Bubb on 'Faith & Globalisation'

It was a fascinating evening - I went to listen to Tony Blair give a lecture in Westminster Cathedral about Faith and Globalisation. He talked about his own personal faith, but also the role that faith must play in driving change and shaping values for the good.

It was a fascinating insight into what drove him as a person and how important faith was to him. It was also clear he found it frustrating not to be able to talk about faith when he was PM.

He spoke about the Inter-Faith Foundation he is setting up. One of the core aims is how faiths can promote the Millennium Development Goals; this is an issue that should be central to UK international policy.

I also strongly believe in the importance of faith and it is good that TB is championing this.

I'd been invited as one of Tony's personal guests so was sitting at the front of the Cathedral. I had a great chat with Cherie afterwards. I also met up with Ruth Turner; she worked with TB in No. 10 and was influential in persuading him off the importance of the sector role in public service reform.' She engineered the famous meeting between TB and me and my board when we presented our case for more delivery through the third sector. This discussion led directly to the establishment of the Office of the Third Sector, so she has played a good role or us. We talk about the Foundation and how acevo can help promote its work. We will talk further. And on the way out I bump into Hazel Blears.

But now I'm off to the Progressive Governance Conference being organised by GB and No 10. No less than 15 heads of state will be there. I am the only third sector representative there so I have my job cut out to ensure the role of our sector in driving social and economic change is recognised!!