QSA talks independence at the National Council for Voluntary Organisation's summer reception.

Judith Moran explains what independence means for QSA to an audience of parliamentarians and senior voluntary sector representatives.


QSA Director Judith Moran was invited to give a presentation at the National Council for Voluntary Organisation’s summer reception at Portcullis House on June 17th 2008. She spoke before an audience of 100 parliamentarians and senior figures from the voluntary sector at an event that highlighted the importance of an independent voluntary sector working alongside government.

In reaction to Judith’s presentation on independence and innovation, Anne Blackmore, head of policy at NCVO said:

“I have long argued, in policy terms, the need for voluntary and community organisations to understand and value their own independence. It was fantastic to hear Judith setting out so clearly why, for her organisation, independence really is important and is at the heart of what they do and how they do it.”

We at QSA have committed, with support from the Baring Foundation, to carrying out organisational development activities to increase our legitimacy, our confidence and our independence. In doing this work we aim to add strength to QSA, enabling us to uphold our purpose and values, to negotiate robustly with funders and partners without fear of sanction, and to engage in public debate.

We believe that this work will lead to significant and lasting improvement in our effectiveness and will ensure that our work is led primarily by our understanding of the needs of the community that we serve, rather than the agenda of government or other funding bodies.

By working to ensure our independence, we hope to secure a future in which QSA can continue to be innovative, responsive and to live adventurously as we work towards our vision of a world where people put people first.

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