Policy & Practice: Soapbox - What society wants and needs are twodifferent things

But while I celebrated Malcolm's receipt of a Deutsche Bank Spotlight Award, a colleague expressed concerns that he wouldn't make a "suitable role model". I asked what Malcolm needed to do to become a role model. I was told he would need to improve his vocabulary, looks and anger management skills. He could achieve all this by widening his volunteering experience. Malcolm could benefit from a stint in an Oxfam store or from performing administrative duties at the North East Chamber of Commerce. This would take him "out of the ghetto of homelessness" and train him in "appropriate behaviours".

There's a somewhat damaging logic behind my colleague's position that fails to differentiate between what society perceives as beneficial and what actually is. It is the logic employed by the Prime Minister in his clampdown on "yob culture". Imagine that schools took teenagers on litter-picking expeditions to engage them with society. It would make them active in their communities and make smart, uniformed young people more visible. But the participants wouldn't be acting on their own concerns and may resent having the activity forced upon them. This approach is based on volunteerism, not volunteering, and is underpinned by the idea that adults know best.