Rural villages across the South West face “big city challenges” but they are often “hidden” and not appreciated fully by central government in Whitehall.
That’s one of the insights from special guest Justin Sargent OBE in this second part of his conversation with Tim - in which they also share their appreciation of cheese and cider!
We delve deeply into the characteristics of the Westcountry, particularly Devon, Cornwall and Somerset, where Justin has been Chief Executive of the Somerset Community Foundation for over 20 years. But the lessons equally apply to Gloucestershire, where Justin hails from, plus the cities of Bristol, Bath, Plymouth, Bournemouth and the county of Wiltshire.
In that time, he’s seen the charity sector evolve - and Tim asks whether it’s become more corporate as the years have gone by.
Justin offers brilliant advice for small charities and community groups looking for funding - tapping in Justin’s wide expertise of the grantmaking world.
We also discuss how philanthropy has changed and whether cultures of the United States rubbed off over here.
There’s also political chat - from the Big Society to Levelling Up. From New Labour to the Coalition government of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats to the latest Labour government. Plus how the Civil Service sees the region of the South West.
How should the balance be between the public sector, such as local government, councils and mayors, and the community and charity sectors?
Also you might be surprised to hear that the Somerset Community Foundation has been experimenting with Artificial Intelligence, AI, in clever but careful ways using Claude.
We finish with some advice for Members of Parliament and a heartwarming story of Justin and his wife visiting the then-Prince Charles at the royal palaces to receive his OBE and meeting a poignant fellow guest.
Follow and subscribe to The South West Agenda with Tim Williams for more political, business and leadership conversations - and find us across Instagram, Youtube and TikTok where you can see clips of the interviews.
Thanks to Justin - and thank you for listening!