Sir Stuart calls for celebration of philanthropy as worthy activity in annual Attlee Lecture

Sir Stuart calls for celebration of philanthropy as worthy activity in annual Attlee Lecture

News (UK)

Philanthropy is enduring, evolving and society is better for it, said Chairman of the National Centre of Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) Sir Stuart Etherington in delivering the 30th Annual Attlee Lecture entitled Philanthropy, Fairness and Democracy,

The annual lecture addresses social issues of relevance to the work of post-war Labour PM Clement Attlee, whose government created the NHS, and the work of the Attlee Foundation.

Sir Stuart said philanthropy, though generally misunderstood, had an important role to play today. He said he held no truck with those who thought it an “anachronism” or “throwback” and that it had developed to concern itself with effectiveness, high impact and now took a market-based approach.

Though he made the point that more time should perhaps be given to the morals of giving rather than the obsession with how to do it more effectively and also backed calls for a national debate on philanthropy.

On fairness, among many points he raised, he questioned whether it was fair that a minority of people - ‘the civic core’ - are responsible for the majority of giving of time and money – almost a third of the adult population provides nearly 90% of volunteer hours and just under 80% of charitable giving.

Is charitable work, as Attlee thought, not simply a virtue but a duty? If so, are those neither giving nor volunteering failing in their duty as citizens?” he posited.

He said the value of voluntary action should not be underestimated and said Attlee understood this well, writing in 1912 that “the volunteer supplies the personal touch.”

Sir Stuart said that whether those with ‘the broadest shoulders’ are bearing sufficient responsibility was debatable, but acknowledged many wealthy people give and said he was saddened that “we have sought to demonise such people”.

He concluded that effective philanthropy should be celebrated “as a distinct activity worthy of its place in modern society”.

The full transcript of the lecture is available from The Attlee Foundation’s website http://www.attlee.org.uk/

  • Understanding philanthropy
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