It can seem, to people ‘at the sharp end,’ that circumstances beyond their control are just not on their side. Government spending on Public Services is under threat across the board; the cost of living consistently rises; and even Social Security, the ‘safety net,’ the refuge for those who simply have nowhere else to turn, is under constant threat. Politicians and polemicists (at times it’s hard to tell the difference) tell us that Welfare costs too much, that people claiming Welfare are undeserving of society’s support, that everyone – regardless of the opportunities we’ve had – should just ‘get on yer bike’ and find work (or More work, if you’re stuck on poverty pay!)
It must seem, to some people, that they’re in the Wrong place at the Wrong time.
In the confusing welter of conflicting messages, claims and counter-claims it can be difficult for the Third Sector to speak up effectively for the communities we serve. EVOC wants to help create the space for voluntary organisations to articulate their needs and the needs of their service-users, to speak truth directly to power, and to gather together for shared understanding and joint action.
Join Us at Series Two of our EVOC ThinkSpace Experts @ Breakfast discussion sessions at EVOC. 0830-0930 on consecutive Tuesdays from 15th October to 5th November as below. Places are Free, but you Must Book by emailing Dianne Morrison, saying which session(s) you’d like to attend.
- Tuesday 15 October – Alan Sinclair and Eileen McHale of the City of Edinburgh Council
- Tuesday 22 October – Olive Hill of the Scottish Government
- Tuesday 29 October – Kate Burton of the NHS Lothian
- Tuesday 05 November – Ruchir Shah of the SCVO
Bring your ideas and your enthusiasm – together we can find the best solutions for the vulnerable people we serve.
Biggest of All Big Issues
WHAT’S your view on that biggest of all big issues – the Council Budget (for 2014/15)? The City of Edinburgh Council wants to know just what you think. Expecting to have to make savings of £36m on a budget of about £950m (2013/14 was £936m and 2014/15 would be £976m if the Council continues to provide services as it currently does.) The projected savings needed rise to £120m by the year 2017/18. This is, of course, IF the Council continues to provide services as it currently does.
The question we are all being invited to consider is: how could the Council provide the same (or improved) services differently, so it can save the 3.7% needed?
This is not some arcane question for people who eat shredded spreadsheets for breakfast, it is a matter that impacts significantly on the Third Sector – and on the people we serve. The Third Sector can often be an important part of an alternative model of service delivery; the Third Sector is, itself, often significantly dependent on Council grants; and the communities the Third Sector serves are – typically – precisely those communities most dependent on Council services.
EVOC will continue to make the case that investing in the city’s Third Sector is a wise move – preventing costs rising in the long term, and building strong social fabric across Edinburgh’s communities.
You need to make your voice heard as well!
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