JVN Annual Summer Conference

The Jewish Volunteering Network was honoured to have Sir Stuart Etherington , Chief Executive of the NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations), speak at its Annual Summer Conference, held on 1 July at BDO LLP.

Sir Stuart was in conversation with Lady Lira Winston, discussing how the new British Government's major policies might affect the voluntary sector, and Jewish volunteering in particular. They discussed what "Big Society" might mean for volunteering, and Jewish volunteering in particular, and whether the newly created Office for Civil Society would be any different from its predecessor, the Office of the Third Sector.

Sir Stuart stated that the last 10 or 15 years had been a golden age for the voluntary sector in terms of funding, and the environment in which we operate. He said "the sector has doubled in size and scale from 17 to 34 billion pounds during this time period". When asked about the intentions and meaning of the Government's 'Big Society'. Sir Stuart Etherington commented "I think this term refers to a series of offers from government, giving the voluntary sector more control over planning departments, police authorities and the like. The Government is trying to create a debate about the long-term relationship between the citizen and the State, which will fundamentally change the functioning of society and the marketplace".

More controversially, when questioned regarding the change of name from 'Office of the Third Sector' to 'Office for Civil Society' Sir Stuart Etherington said "the new name is a large improvement from its predecessor, being far more reflective of the importance in society of voluntary and charitable organisations".

Lady Winston asked about the impact of the changes that will face the Jewish Faith Sector. Sir Stuart Etherington recommended "the faith sector takes a vigilant attitude towards their financial independence - I am sceptical about the availability of public money for faith groups, as it is important that public funding bodies do not discriminate between faiths". He also reiterated the importance of interfaith work as "faith groups will be instrumental in bridging social capital in all communities and important dialogues will begin to take place".

Leonie Lewis, Director of The Jewish Volunteering Network, said, "we are delighted that Sir Stuart Etherington was able to provide us with some guidance on how to help charities and their volunteers navigate some of the changes on the horizon, so that they in turn can continue to provide the invaluable level of support that is so important in the community".