The cost of the government's flagship youth programme National Citizen Service (NCS) cannot be justified, the education select committee has concluded.

In its report into youth services the committee said it could not give its backing to the programme in its current form given the costs involved and the degree to which youth services across the country are being cut.

The analysis of the programme by the committee compared the NCS scheme with a similar model provided by the German government. While NCS costs around £1,182 per young person for a six-week stint, the German equivalent cost £1,228 per young person for a whole year’s work-based volunteering.

Red Tape Task Force calls for clearer legal protection for volunteers

Following from CfA's work supporting the 2006 Compensation Bill, we have worked with Lord Hodgson and his team to inform and publish 'Unshackling Good Neighbours', a report which seeks to free-up the potential of the Big Society.  In our 2006 work we knew millions of Britons were deterred from helping out more fully in society...

"A suffocating blanket of red tape and an insidious mythology about being sued are deterring millions of Britons, volunteer organisations and charities from helping out more fully in society, an independent report reveals today. The Red Tape Task Force, led by Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts, has spent nine months examining the myriad of rules and regulations which put people off giving their time and money to good causes and stifles the volunteer and charity sector in the UK."

Go to report:  Unshackling Good Neighbours

Further information - see article by Ian Lewis below...