Navca members express concern about National Citizens' Service

Governance | Vibeka Mair | 25 Aug 2010

Over half of Navca’s members are unsure about or don’t want to play a part in implementing the coalition’s new National Citizens’ Service, a volunteering scheme for young people.

Navca received responses from one in three of its 370 members on their views on the coalition’s Big Society agenda, which include community bids to take over local state-run services, creating a generation of new community organisers and development support for civil society organisations.

It found 53.2 per cent of its members either didn’t want (5.5 per cent) or didn’t know whether (47.7 per cent) they should play a part in National Citizens’ Service.

Uncertainty

The large number of ‘don’t know’ responses reflected the uncertainty around the government volunteering scheme, the report said.

The report also said there was considerable concern that the National Citizens’ Service does not represent true volunteering and that the government could try to make it compulsory - there was a strong desire to see the specifics of the proposal and details of funding to support the activity.

Furthermore, Navca members had mixed feelings about the proposal to train 5,000 new community organisers. Some 57.4 per cent of those quizzed welcomed the proposal, but 12 per cent didn’t and 30.6 per cent were unsure.

Overall however, Navca members were largely optimistic about the Big Society with (78 per cent) believing that the it presents opportunites, despite a strong feeling that the agenda simply reaffirms the voluntary and community action they have supported for decades.

To see the full report click here.

Directory: National Association for Voluntary and Community Action

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