My Week - All go on the community service front

The Prime Minister's announcement was rather overshadowed by his smiling performance on YouTube, but it's good that the government is putting resources behind this initiative and that both main political parties will go into the next election with community service for young people as a key policy commitment.

Tuesday: Fascinating meeting with Sophie Livingstone, deputy chief executive of the Private Equity Foundation. The foundation is pioneering American-style venture philanthropy in the UK and, thanks to Sophie's background at the Foyer Federation, it has supported a number of youth organisations, including ThePlace2Be, Fairbridge and Leap. It will shortly be importing the highly successful US City Year programme to London, another move towards community service for young people.

Wednesday: I'm speaking at the National Council for Voluntary Organisations' civil society leadership summit. An interesting debate ensues as some members of the audience promote the view that there is a distinctive (and by implication better) leadership style unique to the third sector. I've always thought this is nonsense, especially the idea that leaders in the third and public sectors are driven more by certain values than their private sector counterparts. I'm reminded of my former chair, who always said how shocked he was at the backstabbing and dishonesty he encountered when he moved from the corporate world to the charity sector.

Friday: An enjoyable end to the week chairing a stakeholder breakfast for the new National Body for Youth Leadership, which will create chances for young people to develop leadership skills. The scheme needs a catchy name and we share with our guests some of the brands suggested by young people. But CYP Now readers will have to wait until next month's launch to discover whether Not Your Mother, Nibble or Banana.com will be entering the youth sector vernacular in the next two years.

- Adam Nichols is chief executive of the charity Changemakers