Dear members and friends,
Week in bed with flu – cough keeps me awake – bit weak – but appetite fine. Between wee dozes, I’ve just finished ‘Italian Shoes’ – a novel by Henning Mankell – loved it. Mankell is Sweden’s Ian Rankin – his Rebus is called Wallander – but this is not a ‘police procedural’ – it’s about a man in his sixties living in self-imposed isolation on an island in the Swedish archipelago. The desolate frozen landscape, and the changing weather of these fog-bound Baltic islands is beautifully evoked – but it’s the inner landscape of Frederick Welin which I found compelling. He was once a successful surgeon – years ago his career struck a rock – now he’s a recluse – reflecting on a life of failed relationships – coming to understand how fear of attachment denuded his life. It’s a beautiful story about ageing and about human frailty.
Looking back at my own life, it feels like I have been absent from much of it. All that noise and all that energy now seem so remote. I don’t think I made much sense from my childhood – then so much thrashing around. Like Welin, when the chips were down, I was often missing – there’s nothing as scary as love. Now it’s 7pm – clear sky – sitting in a puddle of sunlight at the front door – neighbour, walking his dog stops to chat. I enjoy the solitude of my life – chosen – the impulse, towards evening, to make sense of the day. Albert Einstein observed that we don’t need to understand the world – we only need to find our way in it. I wonder what to make for my tea.
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At the end of the day it’s the voluntary activity of citizens, organised outwith the direction of the state, which makes society work – or not. Everything else depends on this core activity – and yet the voice of citizens is mostly absent from the corridors of power. There is a strong case to be made for thinking of our Third Sector as part of Civil Society – and organising accordingly. A constituency which included churches, unions etc – presenting a united ‘position’ on the major issues of our time – would be highly influential. Civil Society would stand as a ‘critical friend’ of the State and the Market – but also as a proactive social force in its own right. Dr Alison Elliot, convener of SCVO, is getting this process underway – will host a round table to test the appetite for working together. Stephen Maxwell’s column in TFN recently suggested that our sector has much to learn from the history and experience of unions and the churches. http://www.senscot.net/view_news.php?viewid=8124
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The English Working Neighbourhoods Fund – £1.5 billion to 64 councils – was launched a year ago. It was to be community led – Third Sector bodies commissioned to reach the long term unemployed. Research has found that so far only 20% of the money has reached the Third Sector – and more than half has been spent on programmes not directly related to worklessness. http://www.senscot.net/view_news.php?viewid=8203
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Meanwhile, in Scotland, the relationship between Third Sector groups and local councils, Community Planning Partnerships and other local public sector bodies will come under increasing strain as cuts in public spending begin to bite and the last remnants of ring fenced funding disappear next year. Senscot hears anecdotes that many communities are already suffering the effects of this. Local People Leading would like to capture some of this evidence and needs your help to do this. Please give 10 minutes of your time to complete this online survey. http://www.senscot.net/view_news.php?viewid=8196
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The Big Issue Foundation Scotland (BIFS) has recently launched a programme working with children and families in primary schools in Glasgow’s East End. So many vendors tell harrowing childhood stories, that the charity has moved ‘upstream’ – to offer help for children and families showing early signs of not coping. I found this one pager inspiring https://senscot.net/?viewid=8205 Although the programme (called WITH KIDS) is already underway in 6 schools, they need to raise money. BIFS is looking for 20 stalwarts to trek 100 km across the Sahara next march. Wow – wish I was younger! http://www.senscot.net/view_news.php?viewid=8204
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Social Enterprise London has produced a comprehensive guide to the legal implications (options) of becoming a social enterprise. It’s written for England – but it’s the best we’ve seen. http://www.senscot.net/view_res.php?viewid=8208
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Jonathan Bland, the founding CEO of the Social Enterprise Coalition (SEC), has resigned to re-locate with his family to Finland – his wife’s homeland. We wish them well. Recruitment for his successor will begin immediately. http://www.senscot.net/view_news.php?viewid=8206
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NOTICES: We can’t flag all notices here, but submit jobs and events and we’ll post them on our site. See http://www.senscot.net/jobsevents.php. This week:
JOBS: incl. posts with Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights, Childline in Scotland, Depression Alliance Scotland, Barnardo’s Scotland, Dr. Bell’s Family Centre, Stepping Stones for Families, Forth Sector, Midlothian Sure Start, Simpson House Counselling, SACRO, Greater Glasgow NHS Trust
EVENTS: Social Capital and Community Resilience, New Lanark, 4 June; Peas vs. Pills Health Workshop, Edinburgh, 6 June; CIC Forum, SSEC, 3 Jun; Banking, regulation and the public interest, University of Glasgow, 4 Jun;
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NETWORKS NEWS: Colin writes: This week, I attended the Supporting Voluntary Action (SVA) Think Tanks` Away Day at Hampden. The event was to look at the changing role and purpose of third sector infrastructure (support services), particularly in view of the impending Single Interface. Pauline Graham (Social Firms Scotland) facilitated an excellent workshop – our group felt the primary focus should be on developing support services that enable the third sector to contribute towards the creation of strong and independent communities. For more on this and other Networks News, see http://www.senscot.net/networks1st/showart.php?articleid=91
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Two big events in the calendar for next week. DTA Scotland’s 6th Conference is on 7th/8th June at Dunblane Hydro. This year’s theme is `Strong and Sustainable Communities`. 180 delegates attended last year’s event and they’re on track for the same this year. See details, http://www.senscot.net/view_event.php?viewid=8106
On the 4th/5th June, Assist Social Capital’s World Forum takes place at New Lanark. Again some places still available. See more, http://www.senscot.net/view_event.php?viewid=8001
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The Social Investment Fund has announced its latest tranche of awards in the last week. Awards have been made to Re-Union in Edinburgh (£230k), Welfehd in West Lothian (£200k) and Comrie Development Trust in Perthshire (£200k). Congratulations to all three. See more, see http://www.senscot.net/view_news.php?viewid=8195
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This week’s bulletin profiles a youth theatre in Glasgow that offers high quality training in the performing arts and film to young people between 7 to 18 years old. Theatre Ecole and Film Ecole, formed in 2005, operate as a social enterprise. They provide a broad range of skills from acting and dance to stage management, lighting/sound and editing. For more, see http://www.senscot.net/view_prof.php?viewid=8207
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During many years as a Community Worker, I experienced at first hand the hostility which professional politicians exercise towards communities organising to change things. They have the system stitched up and will fiercely resist any power escaping from it. The writer JM Coetzee captures this beautifully: “ We live in a land where cynicism about politics abounds. But such contempt is comfortably accommodated within the system. If you have reservations about the system and want to change it, (the democratic argument goes), put yourself forward as a candidate for political office. Democracy does not allow for politics outside the democratic system. In this sense, democracy is totalitarian.”
That’s all for this week. Good luck with your adventures
Best wishes,
Laurence
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