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I have no reason to believe Sir Stuart is anything other than a decent person with good intentions, or to deny his lengthy past track record, but this is a terrible appointment by Big Society Trust. #socinv https://www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/stuart-etherington-to-chair-new-look-big-society-trust.html
One of the key problems with the development of social investment in the earlier years of Big Society Capital was that the response to the emerging social investment from voluntary sector infrastructure bodies was literally pathetic. #socinv
They moaned and whined about the new approach to #socinv not being for them but when questioned didn't have any meaningful understanding of the market and how it worked. NCVO under Etherington's leadership were pathetic whiners in chief.
Always happy to moan, absolutely no meaningful understanding of what might work better and why. Their inadequacy made the job of those of us trying to argue for practical improvements significantly harder.
Etherington had his chance to shape the development of social investment as leader of the UK's biggest voluntary sector umbrella body and he couldn't have failed more badly.
Big Society Trust needs a chair who will recognise and understand the changing needs of charities and social enterprises for social investment - and help its organisations deliver on them a practical and positive way. Etherington should step down.
