It's All About Charity

Doing more isn't enough

I quite like myself. Seriously! I'm happy, busy and generally optimistic. I spend my time hanging out with my kids, working or chasing various balls around. A simple existence but a fulfilling one.

Sadly even I occasionally find myself questioning the meaning of life. Why exactly am I here? I know I'm fortunate but surely I have a duty to give something back to those less fortunate than me? Or more accurately, if I find a way to give something back, will I stop having these annoying moments of self-doubt? It might be a selfish motivation but it's an honest one. Unfortunately buying a weekly copy of the Big Issue doesn't quite cut it these days.

But what I do have is...

Actually, I've spent the best part of 2 years looking for something "good" to do. I don't have many skills but I do possess a vague understanding of business, I have bucket loads of enthusiasm and I'm surprisingly very good with young people - yes, probably a maturity thing. I'm in no danger of being asked to be a school governor so I've been looking for a charity where I can get properly involved. I have time and money to contribute...

Not much of a tin rattler

It should be easy right? But actually it's been incredibly frustrating. I've reached out to numerous charities in various ways and the response has been, well, a little bit underwhelming. Sure, I'm happy to go collecting on a Saturday afternoon but I had dreams of doing slightly more.

Then a light came on

And then I came across Pilotlight. It's a brilliant concept. Pilotlight takes people like me, puts us into a team of 4 and parachutes us into a charity that meets its selection criteria: working with young people, dedicated staff and ambitious plans. We have a year to make a difference. It's like being a non-exec although we're actually paying for the privilege.

So yes, I'm happy to tell you that I'm now an official Pilotlighter; I've met my brothers in arms and we've been introduced to the charity we're going to use our best endeavours to help.

I'm excited and slightly nervous. If you can wait a year, I'll let you know how I get on...

Ben Black