Most chief executives in the voluntary sector think the Government should
fund leadership development in support of the sector’s role in providing public
services, research reveals.
The study, published by the Industrial Society and the Association of Chief
Executives of Voluntary Organisations, finds seven out of 10 voluntary sector
CEOs want the Government to financially support leadership training.
The research also shows that nearly 90 per cent of the 236 business leaders
surveyed believe there is a need for more leadership development in the sector.
Almost two-thirds of voluntary sector organisations have not provided any
leadership initiatives and the average amount spent on training and development
in this area is only £600 a year.
ACEVO chief executive Stephen Bubb said: "The UK relies on the third
sector to provide a large percentage of its public services – of the 1 million
social carers in the UK, 600,000 work in the third sector.
"But unless the Government provides adequate funds, chief executives
will continue to fail to receive the support they need to develop their skills
and their organisations, and this could threaten the UK’s public
services."
Bryan Dutton, director general of care home provider Leonard Cheshire,
called on the Government to provide training funds for voluntary sector
organisations that provide public services.
"The current situation is not sustainable. All organisations,
regardless of sector, must receive equal treatment for the public services they
provide on behalf of the Government," he said.
"Without this funding, services will either deteriorate or voluntary
organisations will be forced to draw on their limited resources to fund the
process."
ACEVO has launched a three-day course on voluntary sector leadership, which
will offer subsidised places to 20 CEOs of charity organisations.
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By Ben Willmott
