Do We Have a Big Society?

In 2009, David Cameron laid out, as an alternative to big government, his plan to create a Big Society. In May 2010, following the general election victory, these plans were given pride of place in the coalition’s Programme for Government. This vision has prevailed through the hard times and the language has become commonplace. Now, […]

They May Take Our Funds… Will They Ever Take Our Freedom?

Barack Obama mentioned the word “freedom” seven times in his inaugural address on Monday. That might have been expected when marking the start of his second term as President of the land of the free and the home of the brave. The final mention came in the penultimate line of his speech. He said, “let us […]

The Charity Sector, Games Legacy and the Big Society – Where Does It All Come Together?

It has been four months since the London 2012 Games ended, and one word more than others has been used to describe the vision for the future: Legacy. There was a thought, back in September, of “the Games are over: now what?” Lord Coe pledged, when presenting Britain’s bid for the Games back in 2005, […]

As one chapter closes, another opens…

This penultimate blog post of 2012 will reflect on two major changes that will affect JVN going into the New Year, both of which have occurred within the last week. The first change sees the end of the Jubilee Hour campaign. This campaign was set up by John O’Brien and his team of staff in […]

Midweek Musings: Winter Cheer? Bah, Humbug!

The winter season is meant to be a time of caring, sharing and goodwill. But every so often something comes along that dampens our spirits. Looking for a bit of positive news about the charity sector’s fortunes over the last year, we turned to the Back Britain’s Charities campaign, who only two weeks ago reported […]

Back Britain’s Charities

This week’s blog contains important information from the National Council for Voluntary Organsiations‘ Chief Executive, Sir Stuart Etherington. Please take our time to read this and support the NCVO’s new campaign, Back Britain’s Charities. Together we can set the Third Sector on the road to recovery. “On 13th November 2012, NCVO released the results of […]

CRB checking system needed, but not at volunteers’ expense

JVN is absolutely committed to protecting those most vulnerable in our society, which means potential volunteers do need CRB and other checks to ensure that they are suitable for a potential volunteering role. But volunteers themselves need not pick up the tab.

‘The Social Side Of The Internet’: Web Users More Likely To Volunteer, Study Shows

Social Media. Everyone’s talking about it. But how can volunteer organisations use social media to best spread their causes’ message and attract volunteers? JVN is excited to host the director of RED Foundation (the team behind i-volunteer) at our next volunteer coordinators meeting in early March, who will be speaking on how best to harness […]