Member News
By Lord Taylor of Holbeach - 5th October 2010
Lord Taylor of Holbeach writes for ePolitix.com ahead of his debate on the role of the charitable sector in strengthening society.
Charities perform a vital role at the heart of civil society, and we are fortunate in this country to have a long and proud tradition of charity; of people generously giving their time and money to support a diverse range of important causes.
The government is committed to supporting a strong, independent, civil society. We are building on strong foundations, with over 170,000 registered charities and millions of people regularly volunteering.
We have a positive vision of the future – a future in which charities, voluntary groups and social enterprises all have a central part to play in building the Big Society. This is a society in which more power and responsibility rests with individuals, communities and groups, not in the hands of bureaucrats.
The government is committed to supporting charities, social enterprises and community groups. They can inspire social action and help us find innovative ways to provide better, more efficient, public services. Above all, charities and other groups give communities voice and help people to change the place where they live for the better
Government also has a key role. It must continue to protect the vulnerable and provide essential services that only the state can provide. And it must provide the tools and remove the barriers that will enable civil society to take on a stronger role.
There are three main priorities for the government's support to the sector:
1)Making it easier to run a charity, social enterprise or voluntary group;
2)Getting more resources into the sector and strengthening its independence and resilience; and,
3)Making it easier for sector organisations to work with the state.
Work is already well under way on these priorities in the office for civil society in the Cabinet Office, complementing other Big Society work that is taking place across government. For example, a joint Cabinet Office and department of business, innovation and skills task force led by Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts is looking at ways to cut the red tape which charities, voluntary groups and social enterprises face on a daily basis. This will free up resources and remove barriers to participation and social action.
Work is under way to establish a Big Society Bank with money from dormant bank accounts to support charities, social entrepreneurs and the voluntary and community sector. Our aim here is to see investing in social change becoming more mainstream, sustainable and effective – unlocking the potential of social investment.
There will be challenges ahead, but working in partnership with charities, social enterprises and community groups, we can achieve a stronger civil society and together build the Big Society.
Article Comments
One simple way the government could get more resources into the sector is to exempt charities from VAT payments.
I am currently making personal donations to an NHS hospital charity to enable them to finance a trial aimed at improving patient safety by changing the organisation's culture and individuals behaviour. It seems wrong that the charity has to pay VAT on the work done by an outside training organisation. This means less work can be done for the money which I can afford to give.
There are nearly 5,000 deaths a year in NHS hospitals associated with medical errors. Medical errors cost the NHS between £3Bn and £4Bn a year. ( Extending the time spent in hospital, hospital aquired infections, cost of litigation etc ) Apart from the human costs there are significant savings to be made for society if the standard of care could be improved.
John Bamford
5th Oct 2010 at 10:45 am
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