Professor Marilyn Taylor hit a responsive cord when she spoke about the need for voluntary organisations to balance efforts to have a greater say in Government policy development with maintaining their independence, when she spoke at Volunteering NZ’s AGM.

This was her first address after arriving in New Zealand from Britain where she is Professor of Urban Governance and Regeneration, University of the West of England. She commented from her experiences in the UK, but those present thought many of her comments were pertinent to New Zealand.

She said that in the UK, the core of Government policy was for people to do things for themselves, but there were concerns that this could mean the Government using volunteering as a prescription in response to unemployment and antisocial behaviour. This brought compulsion which was antithetical to volunteering. There were concerns about volunteers being seen as cheap labour and a substitute for Government expenditure.

The increased interest in the voluntary sector had led to the introduction of standards and controls but who should define the standards and what should be controlled.

In the past voluntary organisations had sought people on their boards who were consumers of or had a particular interest in the service of the organisation. Now organisations were tending to seek those with specialist skills such as financial, legal etc. This could result in a polarisation between the professionals and non-professionals.

Developing relationships with Government as a means to influence Government policy development had also been a trend. It was great to be invited into Government circles, Prof Taylor said, but it was equally challenging and it could be seductive. The danger was the voluntary organisation being seduced into supporting an agenda which was not its own and through this lessening its independence. Maintaining independence was important because the voluntary sector could make a distinctive contribution and its strength was in its diversity. An independent sector could take risks, do different things and reach areas that others do not reach.