Welfare Reform on the Web (February 2003): Community Regeneration and Development - UK

LOSS OF LOCAL SERVICES CREATING 'GHOST TOWNS'

N. Timmins

Financial Times, Dec. 16th 2002, p.3

The New Economic Foundation has warned that Britain's smaller towns and cities are being turned into ghost towns by the collapse of local neighbourhood shops and services. The report raises many issues and calls for local authorities to be given more powers to revive and support local economies, including:

• tax credits to support the production of local organic food;
• extended rate relief for local pharmacies and pubs;
• the right to veto big retail and chain stores where their impact will damage the local economy.

(See also Guardian, Dec 16th 2002, p.7)

MARGINALISING VOLUNTEERS? THE CASE OF CREDIT UNIONS

A. Thomson

Voluntary Action, vol. 4, Autumn 2002, p.65-77

The Scottish Parliament has introduced a new regulatory framework for credit unions that puts greater demands on volunteers and actively encourages replacement of their input with full-time staff. The framework may also change the type of person who will volunteer from a hands-on activist to one who provides oversight of professionals' work. The shift is part of a wider trend for government to pass on responsibility to voluntary organisations while at the same time increasing regulation of their role. This can have the effect of lessening interest and exacerbating volunteer burnout.