Kids Company circus - AIBU to wonder.....

[thegreekmyths]

is it just me, or has the Kids Company issue gone all quiet recently>?

Erm there was a big report out a couple of weeks ago that blamed everyone involved. Were you expecting more?

Maybe. The report blamed everyone involved and reported the catalogue of mismanagement and profligacy. But now what? Seems everyone gets a telling off and it's gone quiet. Slapped wrists and lessons to be learned. Is that it?

What were you expecting OP?

I don't think anyone is accused of illegal activity - just being a bit rubbish, really.

BTW I think it raised an important issue - IMHO we should not be funding Charities with taxpayer's cash - that's not what I pay taxes for.

I agree list but as local govt is one of the biggest funders of charity I don't think that taxpayers will stop funding charity any time soon.

The whole thing is unpleasant, for many, many reasons. I can't believe there is no legal question for certain people to answer. Utterly immoral and reprehensible, self aggrandising, persistent waste of money.

Weren't Kids Company purportedly acting more as an NGO rather than a charity? It's theoretically similar to the way that homelessness charities can receive government grants for settling up hostels/meeting the needs of homeless people or Marie Stopes/Brooks receives funding for running contraception centres. I think it would be disastrous for central or local government to stop funding charities - although Kids Company hasn't exactly covered the sector in glory, there is such a lot of expertise in many and who is going to fund their work without state money?

What is an NGO?

Non-governmental organisation (usually not-for-profit, often doing socially useful work).

Thank you :)

wasonthelist - local government funds charities to deliver essential services in many areas. The alternative would be for local government to provide the services itself, which it tends to find more expensive and less effective. So I'm happy for my taxes to be spent on charities like our local Mind association which provides supported accommodation for people not able to live independently and psychological services for people in need of it. Not all charities function like Kids Company did, and certainly the regulation should be sufficient to prevent that kind of breakdown in future.

camtt Thanks for pointing that out - I agree and I take back what I said, at least in relation to LA funding - however I am (and remain) opposed to the idea that the government gives money to Oxfam and Brake, for example, and those "charities" use the money to lobby changes in government policy. I think I read that the current government is changing this - which if true makes it about the only thing they have done I agree with.

In my (more than I care to remember) years working in the sector I can honestly say I have never come across a charity in receipt of public funds who operate as KC did (although I'm sure they're out there). In my experience govt funded projects are far more target driven, restricted, regulated and monitored than any other funding available (European funding being the most onerous). It's such a shame that the KC debacle has really given such a negative impression of the sector when it is far from typical.

I do wonder what Camilla will do next... Celebrity Big Brother?