Our weekly round-up of interesting and outlandish information, collected from the corners of the charity sector. 

Good knight, and good luck

As all ardent fans of rowing, the hammer throw and water polo will be well aware, we are only a few weeks away from the beginning of the Olympic Games being held in Rio de Janeiro.

Between the accusations of massive corruption and the national health emergency being caused in the region by the Zika virus, it’s fair to say that not everyone is super excited about the games of the however-manyeth Olympiad. Well, apart from the Big Lottery Fund obviously. Go team GB!

One charitable organisation however is already looking towards 2020 and the next Olympic Games. English Heritage has used the run up to these Olympics to begin a push to make medieval jousting a sport at the 2020 games.

“We are being deadly serious,” said Lucy Hutchings, English Heritage’s head of projects. “It is an incredible spectator sport, a really fascinating thing to watch. The skill of the knight and the horses make it a great thing to witness … we absolutely believe it deserves its place at the Olympic table.”

Hold your horses there for a second, English Heritage. Diary thinks you’ve already missed a trick not saying it deserves its place at the Olympic round-table… Surely you joust, sir!

Don’t believe Diary? You can read about it here in The Guardian – one can only imagine the article was written by a freelancer…

EH has begun a petition calling on all true blooded Englishmen and women to sign, which it will then put to the IOC to consider. EH has gone so far as to call jousting “the first English national sport”, far predating England’s current obsessions with football, cricket and, to a far lesser extent, ministerial backstabbing – an altogether different, but no less entertaining blood sport.

The charity wants jousting to be sort of tacked onto the end of the existing spectrum of horse sports, known collectively as “equestrian”. Dressage, show jumping, eventing... and jousting. It would certainly make the event more demanding if, in addition to horse dancing, equestrianism required the riders to try to knock each other out of the saddle with bloody great poles.

One can only imagine the looks on the faces of the posh folk who compete when they're told they've have to swap the dinner jackets for a 60lb suit of armour.

Why has EH gone at this full tilt? Petition or no petition, it’s bound to be a bit of a rough ride getting this into the Olympics. Diary wonders why the charity has chosen to spur this on at all. What’s the, er, point?

Diary loves you English Heritage.

The Bubbfest blub fest

But those aren't the only knights we've got for you this week, oh no. We bring you knights even more manly, more virile, and more impressive in a suit of armour.

Oh, no, wait, we don't. We've got Stephen Bubb, instead.

Yes, after over a quarter of a decade and one knighthood, Bubb is leaving Acevo to strike out alone with his, for lack of a better word, Bubb Hub. This column has covered Bubb Hub before.

Still, as befits a man of his stature within the sector, his former home Acevo has given Sir Steve the kind of drawn out and fawning farewell the he deserves. Diary understands that certain sources have referred to this series of functions as “Bubbfest”.

John Low from CAF cracked wise about Sir Bubb on numerous occasions. “They do say,” Low quipped “that change comes through the unreasonable man. And you, Stephen have achieved much change”.

Low also made much mirth over Bubb’s well known inability to pass a microphone, television camera or, indeed, Dictaphone without giving forth to a diatribe of his thoughts. “He’s changed over the years, having kept his leaving party speech to just five minutes”.

Lol.

Goodnight sweet Bubb, may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest. That, or the Bubb-le has finally burst...

Turning over a new leaf

After a week of stony silence, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport finally confirmed that Rob Wilson, Matt Hancock and the all the other colourful characters from the old Office for Civil Society had been given a new home within its walls. Seems the charity brief has come with them.

Like with any good story however, this one has something of a twist. Along with his former responsibilities, Wilson’s brief has expanded somewhat to include libraries. Diary’s not making this up. It’s a fact. You’ll find it in the non-fiction section, by the microfiche.

Diary thinks this could be a wonderful new chapter in the history of the sector. And how appropriate that the MP for Reading is now the MP for reading.

You could say this move is long overdue. Yes a few plans might get shelved, but Diary’s sure that Wilson will put his stamp on the DCMS. Doubters will now be on borrowed time. All of his existing briefs will be read cover to cover. And no doubt he'll be coming over all Dewey-eyed about literacy.