Civil Exchange, a new think tank which will examine how civil society and the state can work better together, has officially launched with a series of think pieces from sector luminaries.

Ian Allsop talks to David Harker OBE , chief executive of Citizens Advice. David Harker has spent most of his working life in the voluntary sector, born out of experience and a desire to change things, but has had what he describes as some brief but useful forays into other areas. Having a brother with Downs Syndrome, he helped his mother run a Mencap gateway club. He was then a community service volunteer at 17 during what people now call a gap year. He worked in what he calls "a ghastly approved school near Glasgow run by thugs". He then did a degree in social studies and a masters in social policy, which he attributes as being of a great help throughout his career.

Volunteer based charities could be missing out on a vast untapped pool of potential talent, according to Citizens Advice.