The purpose of charities
I have felt like an outlier in the past for daring to dream that the purpose of the charity sector could and should be working towards social justice. Outlier or not, this is why I founded ChangeOut originally, so I could work with people who agree that a focus on changing society to be more equitable is a good thing.
More and more people seem to agree. This essay from Polly Neate, CEO of Shelter, is worth a read.
If we can’t achieve social justice, why are we even here? In this #20YearsOfNPC essay, @pollyn1 asks: Can charities achieve social justice? As a sector we take pride in our collective struggle for social justice. We also need to understand what it takes. https://t.co/Djzr8CGjzZ pic.twitter.com/YlOP1fx1Ap
— NPC (@NPCthinks) June 27, 2022
During my work with organisations, I often ask people about their level of ambition for change. It can be illuminating when people struggle to answer the question, and when levels of ambition differ within the same team. I always encourage people to dream big.
The first results for England and Wales from the 2021 census were published this week and the population has continued to grow and continued to age, with an increase of 20% in the number of people over 65 in England. With age-based prejudice widespread and influencing who has access to what healthcare, it's important that ageism is seen for what it is and tackled. I was interested to read this report drawing on evidence from around the world on ageism which was published by the UN last year.
Interesting and useful links 🖇️
The Parliamentary Committee on International development published its report into racism in the sector
A free webinar on nurturing young board members. Info here
Day of the Week 📆
2022 marks 50 years since the UK's first gay pride rally
What am I reading? 📚
I enjoyed reading Love Marriage by Monica Ali. A perfect sick bed (or holiday) read. Don't worry, I'm better now and back to non-fiction!
What am I watching? 👀
My Name is Leon is the TV adaptation of Kit de Waal's book of the same name and features a young black boy who is separated from his baby brother when both children are put into care, following their mother's illness. It is available on Iplayer. I'd have liked to see it delve more deeply into the many issues raised than is possible in 90 minutes but I enjoyed it.
What am I listening to? 👂
The Reasons to be Cheerful podcast covered philanthropy recently. It was really interesting to hear from Derek Bardowell and Stephanie Brobbey who are championing philanthropy for social justice.
Joy-giving things 😍
Superbloom at the Tower of London is a lovely idea.
We just can't get enough of these blooms 🙌 🌸 How's your Monday growing? 😉 #MondayMoativation pic.twitter.com/TD1of6zVsU
— The Tower of London (@TowerOfLondon) June 27, 2022
Have a great weekend
Lucy x
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