Are there enough charismatic leaders to deliver for the voluntary sector?

This neatly ties into the interest shown by the Tories in getting the voluntary sector more involved in public services. Under both the London mayoralty and national opposition, projects that have taken such inspirational figures to make an impact have been pointed to as things that could potentially be rolled out elsewhere. Nationally, John Bird of the Big Issue and Camila Batmanghelidjh of Kids Company have both discussed problems with David Cameron; in London, the inestimable Ray Lewis of Eastside Young Leaders Academy was even made a deputy mayor before his fall from grace.

But what is notable about all the examples is that it has taken someone to push against the odds to get the project going. There are grounds to say that, in any field, it takes such a figure to make things happen. But such community-based enterprises are driven by people power more than in other arenas, and it takes a certain driven - or, some might say, bolshy - personality to get them going. It's the effectiveness of that which gives the voluntary sector its great strength: being close to people on the ground.

So this poses a real problem with trying to draw the voluntary sector into a greater role in public services. Put simply, are there enough Lewis' and Batmanghelidjhs in the world to get voluntary organisations more involved in delivering policy? Or would using the voluntary sector without such charismatic figures mean that the voluntary sector's biggest strength would be lost in the delivery?