Les comes to us from GuideStar UK where he was Director. He has spent the past 18 years undertaking a range of major initiatives that have served to develop the evidence base for third sector research, policy and practice. Les was instrumental in designing and implementing the free website www.guidestar.org.uk launched in December 2005 and more recently has spearheaded the social enterprise activities of GuideStar Data Services CIC - including the development of the market for third sector data involving financial institutions, government, academia, and the third sector itself. Les has played a pivotal role in a number of UK government initiatives including the National Survey of Third Sector Organisations.
His research career commenced at Aston Business School. In 1994 he established the research team at the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), in 1998 he became a principal researcher for the Johns Hopkins University Comparative Nonprofit Sector Project, and in 2000 he established a new research centre at University College London which became part of the Institute for Philanthropy. Les has taught a Voluntary Sector Policy course at UCL for many years, and is chairman of the Coventry Sports Trust.
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