BBC to air three-part radio series ‘examining how charities work’

08 Mar 2018 News

BBC Radio 4 has announced a new series of broadcasts focusing on the voluntary sector called The Charity Business, and the first episode will be aired tomorrow.

The three-part series is being hosted by Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the RSA, and the first programme will focus on charity sector fundraising. The BBC said “in this first episode, Matthew asks what we think about when we think about charities, and examines whether the reality is different”.

The episode will also focus on “some of the recent scandals surrounding the charity sector” including the Presidents Club and the Oxfam safgeguarding scandals, and will “hear from a man who thinks business, rather than charity, is the best way to solve social problems,” according to the online listing.

The BBC said the first episode will also examine “how efficient are charities’ fundraising operations?” and ask whether “the big increase in money spent on fundraising recently resulted in more money coming into the sector?”

Episode one of The Charity Business will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 at 11am tomorrow. The second episode of The Charity Business will be focused on service delivery and will be broadcast on Friday 16 March. Information on the third episode has yet to be released.

Radio 4 last devoted an entire programme to charities in October, when it broadcast Selling Barbara. In it the British Red Cross, Smile Train and Marie Curie were all criticised for having swapped and shared the contact details of 90-year-old donor Barbara Smith. 

For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector sign up to receive the Civil Society News daily bulletin here

 

 

More on