Latest Updates

The COVID-19 crisis means the third sector’s work is more valuable than perhaps ever before. It is also much more difficult. This is a problem that must be fixed. Government help is essential.

One day, hopefully soon the Covid-19 nightmare will be over. And on that day life will not be and should not be the same again.

Universal Credit administration takes a hard line, even with measures that are supposed to make allowances for people in difficulty. Work from Advice NI has exposed another fault line in the system, leaving vulnerable people in hardship.

When the final RHI report was published last Friday it was immediately shoved out of the headlines by the escalating coronavirus crisis.

What should civil society do amidst the Covid-19 pandemic? This is a changing picture, any answers depend on the organisation, but immediate and practical steps are possible.

Hundreds of health officials have already signed up to the open letter calling for Stormont to implement major social distancing measures immediately.

March 2020 sees the end of Welfare Reform mitigations in NI. The newly-reformed Stormont has promised to extend this important service, yet some uncertainty remains.

Scope’s Nick Garbutt has worked from home for close to a decade. Here’s his advice for those facing the prospect as Covid-19 starts to grip.

The return of Stormont gives legislators the opportunity to loosen the grip that religious organisations have on our schools.

If we want to cut our cloth as best as possible for the short- and long-term, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals might be a good place to start.

One of the most difficult challenges for the restored administration at Stormont will be to address long-term challenges.

We look at Parenting NI’s second annual Big Parenting Survey, which explored concerns about tech – and asked parents about their hopes for their children.

A consultation on reforming Northern Ireland’s hopelessly outdated gambling laws has just closed.

It’s not very often that the public is at the forefront of dealing with serious crime. But, when it comes to slavery, we should all be vigilant.

The latest annual poverty report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation shows the importance of affordable housing.

In most respects our health is better than our ancestors and we can thank technology for that. But in one important health indicator, loneliness, it is not.  

Climate change is not just the greatest threat we collectively face. It is an existential threat. Combating it is a task for all of us: every government, every organisation, and every individual.  

The Assembly has declared a climate emergency. There is no one way to fix this global issue – but it is great to see us take a seat at the table to take on this existential problem.

County Down man James McConville is an architect based in Sweden. He saw the rise of Greta Thunberg first hand and was inspired to make a difference himself back home.

A comprehensive study on the effects of academic selection in Northern Ireland is needed. A new report from Stranmillis University College's Centre for Research in Educational Underachievement shows why.