Second in The Social Investment Business' 'An Interview With...' podcast series speaks to Matthew Taylor

‘An Interview with... Matthew Taylor’:  the Chief Executive of the RSA discusses the need for ‘citizen centric’ change in society and admits he prefers Strictly Come Dancing to X Factor

Wednesday 8 December 2010

Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of the RSA reflects on the way spending cuts are being implemented in the second edition of a new series of monthly podcasts from The Social Investment Business.

Taylor, who was previously ran the Number 10 policy team under Tony Blair, says that any change in society needs to be ‘citizen centric’, encouraging citizens to step up to the plate and be the people they need to be to build a better future. His main concern around the Big Society is not that the public don’t like the idea, but that the people who are most able to lever the “huge amount of capacity in society that is unexpressed and unexploited” to make it happen are the ones most likely to lose their jobs in the next 6 months.

Taylor, who recalls how he once told Tony Blair he cared more about West Brom staying in the Premier League than whether the Labour party won the 2005, 2001 or 1997 elections, highlights that it will take a mixture of technology, people, social investment, devolution of power and payment by results to create a tide of exciting innovations in public service delivery.

‘An Interview With...’ is a monthly podcast series from The Social Investment Business featuring short interviews with leading figures in social enterprise and civil society.

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1.  Listen to ‘An Interview With... Matthew Taylor’ and read the full transcript here: http://www.thesocialinvestmentbusiness.org/aninterviewwith/

2.  Check out the new resources section on The Social Investment Business website: http://www.thesocialinvestmentbusiness.org/resources/

3.  For further information or interviews, please contact The Social Investment Business press office:

Liz Banks - 0207 842 7726/ 07809 504072  liz.banks@socialinvestmentbusiness.org

Nicola Jones - 0207 842 7755 nicola.jones@socialinvestmentbusiness.org

4. The Social Investment Business, the fastest growing social investor in the UK, exists to help social enterprises, charities and community organisations do more of what they do best – supporting people and communities most in need. We help organisations prosper by providing innovative financial solutions, business support and long term strategic thinking.

www.thesocialinvestmentbusiness.org @TheSocialInvest

5. The Social Investment Business manages Government funds on behalf of the Office for Civil Society, the Department of Health and the Department for Communities and Local Government, with over 1,000 active investments. These range from £3,600 to help a small organisation bid successfully for a public sector contract, to £6.7million to help a large national charity establish and develop innovative new services for children and young people.