I have just spent my weekend reading not a work of fiction on the latest best sellers list but a book I'd like to think definitely deserves it's place there.
On every page, I was reminded about things that matter to me, things I have often thought and things I have seen close up over the past 6 years that I have been lucky enough to work for the Oxfordshire Community Foundation.
If ever there was a time and a place for us all to accept responsibility for the society we see unfolding before our eyes then I believe now is that time.
I feel certain I will be sharing more from its pages over the coming months but in the meantime would urge you to find the time to read it for yourself!
Contemporary Britain is defined by the personal generosity and social commitment of our predecessors as much as by the state. But, as the state retreats, demands on the voluntary sector grow, the gap between the rich and the poor increases and charitable giving stagnates, our way of life is at risk. Will future generations live in a liberal democracy – or a plutocracy devoted to the interests of the rich and powerful? Amid the challenges we face, there are opportunities: not least to transform the role of the state and the way the public, private and voluntary sectors work together to find innovative and enterprising solutions. Our Common Good explores the efforts of philanthropists, social entrepreneurs, and local authority, charity and business leaders, and reveals how their inspiring and practical solutions can build a better and fairer society.
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