Tag: Charities

Holding the space

Whether or not we are directly affected by school or college timetables, it is hard to miss the feeling of the start of term. Partly the changing light, crisper, bright mornings, rosehips and yellowing leaves. And partly the buzz of activity, resonating with our shared experience of ‘back to school’. I often think the new… Read more »

Value added?

Local charities A few weeks ago, the Dash Charity in Slough, a Women’s Aid refuge organisation, lost its core funding to a London-based housing association; the result of the local authority putting those services out to tender. This is distressing for the well-established charity concerned, its staff and board, past and current beneficiaries and all… Read more »

Then and now: International Women’s Day

The other day I met someone who told me about her experience, maybe 30 years ago, of hesitating outside the door of the Women’s Information Centre in Reading. She was plucking up the courage to join the ‘Monday Night Group’. It was a lesbian social group – and was where she first came out. Being… Read more »

The value of a cuppa

An early casualty of public sector cuts, already noticeable some years ago, were cups of tea at meetings. First, there were no biscuits, then nothing at all, as the trolleys with vacuum flasks, and the women wearing hairnets, were gone. I understand the reasons. But I think the humble cuppa can add significant value to… Read more »

What the Future Holds

I attended the NAVCA conference earlier this month (NAVCA is the national infrastructure body for local voluntary action). The day provided much food for thought about what the future might hold for the voluntary sector, and how it affects our priorities. As a facilitator working to help organisations to get their heads around the implications of… Read more »