Back in October, I estimated that a mere £40m a year would enable us to do the same for all children in our care as we do for our own children — provide extra help when it is needed. And I proposed that this sum was a mere one-tenth of a percent of bankers' bonuses and that they could contribute this without even noticing. Well, the net effect of months of lobbying has been... nothing. While many ordinary people give a great deal to charity, there is a real suspicion that the wealthiest do not do their bit.
So one of the legs of the big society — philanthropy — looks decidedly wobbly. The second leg, volunteering, is also under threat, as the infrastructure is being dismantled. And where there is corporate volunteering, we often see a willingness to arrange photogenic special projects, rather than the day-to-day grind of working with young people.
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