June's Q&A feature article is with Mike Locke, who has recently been appointedly to the newly created role of Director of Public Affairs at Volunteering England.
Mike Locke started as Director of Public Affairs on 12 May.
The new Directorate of Public Affairs in VE is made up of the teams for policy and information (which includes the advice line), communications and events, on-line services (which includes this magazine) and the Institute for Volunteering Research. It is one of the four directorates into which VE is now organised, the others being Innovation and Development, Trading and Enterprise, and Corporate Services.
For the past few months, Mike has combined the role of Reader in the School of Social Sciences, Media and Cultural Studies at the University of East London with that of Assistant Director of the Institute for Volunteering Research, and he was previously Director of the Centre for Institutional Studies at UEL.
Mike’s experience of voluntary organisations and voluntary action dates back to the early 1970s through involvement in community organisations in the North Kensington/Notting Hill area of London, and he has worked as a researcher and teacher with voluntary and community sector issues since the early 1980s.
Ten years ago, he helped create the Institute for Volunteering research (IVR) with current VE Chief Executive Justin Davis Smith, through the association of Volunteering England and the University of East LondonWith IVR, he has been involveda variety of studies, including evaluation of government policies and organisational programmes for volunteering, exploratory studies in faith-based voluntary action and community involvement and the management capacities of volunteer involving organisations.
Mike was also a founder member of the Advisory Group initiating and developing strategy for volunteering for the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.
What do you enjoy most in your current role?
As I’ve only just started, it’s the talking and thinking with colleagues. I’ll have to do some real work soon!
What are the biggest challenges facing volunteering today?
Looking after the people who are volunteering at present.
Creating the conditions (opportunities, programmes, regulations, access, routes etc etc) to encourage people who are not volunteering at present.
Getting the local infrastructure reliably funded.
Holding the attention of policy-makers, locally and nationally.
Testing out the strengths and weaknesses of volunteering, particularly in relation to public policy issues.
What have been the best and worst experiences in your career?
The best is now.
The worst … I won’t say - I may have to work with the people again.
What single characteristic is most important?
Living with uncertainty.
What single thing hinders you?
This cat walking over my laptop.
What’s your favourite film and book?
Film: Is it Brief Encounter or The Shawshank Redemption? (And for your Media Studies exam question: Discuss the common themes ….)
Book: The Times Atlas of the World.
When and where were you happiest?
Lots of times in Madagascar.
What’s your best career advice?
Prepare for surprises.
