David Robinson (community worker)

David Robinson OBE is the co-founder of Community Links, founder and co-leader of the Relationships Project,[1] chair of the Early Action Task Force, and Honorary Practitioner in Residence at the London School of Economics Marshall Institute, developing new work on tackling social isolation.

Robinson co-founded east London charity Community Links in 1977 while at school, and was Chief Executive for 25 years. When he stepped down to become Senior Advisor, Community Links was the UK's largest local voluntary organisation.[2]

He co-founded the Children’s Discovery Centre in 2002. It was the UK’s first Story Centre working with more than 100,000 children and their families every year on the development of literacy skills and a love of language and stories. From 2007 to 2010 he led the Prime Minister’s Council on Social Action for Gordon Brown.[3] While there, he initiated and worked with others on the construction of the Social impact bond and went on to chair the successful Peterborough project – the world’s first scheme funded by a Social impact bond.[4] The SIB was developed by Social Finance Ltd. where David became a director and where he now chairs the Impact Incubator developing new models in areas of acute social need.[5]

Robinson founded and now chairs Shift - the social enterprise developing products that change behaviour.[6] It began with the million selling Change the world for a fiver series of books before moving on to a range of other products.

He set up Changing London in 2013 to involve Londoners in an independent, three year programme developing ideas for London’s next mayor.[7] Since the mayoral election he has advised on the Mayor's Citizenship and Integration programme. He has also chaired or been a non-executive director with many organisations including BASSAC, Business in the Community, Social Finance Ltd. and the Big Society Trust.

David's books include Britain's Everyday Heroes (with Gordon Brown), 'Changing London' (with Will Horowitz),[8] 'Change the World for a Fiver'[9] and Unconditional Leadership as well as numerous papers and reports. Other publications include multiple policy reports for the Council on Social Action, for the Early Action Task Force and now an ongoing series for the Relationships Project. He has delivered two TEDx talks.[10]

David was the first Practitioner in Residence at the LSE’s Marshall Institute.[11] He delivered the first Practitioners public lecture for the Institute at the LSE in 2018 and is now an occasional lecturer at the LSE and elsewhere.[12] David holds an honorary doctorate from the Open University, is an Associate Fellow at the University of East London Institute for Connected Communities, an Ashoka Senior Fellow and chair of the Flying Seagulls.[13]  He was once described by the Guardian as “the godfather of the community sector, equally admired on the left and right”.[14]

He was awarded OBE in 1995, has three children and lives in East London.

  1. ^ Robinson, Immy. "Home". Relationships Project. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  2. ^ Butler, Patrick "A dire 'big society' warning David Cameron would do well to heed", The Guardian 30 December 2010. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  3. ^ Cabinet Office "The Council on Social Action" 11 December 2009. Retrieved 28 February 2018
  4. ^ Kay, Liam. "World's first social impact bond achieved goals and repaid investors" Third Sector 27 July 2017. Accessed 28 February 2018.
  5. ^ Social Finance [1] Accessed 28 February 2018.
  6. ^ "Shift Design" Accessed 28 February 2018.
  7. ^ Robinson, David "Changing London will help to change lives" The Guardian 17 November 2013. Accessed 28 February 2018.
  8. ^ Clark, Sam (29 April 2015). "Changing London: A Rough Guide for the Next London Mayor". The London Publishing Partnership. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  9. ^ "Change The World For a Fiver: a book and social movement". Shift. 13 October 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  10. ^ Robinson, David (28 November 2017), The poverty of social connections, retrieved 17 July 2023
  11. ^ Science, London School of Economics and Political. "People". London School of Economics and Political Science. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  12. ^ LSE Marshall Institute | How Relationships Change The World And Where To Go With What We Know, retrieved 17 July 2023
  13. ^ "Flying Seagulls". Flying Seagulls. 13 July 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  14. ^ Butler, Patrick (11 February 2011). "Memo to Cameron on charity cuts: how big is your leadership?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 17 July 2023.