Six months ago, I left the civil service to take up a new role leading UK Community Foundations (UKCF). After many years spent in the centre of government – predominantly in No.10 and the Cabinet Office – I now work for an organisation with deep roots in every postcode of the UK.
This transition has been energising and bracing in equal measure. I’ve moved from one of the most centralised parts of the state to a role embedded in the fabric of local life.
Community foundations are not well known in Whitehall, but they should be. They are quiet powerhouses: collectively they’ve distributed over £2bn to grassroots community groups over the last 50 years, and their knowledge of the real, lived texture of local life is deeper than datasets or policy briefings can capture.
I’ve spent much of the last six months visiting community foundations in Yorkshire, Devon, County Durham, Kent, Norfolk, Liverpool, Scotland, Manchester and Essex, to name but a few - learning from local leaders who are meeting challenges with care, creativity and grit. And in doing so, I’ve started to see some of the systemic disconnects that hold back better collaboration between government and the voluntary sector.
The Future Governance Forum’s report, Mission Critical 03: Mission-driven partnerships with civil society organisations, explores how the government’s missions can only be achieved by strategic and honest partnership with civil society. I have been reflecting on this report, and its recommendations, in light of my experience across both sectors. I hope these three points are useful to those in the civil service looking out, and those in civil society looking in.
1. Going to places is not the same as getting to know them
For years, Whitehall has acknowledged its London-centric bias. Initiatives like Places for Growth have tried to shift roles and functions outside the capital. But relocating offices isn’t enough. The key is to get *out* of the office. This is especially true for civil servants involved in policy.
In my first few months at UKCF, I’ve spent time with grassroots community groups across the UK – most memorably in Maryport (Cumbria), Bodmin (Cornwall) and Poole (Dorset). In each, I’ve met people doing remarkable work to strengthen their own community, in the face of deep need. After spending time with local leaders, the power (and potential) of place-based change becomes clear.
These experiences have reminded me that policymaking too often happens at a distance, based on questionable assumptions about ‘service users’. Without spending meaningful time in communities, civil servants can only see the tip of the iceberg: a fraction of the need, and a fraction of the energy that exists to meet it. So my advice would be to get on the road, and be ready to listen. Policymaking that stays inside the M25 – or the four walls of the office - will never get the full picture.
2. Collaboration begins with respect for other people’s time
One of the most jarring shifts I’ve experienced is the exposure to the external consequences of departmental ways of working. Civil service life is urgent, frenetic, and highly reactive. Meetings are regularly rearranged, diaries change by the hour, and senior stakeholders expect quick turnarounds. Senior civil servants are rarely in control of their own time, in contrast to local government roles and civil society roles. Leaders are busy in all sectors, so this isn’t a comment about pace – it’s about predictability, intention and an ability to honour commitments. Even permanent secretaries can find themselves pulling out of high profile engagements at the last minute to support their secretary of state.
That lack of diary control harms attempts to build meaningful external relationships. Almost every organisation I’ve met in the voluntary and community sector is short on both cash and time. The reality of underfunded, overstretched workforces means that a last-minute change, cancelled call or rearranged workshop has real consequences. And real costs.
If government wants civil society at the table, it must respect people’s time. This might sound like a small administrative fix – better scheduling, more notice, clearer agendas, paid travel expenses – but it’s a deeper cultural issue. Ministers and senior officials set the tone. If external voices are routinely deprioritised when diaries get tight, then relationships become transactional rather than trusting. And without trust, collaboration struggles to get off the ground.
3. Duty and purpose can pull us apart – or bring us together
Finally, I’ve been reflecting on the emotional landscape of leadership in different sectors. The best civil servants I’ve worked with are motivated by a deep sense of duty: to serve the government of the day, and to uphold the integrity of the system, regardless of personal views. This professional detachment is essential at times – especially during transitions, such as the general election last year.
But in civil society, purpose often runs hot. People work in charities because they care about the issues at stake, are aware of the communities that depend on their support and feel that responsibility deeply. The result is that emotion is more visible, fuelling ambition, and sometimes frustration. It can be galvanising, and it can also lead to defensiveness and overwhelm.
When these two leadership styles meet, it’s easy to misunderstand each other. Civil servants may seem aloof, using language that unintentionally alienates community groups; charity leaders may come across as heated, uncompromising or hard to deal with at times. But both are rooted in service. Finding a shared space – grounded in civic duty – is the key to building partnerships that deliver lasting public value. Community foundations sit in the middle of this Venn diagram and can help find common ground.
The road ahead
There are reasons to be hopeful. I’ve been encouraged by signals that this government is serious about working differently with communities – as part of a growing commitment to person-centred public service reform, including promising initiatives like the Test and Learn programme led by Nick Kimber, and Community Help Partnerships led by Emily Braid. A stronger focus on working with the impact economy is also very welcome.
These efforts are still early – fragile, even – but they are steps in the right direction. Those of us outside government can help them succeed. We don’t need to wait for permission or a formal role. One thing I learned working in Downing Street was that most things are possible if you don’t mind who gets the credit.
If we bring that spirit – of generosity, humility, and shared purpose – to genuinely collaborative enterprise between government and the impact economy, there’s no limit to what we can achieve together.
Emma de Closset is the chief executive of UK Community Foundations (UKCF), a place-based network which invests in communities through local giving and philanthropy. Prior to joining UKCF in January 2025, Emma was a director in the Cabinet Office. She is also currently a visiting professor at the Policy Institute of King's College London
This article was first published here by the Future Governance Forum