Olly Benson

The assumption you make is that by their very nature, third/voluntary sector organisations promote participation and whilst many of them do there is no actual requirement for them to do so, and no penalty if they don’t. And that I think is the crux of Simon’s point: that we can do great things to engage local communites but we are not mandated to do so.

I sometimes think that there is a bit of an emperor’s new clothes mentality about the third sector… no-one wants to admit that our sector is...

Watching the second video made at the previous 20:20 event, one thing that struck me was how much it looked like The Apprentice. Fifteen people in suits sat around a gray-walled boardroom with our Sir Alan figure (Rod Aldridge) giving advice whilst cutaway interviews with the “contestents” revealed their passion and insights for the sector… I was half expecting someone to say that they will always give 110%.

Please tell me the future of the Third Sector isn’t going to be like that…