If you think students spend all their spare time avoiding studying, going out with their mates and having a good time then you'd be right. Well our student bloggers do anyway. While they assure us they don't slack on the study, they've got a lot to answer for when it comes to enjoying themselves while volunteering.

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Friday May 14, 2010

As we students are inherently political.....

So, even if you were turned away from the polling station, frustrated, disenfranchised, and possibly discriminated against because of your status as a student instead of a 'local', it doesn't matter – a new government has been formed anyway.

A coalition between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats is now in power, and while everyone is getting het up about the 'constitutional implications' of such a thing, I thought I'd look briefly at what it might mean for the voluntary sector.

Given the amount that the state relies upon the voluntary sector to deliver services as basic as legal advice (through places such as the CAB), it would be political suicide for any of the party leaders to declare themselves as anything but supportive of volunteering. This is all the more relevant as we are now being told that large public sector cuts are necessary to reign in the UK's public debt, and it may be up to the voluntary sector to provide services that will no longer be provided for by the state.

Below is a brief summary of the two parties manifesto pledges in relation to volunteering, and with the uncertainties of a coalition government it will be interesting to see how many promises each party will be able to keep.

In the Conservative's manifesto ('Invitation to join the government of Britain'), the emphasis is very much upon services that were previously provided by the state instead being provided by groups of individuals in their communities. It paints a picture of the 'Big Society': schools set up by groups of interested individuals, as well as community run libraries and public amenities. Cynically re-phrased by some as - 'run your own schools, we're not up to it'.

Furthermore, social enterprises, charities and voluntary groups are to play 'a leading role' in delivering public services, and they will be encouraged to enter bids for state funding. Their manifesto also promises that a Big Society Bank fund will be set up (from unclaimed bank assets) to support these organisations.

Finally a National Citizen Service scheme is pledged – which would encourage 16 year olds to volunteer in their local community.

While the Lib Dem's manifesto ('Change that works for you') is supportive of the voluntary sector, it is less specific in the measures that they would introduce. Instead things are phrased in more general terms: 'We believe that society is strengthened by communities coming together and engaging in voluntary activity'. However they do promise to reform the CRB scheme so that volunteers only need one record 'that is portable, rather than multiple checks for each activity'.

For more information, the people at Volunteering England have done a proper job of this, with a brief summary of the manifestos' volunteering aspects here; and also a more comprehensive version here.

Posted by Harry ( 10:07 AM )
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