The Big Society – A Big Idea or just a Big Launch?
Posted: 15 October 2010
The Big Question on the Big Society agenda is whether we are simply hearing warm words from the Government to mask the deep and damaging cuts that are to be made to our public services, or whether there is a serious commitment to fundamentally change the way the country wants to give people more control over their own lives and their communities.
The Big Society is not new – thousands of people have been working for many years in all parts of the country to regenerate their local areas, tackle crime and antisocial behaviour, increase jobs opportunities and improve health. The problem has been that in many cases they have done this in the face of obstacles and opposition from the system, sometimes from politicians and always from organisations with power. Those that have succeeded have done so against the odds. Groups like Bob Holman’s FARE in Glasgow, Linda Hines and the team behind Witton Lodge in Perry Common, and Chris Dabbs’ Unlimited Potential in my own City of Salford are inspirational, committed, innovative and challenging, but they have shown what can be done when we unleash the skills and talents of local people.
The Big Test for the Government is back up their talk with practical policy. There are three essential components needed if community drive changed is to happen and be sustained for the long term.
Firstly, funding. Under 13 years of a Labour Government funding for charities and voluntary organisations from Government almost doubled to nearly £13bn. Now the new Government’s Office for Civil Society has just cut £11m from volunteering organisations, Croydon Borough Council has cut 60% of its voluntary sector contracts and local authorities faced with massive pressure on their budgets will find it hard to maintain support for community organisations. The Big Society Bank is likely to face a massive over subscription for whatever it is able to offer.
Secondly, a proper national and local government framework is essential. If local organisations really are to take over assets and run services there will need to be an assurance of long-term commitment otherwise we simply set people up to fall.
And finally, there has to be fairness. There is a massive gap between the capacity of people in better-off, more affluent areas and those in poorer communities to step forward and take responsibility. It can and does happen, and many are brilliant, but there must be backup support and resources to make it a level playing field and ensure all communities are given the chance to flourish.
There is no quick fix – those of us who have been involved know that involving the community can be a slow, difficult, painstaking process with many setbacks on the way, but there is an immense feeling of achievement when things go well.
These three tests – funding, a framework and fairness – will show us whether the Big Society is just a slogan and empty rhetoric, or whether it is a serious commitment to a new future, a massively expanded social enterprise sector, serious investment in new ideas and innovation and real power-sharing with local communities.
The jury is out.
Source: House Magazine
