committee's words, that "Third Sector as deliverer of services - is overhyped, an idea whose time is done" and that the third sector’s role is not so much advocacy and campaigning but as an economic means to an end – it’s cheap, it’s trusted (though less now than before) and it rarely organises itself to take a principled stand.

And here's an alternative opinion about voluntary action and public services. Why not join the discussions and influence what the Coalition says and does through our google group

While we've been sleeping, erosion of human rights has seeped to the heart of the UK rights movement (now called the advice sector as a result of professional creep). This unique resource, available to individuals and campaign groups to challenge authority and hold those in office to account, is now so co-opted that the establishment has little to fear from us citizens. As Steve Radford argues - The Strangely Quiet Death of the Voluntary Advice Sector - "the docile complaince of the Voluntary Advice Sector itself; the lazy ineptitude and organisational feebleness of the unions; and the total indifference of the major political parties, all combine to make it hard to organise an effective campaign to stop the process at this late date." Unless the independent advice sector itself wakes up and fights for its existence then another voice of independent, compassionate, humane and broadly progressive civil society will probably be silenced.

Saved by the Tories? Civil Society is now in such danger that we're reliant on the Tories fighting our corner. Colin Rochester, a member of the Coalition Planning Group, has checked out what the Tories have in store for voluntary action. Looks like we've found some interesting allies in our quest for an independent sector - or have we........?

Read about the creeping, and creepy, privatisation of voluntary action. See what happens when you take the State at its word, use your power and challenge vested interests

Hear us Cry Freedom in an article in Third Sector. Read Who's in Charge of Independence?

Our Quote of the Week

"The future will only contain what we put into it now" (graffiti)

So sign up to the Coalition NOW, otherwise tomorrow will not bring you want you wish

To find out more about who we are and what we're doing, go to about us

If you're affected by the Government's plans to cut funds to black groups, or others working with particular communities, read about the help you can get to challenge this Single Issue Funding Cuts

To hear about the threats to independence, go to the Bad News Stories

To find out what action others are taking, go to Good News Stories

To contact us, find out more, get newsletters or join us, go to Sign Up

And, we're busy working to refresh our website - dynamic it is not! So watch out for our relaunch later this year.