Thought for the Day is a 200 word feature which goes out during the breakfast show every weekday. The speakers, drawn from a wide variety of religious groups, provide a spiritual take on topical issues covered in that morning’s show. Quakers have been making regular contributions to this slot for a number of years. Kate Taylor is our representative at the moment. Here is the script for her first contribution, broadcast on Tuesday 22nd February:

This is very brave for a first Thought For The Day but something happened at the weekend that really made me think quite deeply about life, charity and politics. 

After Quakers on Sunday, I listened to a presentation given by a relative of one of the Quakers about a charity she works for.  She was lovely and I’m sure it is a great charity, doing a lot of valuable good work.  But being a bit of a Bolshy Leftie I always get a bit upset with charities doing work that I feel a well-run state should be doing.  But in the absence of a well-run state charity is better than nothing, I’m fairly positive about that even if I do wish things were different.  

I still feel ambivalent though and maybe a bit jealous, I don’t feel like I have ever achieved very much in terms of helping people, I fear I am a not very confident dreamer, but I’m not going to give up my dreams, a lot of good things come from dreams, like that particular charity, and maybe one day a better functioning state.