A paper set out the third sector's vision and ambitions for the future of welfare services in Scotland. It considered how Scotland might recreate a collective commitment to a refreshed and perhaps radically different welfare system.
Source: Third Sector Visions for a Scotland of the Future: A better state – Inclusive principles for Scottish welfare, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations
Links: Paper
Date: 2013-Sep
A study examined the relationship between taking part in cultural and sporting activities, attending cultural places, and key quality of life measures in Scotland. There was consistent evidence that people who participated in culture and sport or attended cultural places or events were more likely to report that their health was good and that they were satisfied with their life than those who did not participate. This finding remained true even when other factors were accounted for such as age, economic status, income, area deprivation, and education qualification.
Source: Clare Leadbetter and Niamh O Connor, Healthy Attendance? The impact of cultural engagement and sports participation on health and satisfaction with life in Scotland, Scottish Government
Links: Report
Date: 2013-Aug
An article examined the importance of the community context for voluntarism in England and Scotland, drawing on case study research in deprived urban areas. If expectations of further voluntarism were to be realistic and sustainable, 'discourses of localism' needed to support this at the local level and recognize the diverse range of both visible and less visible acts that took place over time. If they did not, unrealistic, unsustainable, and ultimately unachievable models and amounts of voluntary participation might be asked of communities.
Source: Mike Woolvin and Irene Hardill, 'Localism, voluntarism and devolution: experiences, opportunities and challenges in a changing policy context', Local Economy, Volume 28 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2013-Apr
