Easier charitable giving

I’m still objecting to the term ‘big society’, but some of the ideas coming out under its rubric are good. The Independent is reporting on the government’s ideas to encourage more people to give to charity. Some of these ideas seem good (eg being able to round up transactions on debit cards and give the change to charity; allowing charities to use government buildings), even though some seem a little pointless (eg setting up a new charity shopping search engine- you can search the web and give to charity already), but the principle of trying to make it more convenient to give to charity is a good idea.

In the summer Nick Hurd, minister for civil society, said that he gives 1% of his income to charity, and wants to encourage others to do the same. In the spirit of ‘charity’ I won’t argue with the exact percentage he’s giving, but it’s nice to hear some positive ideas.

I realise not everyone will be sympathetic to this cause. Some will argue this is an agenda to get charities to do the work the state should be doing. Let me make it clear, I believe that the state has serious obligations when it comes to protecting the vulnerable and I do not think that somehow transferring this responsibility to charities and relying on voluntary donations is a viable option. But charities also play an incredibly important role, filling gaps that the state cannot fill, or adding to services the state already provides.

Giving is important, and something that we should all value more highly. Whilst I don’t want a government that interferes in when and how I give to charity, the aim of making it easier is a positive one. At Christmas-time we all know that it’s a pleasure to give presents as well as receive them. This can apply to giving to charity too- it’s a fulfilling experience to give money or time to a good cause (time is equally valuable and all too easy to forget about), and helps us to put life in perspective.

Government transparency? Clear as mud

I’ve been at a meeting today where we were discussing the new government’s agenda and its implications for local government. One of the themes that came out was the government’s agenda for increased transparency in local government (for the record, a principle I agree with). One example is the duty for councils to publish all expenditure over £500. I find it interesting that central government departments will be required to publish only expenditure over £25,000.

One of the other interesting themes that came out of the session was the new language being used in central government. Regionalism and sub-region are not approved words any more apparently- some people are using pan-local instead, or just trying not to talk about regionalism. There are no longer targets, but milestones. Prototypes trial new projects, not pilots. And that’s before we even start trying to define the ‘big society’.

Clear as mud.