John Smith Centre for Public Service booklet

John Smith Centre for Public Service

‘The opportunity to serve our country - that is all we ask.’ John Smith

Labour Party Gala Dinner, London

Background On 12th May 2014, the 20th anniversary of the death of the Labour Party Leader, the Rt Hon. John Smith Q.C., M.P., Baroness Smith of Gilmorehill announced the creation of a new Centre to “promote public service as a noble vocation” and provide a lasting, fitting and meaningful tribute to the life and work of John Smith.

In partnership with the University of Glasgow, we are working to bring this vision to life and are seeking supporters, sponsors and partners to help get the Centre off the ground.

The purpose of the Centre The Centre will act as a focus for advocacy, debate and insight into public service, with the ambition of attracting more young people to contribute to public life and restoring the reputation of the role of public servants. Specific activities are likely to include:

• Detailed research projects into attitudes to public service amongst different audiences

• Internships and Awards for research at the University of Glasgow

• Programmes in schools and higher/further education institutions

• International collaborations with universities and institutes around the world

• Public events and debates and a profile in traditional and social media

Appropriately housed at the University of Glasgow, where John and Elizabeth Smith both studied and first met, the John Smith Centre for Public Service aims to be operational in early 2015.

Why the Centre is needed Public life is in crisis in the United Kingdom. The reputation of public service has been seriously challenged and the contribution of those involved in public service is regularly questioned.

However no single institution is conducting research into the issues and attitudes around public service alone. The work of the Centre will seek to define what public service is in the modern age, how it should be conducted and how everyone can consider contributing to it, whether in local communities or on the world stage.

The legacy of John Smith The inspiration for the work of the Centre will come from John Smith himself. The night before he died, John gave a speech at a Labour Party Gala Dinner in London concluding with the words: “The opportunity to serve our country - that is all we ask.” It is that single phrase that encapsulates a lifetime of seeking to help others through efforts in public service. Inspiring that in a new generation will be the legacy of the Centre’s work.

As Professor Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow said at the launch: “John Smith was one of our most distinguished alumni. His influence and impact were, and are, profound. It is clear that we now live in an age of crisis and renewal. We should focus on the opportunities for renewal and creating the institutions and ideals that can drive improvement across society. The John Smith Centre for Public Service can do this.”

Beneficiaries of the John Smith Centre We intend that the reach and impact of the John Smith Centre will be broad. We envisage benefits for a diverse range of individuals, group and communities, including: • 16-18 year olds in Scotland who have recently become engaged in the electoral process via the Independence Referendum. We feel strongly that there are a number of ways in which the John Smith Centre could work with this group (notably those from more disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds) in order to explore their attitudes, feelings and future intentions with regard to public service, citizenship and engagement. We are keen to progress this strand of work quickly in order to build on the Scotland-wide debate and discussion that has been in evidence in recent months.

• Existing undergraduates and post-graduates at the University of Glasgow, who are well placed to work with the John Smith Centre to explore the nature of public service and future attitudes.

• We intend to engage the wider Glasgow community in a discussion about public service via a programme of public lectures and seminars, drawing on an intellectually stimulating mix of international speakers.

• We will develop links with relevant charities, community groups and schools in order to further the aims of the Centre, most notably in terms of exploring how everyone can potentially contribute to public service.

• A key priority for the Centre will be to explore public service in a UK-wide context. For example, we wish to consider how the nature of public service may have changed, and the way in which people perhaps seek to contribute to society through their business/ employment, rather than through more traditional notions of public service such as public office.

• As the work of the Centre develops we will seek to enhance its international reputation, for example utilising a programme of Visiting Professorships to broaden awareness of our activities.

How you can support the work of the John Smith Centre The Centre has already received messages of support from the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the First Minister of Scotland, as well as many prominent figures who have distinguished themselves in public service. We are now asking for practical help in three areas:

• Seed funding - The aim is for the Centre to have a mixed funding model, drawing on research grants, gifts and sponsorships.

However to get the Centre off the ground we are looking for seed funds from organisations sympathetic with its aims.

• Partnerships – The Centre is looking for potential research partners to help it undertake its work, whether in sponsoring projects or helping to undertake the research itself.

• Advocacy – A key aim of the Centre is to promote public service in the media and public realm. Having an active network of supporters who share this mission is therefore vital.

All gifts of any size are welcome to support the work of the John Smith Centre. However, below are a range of suggestions based on the Centre’s needs for gifts in the range £1,000 - £100,000.

These are illustrative and we look forward to discussing with the donor how a potential gift might be used.

• £1000 will provide a subsistence grant for a young person to carry out a work placement in the Edinburgh or Westminster Parliament • £2500 will help us to set-up and operate a residential retreat for 1618 year olds who are considering a future in public service • £5000 will enable us to run a research seminar on the impact of the independence referendum on young people’s attitudes to public service

• £5,000 will facilitate a best practice research and evaluation project on existing Schools of Public Service in other countries, notably the US • £7,500 will assist in the creation of a Visiting Professorship Programme • £10,000 will allow us to set up a comprehensive internship/work placement programme with a range of institutions in order for young people to explore public service as a future career path • £10,000 will help us initiate a series of Public Service Research Fellowships in partnership with academic institutions in the wider UK and internationally • £25,000 will enable us to conduct an original piece of research into UK attitudes to public service • £30,000 will allow us to establish an Award to honour contributions to public service on the international stage • £50,000 will help support the establishment of a team of researchers and support staff to drive the centre • £100,000 will fund the research and advocacy programme for the first year

Development & Alumni Office 2-3 The Square, University of Glasgow Glasgow G12 8QQ Tel: +44 (0)141 330 4951 Fax: +44 (0)141 330 4647 Email: campaign@glasgow.ac.uk www.glasgow.ac.uk/alumni