Britain's Community Budget CUT; Overseas Aid Budget INCREASES!

While the newly elected Government in Britain has made a lot of noise about plans to give local authorities and communities more say in how money is spent, there will be an awful lot less funding available.

The budget announced in London yesterday outlined mostly bad news for marginalised groups as the Department with responsibility for communities is due to drop spending by 33%.

NGOs have commented on how the greater democratic involvement of communities promised by the Government will be negated by the loss of essential funding to communities.

On the plus side and there were pluses, Britain's overseas aid budget is being INCREASED!

Comments welcome and keep an eye on our international page(s) in our print edition of 'Changing Ireland'.

Find out more about the UK budget cuts and policy changes for community funding/decision-making:

1. Communities and culture take the damage (Yahoo news)

2. Response to the cuts by Britain's National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO website)

3. Oxfam UK Poverty Post - news, feature and opinion in one short article about the cuts in Britain (an Oxfam blog)

4. CLG budget cut by 51%; local councils by 28%; green investment bank launched; plans for 'dramatic shift' to the local confirmed (Urban development news website)

5 Department's short and simple rationale for "shifting power" to communities. (Official Govt Website)

Advertise with ‘Changing Ireland’!

Advertise with ‘Changing Ireland’!

Because now – for the first time – you can!!

Changing Ireland’, the country’s most widely read Community and Voluntary Sector magazine, is now taking advertising for the first time.

Established in 2001, it has built up a loyal readership and reaches up to 15,000 people directly with its printed quarterly publication.

‘Changing Ireland’ has also built up a considerable online following via youtube (13,000 views and rising), facebook, blogger and its website: www.changingireland.ie

Our COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING RATE CARD is now available online. CLICK HERE!

A separate rate card with substantial discounts is available on request to not-for-profit organisations, in line with our believe that groups working with vulnerable people and marginalised communities should be given the opportunity to advertise even if their budget is small.

Adverts (discounted) start from €133 each (for 1/6th-page).

Contact ‘Changing Ireland’ administrator Tim Hourigan (Mon-Wed by phone) or email him anytime to place an advert. T: 061-458090. E: admin@changingireland.ie

For further queries, contact the editor, Allen Meagher. T: 061-458011. E: editor@changingireland.ie

'Changing Ireland' wants to tell the world your News!

If you're working in a Community Development Project or a Local Development Company,

let us know what you're doing that’s:
(a) different and an example of good practice,
(b) that respects Community Development principles and makes a real difference for ordinary punters,
(c) that other readers throughout Ireland might like to emulate.

Phone the editor on 061-458011 with your news. Or email: editor@changingireland.ie

Our print magazine goes to 5000 addresses. Where useful, we also post news here on our blog, Youtube channel and/or Facebook page.

Event: Claiming Our Future on Oct 30th in Dublin

'Claiming Our Future' is a day-long event to plot and plan for a better Ireland. The organisers want to pinpoint the values a better Ireland can aspire to. Honesty and fair ...play for instance. They want to “mobilize” and “unite” Ireland behind a new plan.
It takes place in the Industries Hall of the RDS in Dublin City on Saturday, 30th October, from 9am-5.30pm and entry is free.

http://www.facebook.com/ClaimingOurFuture
http://www.claimingourfuture.ie/

The day is being organised by community activists, trade unionists, academics, rights groups and umbrella bodies from the Community and Voluntary Sector. They include: Is Féidir Linn, ICTU, TASC, Social Justice Ireland, the Community Platform and the Environmental Pillar of Social Partnership.

NOTE: The ‘Is Feidir Linn’ group was slagged off in an opinion piece in the Summer edition of 'Changing Ireland' (they're writing a reply). They were accused of failing to reach the wider public, of not having a message the average punter would buy into. In fairness to ‘Is Feidir Linn’, they were planning ahead when others were pulling their hair out and the ‘Claiming Our Future’ event could not have been held at a better time.

Galway helps lead the Campaign to Defend Ireland's Communities

150 or so people turned out in Galway and up to 1500 in Dublin on Sept 29th, 2010, to 'Defend Ireland's Communities'.

In Galway, activists used street theatre to show how community groups who work together are more likely to be successful in fending off attacks and cutbacks.

The trade unions SIPTU and IMPACT are supporting the 'Defending Ireland's Communities' campaign, as are the Community Workers Co-op, Community Platform among others.

What do you think of the turnout? RTE were critical, the trade unions defensive. Comments welcome!

Check out our photo-report from Galway by clicking this link to our Facebook page.

We're also about to post some videos from the demo on our youtube channel