Latest Updates

One chance only

18 Jun 2020 Nick GarbuttPolicy, Covid-19

Quintin Oliver on how to build a better world post pandemic. 

Now is the time to take on loneliness

17 Jun 2020 Ryan MillerSocial Policy, Health, Mental Health, Covid-19

Photo by Sasha Freemind on Unsplash

Covid-19 risks an increase in loneliness. It also makes loneliness much more difficult to tackle. We have to think of ways to work against these problems – especially with Northern Ireland at risk of a coronavirus second wave.

Poverty makes us sick: time to tackle health inequality

12 Jun 2020 Nick GarbuttHealth, Social Policy

If we’ve learned anything from the pandemic, surely it is that there is nothing more important than our health and wellbeing.

Tough decisions ahead for both the Communities Minister and the third sector

11 Jun 2020 Ryan MillerSector Issues, Fundraising, Covid-19

The WPCA food store

Many NI charities are struggling financially The Covid-19 Charities Fund will help some but not all. Scope speaks with the Willowfield Parish Community Association, whose experience is emblematic of wider worries.

May Tyrants Tremble: William Drennan and the politics of dissent

5 Jun 2020 Nick GarbuttPolitics

This weekend marks the anniversary of one of the more improbable incidents in Ireland’s strange and troubled past.

This is a good time to remember what human nature really is

2 Jun 2020 Ryan MillerSocial Policy, Sector Issues, Volunteering

It is Volunteers’ Week. Given that the world feels like it is descending somewhere dark, it truly is worth remembering how much people are willing to help others without expecting anything in return.

Care homes: who should pay?

29 May 2020 Nick GarbuttHealth

Never mind clapping the carers, the only solution to our crumbling adult social care services is to fix the broken system.

Childcare had problems before the pandemic. Now it has many more.

26 May 2020 Ryan MillerSector Issues, Social Policy, Covid-19

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Before Covid-19, Northern Ireland’s childcare sector worked hard but was under-resourced. Now it faces huge challenges, and shortages could hamstring our economic and social recovery from coronavirus.

Why enjoying a nice walk is easier said than done

21 May 2020 Nick GarbuttEnvironment

Lockdown has re-connected most of us to the outdoors and the simple joys of walking.

Community response to Covid-19 is vital

19 May 2020 Ryan MillerSector Issues, Social Policy, Funding

Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey MLA (centre) with NICVA Chief Executive Seamus McAleavey and Deputy Chief Executive Una McKernan

The pressures Covid-19 has placed on the third sector are, amongst other things, ironic. They also get to the heart of what the sector is, and why it is special. DfC’s Community Response Plan illustrates this well.

Kindness: lessons from local authorities

14 May 2020 Nick GarbuttCovid-19

Lauren Pennycook from the Carnegie UK Trust argues that local authorities are leading the way in supporting their communities during the pandemic

Independent Experts: Covid-19 needs a more local response

14 May 2020 Nick GarbuttHealth, Covid-19

There are experts, and then there are other experts, and sometimes they don’t agree.

In the pandemic, UBI keeps gathering momentum

13 May 2020 Ryan MillerSocial Policy, Poverty, Inequality, Covid-19

The first test of a universal basic income has proved a success. A large majority of the public want it introduced. Politicians at Westminster are drawing up plans. Is UBI now more likely than not?

Covid-19 is a global emergency and a local one

7 May 2020 Ryan MillerCovid-19, Sector Issues, Social Policy, Health, Poverty, Social Isolation

Fiona MacLeod from Red Cross NI

It’s Red Cross Week, and Scope speaks to the organisation here in Northern Ireland about how it has had to transform its work to tackle the pandemic.

Human Rights: lockdown and digital surveillance

7 May 2020 Nick GarbuttCovid-19, Human Rights

The Coronavirus Act is one of the most repressive pieces of legislation ever enacted by government. Scope talks to NI Human Rights Chief Commissioner Les Allamby about the implications.

Covid-19: why health literacy matters

5 May 2020 Nick GarbuttHealth, Covid-19

Sean McKay, former Director of Audit at the NI Audit Office examines the challenges faced by running public information campaigns during the pandemic.

Why charity boards must not go AWOL during pandemic

1 May 2020 Nick GarbuttGovernance

Governance Specialist Eileen Mullan says she is alarmed to discover that some charity boards in Northern Ireland have stopped functioning during the pandemic.

Covid-19 poses huge challenges for charities – and shows their importance

1 May 2020 Ryan MillerCovid-19, Sector Issues, Social Policy, Funding

Photo by Fusion Medical Animation on Unsplash

Coronavirus has forced huge, reactive changes across our lives. The third sector is no different. Organisations are working hard, individually and collectively, to adapt. They are also proving their worth.

After Covid-19 let’s not return to business-as-usual

1 May 2020 Nick GarbuttEconomy, Covid-19

Joe Bilsborough, researcher at the Centre for Local Economic Strategies, argues for a better approach to re-building NI’s economy when the crisis abates.

Covid-19: The Shadow of Death

24 Apr 2020 Nick GarbuttPolicy

Death is not the end. For the bereaved it marks the beginning of grief.

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