By David Gold, Chief Executive
I want to welcome Nick Hurd, our new Charities Minister, into his new office and genuinely hope he is managing to quickly settle into his new job. I know this must be problematic for him, not least because he becomes the new Charities Minister during what is clearly the most unsettled period of British politics in living memory.
He took over the ministerial post from previous incumbent Angela Smith, and Nick has already distinguished himself as shadow minister for charities, social enterprise and volunteering; effectively serving the sector for over 18 months, longer than many of the ministerial post holders under the labour government. Nick impressed observers with his dedication to the not for profit sector, and I’m sure he has used this time wisely and built an impressive contacts book, while forging relationships which will be invaluable to him over the coming months.
This will prove to be a critical investment, as he will have to learn quickly who to take risks with in partnership with government, and where to take these risks He needs to rapidly identify who can really deliver the changes in civic society that we need to see, within the inevitable long-term context of cost-cutting and persistent financial analysis and justification.
He can already see the opportunities that the recession presents, as when recently quoted on the Civil Society website:”If we just respond economically we will come out of this recession with an environment of even more fragmented communities. The third sector is a key partner in creating a cohesive society.”
So, he seems to recognise the value of charities in their ability to harness energy and innovation, and in their proven ability to find creative and effective solutions, something that the commercial sector could learn from and apply.
Refreshingly, he also cautions against the “initiative-itis” that often seemed to fragment and disperse a lot of the effort and energy that is the sector's most valuable resource.
One clear step he can take straight away is to establish an emphasis on measuring the real value of the sector’s projects, processes, and people, rather than a simple bean-count of the financial inputs. This could have a dramatic effect, especially in recruitment, where economic uncertainty has withered recruitment budgets at the precise time when the sector clearly needs to attract the best possible talent.
Nick could combat this trend by helping us to promote the relevance of the not-for-profit sector as a forum where skilled talent can make a real difference, while contributing positively to a society that is in desperate need of role models. We need to foster an environment where our sector is empowered to secure the right people at the right price.
To misquote Gordon Brown, “I agree with Nick” on many points; I just hope that he can build on the sector’s goodwill and enthusiasm to really make his mark.
