Rob Wilson talks to Kirsty Weakley about his department’s recent move to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and charities’ role in the new political climate. 

During the summer’s reshuffle of ministerial responsibilities, a surprise was sprung on the sector: Rob Wilson, minister for civil society, was moved to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Some time afterwards, the rest of the Office for Civil Society followed him.

There were a few days, Wilson says, where he “wasn’t quite sure what was coming with me”. 

In the end the whole OCS came with him, and he added responsibility for libraries to his portfolio. Wilson says he is “delighted” with the outcome and declares that the new arrangement is a “good fit”.

Apart from a change of department, though, what does the reshuffle mean for charities?

Wilson feels that Theresa’s May’s overarching message of creating an economy that works for all is one that charities should be able to take heart from. He also hints at a new policy agenda to match, but is vague on the details.

If Wilson is optimistic about the future of the brief, he stands in contrast with observers in the sector itself, where the move to DCMS was seen as a downgrade – one reflecting a longstanding move in this government to make charities a lower priority.

While the OCS was at the Cabinet Office, the charity agenda was seen as being at the centre of government, even if its budget was slashed and influence diminished following austerity cuts. But DCMS is widely viewed as a department where it is difficult to push an agenda out into the wider government.

Social enterprises were particularly concerned that their needs would not be catered for in DCMS and Peter Holbrook, chief executive of Social Enterprise UK asked for responsibility for social enterprise to be moved to the newly created Department for Business, Energy, Industry and Skills.

Wilson says there is no need for these worries because the OCS will continue to “work effectively across government”. 

He adds that “It’s a great thing” that Nick Hurd, the former charities minister, is in BEIS, because he has “a long understanding and knowledge of the contribution charities make”.

He said he and Hurd would be working together “to make it work”.

Important role for charities

Wilson promises that there will be an important role for charities under Theresa May’s leadership, although he can offer little information about what that role might be.

There may not be a flashy Big-Society-style umbrella programme for the sector, but there is definitely still an “absolutely integral” role for charities, he says. 

“Charities are first in and last out of every difficult area,” he says, and he expects them to “continue to play that role”. 

“My role as minister for civil society is to make sure that they have a positive environment in which to operate,” he says, which means ensuring charities have access to funding, “to operate and deliver the best possible service to beneficiaries” and “creating a framework for the sector to make it easy for people to give and volunteer”. 

He says that May’s agenda of is already closely aligned with the aims of the OCS. 

“The Prime Minister has set out very clearly what her priorities are in giving everybody an opportunity in life to make sure that the economy works for everybody not just the privileged few,” he says.

And adds that this “really feels right at the heart of what we at the OCS do” and that he expects the new Prime Minister to find its experience “very helpful”.

Initiatives

Despite the positive rhetoric there is nothing new on the policy agenda, as yet. Wilson stresses that the government already has a full legislative agenda, as set out in the last Queen’s speech, which includes legislation on National Citizen Service and the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme.
He promises that there is more to come but he cannot discuss it yet. In some big areas – volunteering, public service delivery, tax and tax relief, there is either little on the table, or there are proposals with little detail behind them.

Wilson says there are “lots of things in the pipeline” but can’t go into specifics just yet.

The Dormant Asset Commission, which is looking into ways to free up £1bn of dormant assets for charities year will report before the end of the year. 

He is also working on a review into mission led businesses, which will publish a report soon.

Mission-led businesses are distinct because while the “aim to make profit”, he says, but they also have “something that underpins their purpose”. 

These are increasingly relevant he says because “millennials want a different approach from companies that employ them”. 

One of the key pledges in the Conservative manifesto was to enable employees to take three days paid leave to volunteer. 

Wilson says that will be for BEIS to deliver. 

“They still have to get their department up and running,” he cautions but that he is “still going to work across government as we’re doing to get more people volunteering from business and helping out in their communities”. 

Wilson’s priorities remain to continue to grow volunteering and increase the uptake of social investment. 

He explains that in the short term that it will be continuing with the legislative agenda, which includes presenting the National Citizen Service Bill to Parliament soon. 

The OCS has recently announced funding for youth and older people’s volunteering.

Fundraising

Fundraising regulation has dominated much of the past year with the new Fundraising Regulator opening its doors in July. 

Wilson is positive about the progress that has been made and says the whole thing has been done at a “phenomenal pace” and that “we have to applaud and recognise the work that went into that from all sorts of people - including Sir Stuart Etherington, Michael Grade and Stephen Dunmore”.

When asked if he thinks it is likely to succeed, he says: “I think under leadership of Lord Grade and Stephen Dunmore there’s every chance going to be successful.” 

But it’s important that the “sector gets behind if and supports it” he adds. This includes supporting it financially. Letters requesting payment of the levy are set to go out to charities shortly.

Brexit

Ahead of the vote Wilson had been in favour of remaining in the EU, writing a blog about why charities would be better off remaining part of the EU.

He now says that the process is in the “early stages” but that “one of the good things” is that all charity law is UK-based so we’re “not going to have to disentangle” the laws that underpin charity regulation.

Charity representatives recently wrote to express their concern about what would happen to EU Social Fund after it ends in 2020. Wilson says he has already had some meetings about how to move forward.

“The important thing is,” he says, “that we work together to design a system that works for everybody in the sector”.

Rob Wilson will be the keynote speaker at this year's Charity Finance Summit.