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The Tories and the Third Sector
In the most recent event in the Face 2 Face series, ASITIS joined with CO3 (Chief Officers of the Third Sector) to explore Conservative plans for the community and voluntary sector should they win the next General Election.
Shadow Secretary of State Owen Paterson and Councillor Ian Parsley meet with over thirty chief officers from Northern Ireland’s third sector in Belfast’s Ulster Hall. Their discussion focused around the policy paper A Stronger Society: Voluntary Action in the 21st Century produced by Conservative think tank, the Centre for Social Justice.
After laying out an analysis of the challenges currently faced by the sector in society, presentations from the panel were followed by a rigorous question and answer session that brought forward issues regarding Tory proposals to replace the office of the Third Sector, scrap the Big Lottery Fund and simplify the Gift Aid System.
Unsurprisingly, focus for discussion centred on the concerns over future plans for Government funded schemes. Amongst the proposals discussed were plans to make access to funding easier by setting up of a passport scheme to bypass repetitive grant application schemes
The session was part of a wider Conservative Party attempt to engage on issues that must be tackled to build a stronger, more vibrant sector in Northern Ireland and build upon the work of the Centre for Social Justice’s Breakthrough Belfast project.
Designed to bring people face to face with decision makers who matter ‘The Tories and the Third Sector’ was part of the ASITIS Face 2 Face series of political seminars.
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